Herpes at least once in a lifetime appears in almost everyone. In winter, this happens more often, because due to the lack of vitamins in vegetables and fruits in the right amount, the body becomes vulnerable to viruses.
Colds on the lips are nothing but herpes. But quite in vain, many consider it harmless. This disease is able to negatively affect the nervous system, because it is in the nerve cells that these viruses “live”. They find a neuron, integrate into its DNA and become almost invisible to immunity.
Upon contact with a patient who has rashes, you are almost guaranteed to fall ill. It is especially easy to get infected with a kiss, close bodily contact. Infection is possible, but less frequently, if there are no rashes on the body, and the infection is “sleeping”.
It takes about 10 days to cope with a characteristic rash.
Provoking factors:
- Overheat.
- Hypothermia.
- Stress.
- Operations.
- Starvation.
- Physical activity, not typical for humans.
- Climate change.
- Irradiation.
Herpes Types
Herpes simplex is 1 and 2 types. For virus type 1 is characterized by inflammation of the lips, skin, eye inflammation.
With type 2 herpes, the genitals are much more affected. Herpes virus type 1 infected about 70% of people. Not only skin can be affected. Herpes keratitis is quite common. This is an eye lesion, in severe cases leading to blindness.
Type 3 virus in children is manifested by chickenpox. In adults, in 30% of cases, it recurs in the form of shingles. Possible atypical forms without characteristic vesicles. The temperature rises, the head hurts, edematous spots appear on the skin. Nausea and even mental disorders are rare.
Features of the course of shingles
Tinea manifests itself in itching, pain, and pain. Then bubbles appear on the body, they merge into continuous foci. Usually, with herpes of type 3, the lesion is unilateral, along the nerve.
In patients over 60 years of age, pain after shingles can be chronic, disturbing for years. Herpes is also severe in HIV-positive, undergoing chemotherapy, undergoing hormonal therapy, pregnant.
In severe cases of shingles, antiviral therapy is mandatory. Interferon may be prescribed. The patient is hospitalized. The first-line drug for herpes is acyclovir. It is available in the form of ointments and tablets. Ibuprofen and lidocaine reduces soreness of the foci. During pregnancy, herpes is dangerous due to stillbirth and fetal malformations: mental retardation, growth retardation.
How to treat cold sores on the lips?
With a “cold on the lips”, Acyclovir ointment should be applied to the affected surfaces with a thin layer for 3-4 days. Use the ointment can children and pregnant women. The ointment is applied 4 times a day. Only with such frequent use can virus reproduction be suppressed. Of folk remedies, tea tree ointment, zinc ointment, sea buckthorn oil, aloe juice help well. They cannot kill the virus, but they heal well and relieve inflammation. They need to be used in combination with ointment, and sometimes with tablets. It happens that not only local treatment. The doctor may prescribe the so-called anti-relapse therapy if rashes appear very often.
At the time of treatment, the following are excluded:
- Spices.
- Nuts.
- Alcohol.
- Sweet.
- Tomatoes
- Spice.
- Caffeinated drinks.
The diet should be seafood, onions and garlic.
Scientists from the American Mayo Clinic found that if about 1.3 g of lysine is ingested every day, the number of herpes relapses is reduced by 2.4 times. Eat cottage cheese and other dairy products and meat regularly. In smaller quantities, lysine is found in dried apricots. The consumption of wheat flour needs to be reduced. Replace it with whole grains, where possible, use buckwheat or oatmeal. The positive effect of vitamin C and zinc on the course of the disease and a decrease in the frequency of rashes are proven.
As for other measures for the prevention of the disease, it is the same as for other viruses: you need to abandon bad habits, just sleep and eat well every day. Avoid stress, give up alcohol. Walk more.
Herpes: what’s new in treatment expected soon?
Why, despite the fact that the virus can cause the symptoms of the disease immediately, in most cases, it immediately disappears? Researchers at Princeton University used a herpes-related type of virus and infected nerve cells with it. Then, using the aforementioned method, he was introduced into the “sleeping phase”.
There are two ways to wake a virus: using chemical stress signals, or in the presence of a cluster of proteins called viral tegument proteins. It turned out that only viral tegument proteins were a key trigger that could affect the transition to a “sleeping” state or activity of the virus. A better understanding of this mechanism will lead, in the future, scientists hope, to the creation of a completely new class of drugs. Work is underway to create vaccines against herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2. However, talking about the speedy development of vaccinations in the very near future is not necessary.
Herpes was mentioned by Avicenna. Who knows, maybe in this century it will be possible to find a medicine that can completely destroy the virus that once got into the body? At the moment, the biological properties of the virus are fully known. Herpes will survive freezing, thawing, and ultrasound. It is transmitted by airborne droplets, vertically, by contact, during childbirth, through instruments during operations, procedures in a beauty salon, and treatment of tooth decay. It is radically very difficult to deal with it; emphasis must be placed on strengthening the immune system. It is proved that herpes does not like ultraviolet radiation.
Herpes and children
The child receives antibodies to the herpes simplex virus from the mother through the placenta. For this reason, infection with herpes during pregnancy is very dangerous. These antibodies may simply not have time to develop and be transmitted to the baby. However, after 4 years, maternal antibodies disappear from the body of the child. Just at this time, he goes to kindergarten, where he can become infected. Characteristic rashes at the first contact with the virus may be absent. If there are manifestations, then usually they are not localized on the skin, but in the mouth, in the form of lingvomatomatitis. Body temperature rises. Sores can be observed for about a month and go through themselves.
Neurologists are very concerned about the increase in cases of herpetic meningitis. It manifests itself as a headache and critical fever (up to 41.5C). Gynecologists are increasingly associating female inflammation and infertility with type 2 herpes virus. In men, the virus can disrupt sperm motility, and they do not achieve the cherished goal.
When making a diagnosis, the doctor in most cases is based on the clinic. But if in doubt, you can take PCR and ELISA tests (the first type of study detects the DNA of the virus, the second – antibodies in the blood to it).
Herpes virus infection and immunity
More common than cold sores, only influenza among all viral infections. Increasingly, immunologists are treating this virus. The reason for this is a violation of any part of the immune system in most patients, in the presence of symptoms. There is an assumption that immunodeficiency may be inherited genetically. Herpes infection has been proven to facilitate HIV infection and can be a trigger for the development of cancer and autoimmune diseases.
It is worth consulting a doctor if rashes appear more often 3 times a year. Avoid kisses and sex when activating the virus, especially if the partner has not had characteristic rashes before. Treatment begins at the first sign – burning and tingling. In a short time, the virus will go back to the nerve trunks, and its infectivity will decrease. The severe pain, especially characteristic of shingles will not bother. With timely treatment, other complications can be avoided – for example, hearing and visual impairment.
