Herpes are group of skin or nervous diseases that are caused by herpes simplex types of viruses. This definition could be bit confusing for those of you who are reading it for the first time, since there is a cyclic reference to the word “herpes” in it.
In medical terms “herpes simplex” is completely categorized into separate groups of viruses just like HIV. Herpes has been categorized into 8 sub types in the medical sciences.
- Herpes Simplex Virus -1
- Herpes Simplex Virus -2
- Varicella zoster virus
- Human Herpes-Virus 6
- Human Herpes-Virus 7
- Human Cytomegalovirus
- Epstein Barr Virus
- Sarcoma Associated Herpes-Virus
However the first two types are the most commonly seen types which affect maximum number of people all over the world today. They are also named as oral types of herpes and sexual type of herpes respectively. The herpes kidney infection is found to be a risk factor among most of the types related to genital types of diseases.
Overview Of Herpes Treatment Drugs
Herpes treatment methods vary depending on the nature and intensity of the diseases. For example the herpes type 1 is given oral medications like al acyclovir while herpes type 2 may require the patient to take up regular shots for treatment.
Ingredients of drugs make a lot of impact on their efficiency and effectiveness. In this section you can read about some of the most critical ingredients of Herpes type 1 and Herpes type 2 drugs and their typical characteristics. Brief description is given about how each ingredient works in relieving the symptoms of herpes.
However, according to medical journal reports there have been no drugs to permanently eradicate herpes from your body so far. They only help in preventing the relapse of herpes symptoms. If you go back to your old lifestyle during herpes infection contacting, you may end up in worse condition than before.
Hence you must be highly conscious about hygienic lifestyle in the post treatment period along with following the guidelines of your doctor. All the drugs specified in this section are generic in nature and carry no brand names. You need to avoid any type of self medication when it comes to herpes medicines. It is safest to let your doctor prescribe them for you.
List Of Drugs For Herpes Type 1
- Acycloviris one of the drugs prescribed for Herpes Type1 diseases. It is made of an active ingredient of the same name. Supporting ingredients are lactose, magnesium, sodium starch compounds and polyvidone. Some of the listed side effects of Acyclovir are nausea, vomiting sensation and physical fatigue.
- Famciclovir is a drug is mostly consumed in the form of oral medicine. It is used as active ingredient in many brands with inactive ingredients like hydroxypropyl cellulose, lactose, magnesium stearate, polyethylene glycols and titanium dioxide. Some of the listed side effects are physical fatigue; skin itching, numbness and nausea.
- Valacyclovir is a drug with Valacyclovir hydrochloride as the main active ingredient. Some of the non active ingredients are silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol and hypromellose. Some of the listed side effects are yellow skin, fatigue and hair loss.
List Of Drugs For Herpes Type 2
The above listed three drugs namely Acyclovir, Famciclovir and Valacyclovir can also be used for herpes type-2 disease when it is in the initial stages. Advanced stages may need these medicines to be administered in the form of shots. However they can only suppress the symptoms of the disease over a long period of time.
They stay resident within the ganglia nerve. It may erupt as an outbreak at any time. Hence the dosage of medications should continue even after the visible symptoms have been healed and you have returned to normal life routine. The duration of medication will be decided by your doctor.
- When the disease progresses to the intermediate stage, the doctors may prescribe shots of these drugs in combination with other antibiotics to heal the wounds faster.
- According to medical experts the drug Valacyclovir is said to be relatively more effective compared to the other two. The observation probably comes from the number of case studies on herpes-2 conducted at different parts of the country over a period of time. However consultancy with herpes expert doctor and prescription are must in order to make the dosage and duration of consumption effective.
Herpes Treatment In Pregnancy
Women can contact Herpes type 1 and type 2 during pregnancy, depending on the environmental, physical and sexual contact factors. There are many risks involved when an expecting mother gets infected with herpes.
- Genital herpes gets transmitted to the child. The risk is said to be higher when the mother contacts the disease during the later stages of her pregnancy. According to gynecologists this disease can get transmitted to the new born during the time of child birth also.
- The center for disease control and prevention, USA conducted a study across different sections of pregnant women having herpes simplex of type 2. It showed normal child birth was possible for women who contacted genital herpes during or before third trimester of their pregnancy, provided they had no symptoms of epidemic eruption. Women with a potential outbreak had to opt for caesarian child birth. However it depends on individual cases and hence cannot be generalized.
- The course of treatment for herpes starts immediately after the confirmation of herpes during pregnancy. If it is herpes type 1 and it is detected early in pregnancy, the chances of infecting the baby are low in the neonatal period.
- Genital herpes treatment for the pregnant female is said to be in several stages, depending on the progress of pregnancy. Anti herpes medicines need to be consumed by the expecting mother according to prescription. Regular intake can suppress the symptoms and prevent its transmission onto the baby during pregnancy and in the neonatal period.
Herpes Treatment Cream
Herpes around the mouth and herpes blisters on hand could be cured to considerable extent with the help of herpes treatment cream prescribed by the dermatologist. You need to apply it regularly on the affected areas and follow it up with prescribed medications also. Once the wounds and blisters are healed you will be able to resume your normal lifestyle.