Genital Herpes Diet - Facts And Treatment

What is Genital Herpes? Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection. It belongs to the herpes virus group. Genital herpes spreads through direct skin to skin contact with an infected individual. It manifests in a cluster of blisters around your genitals.

Any sexually active individual is susceptible to this virus.

Once you catch the infection, the virus remains in the body for your life time. The virus might remain dormant, never bothering you again, or it may recur from time to time. Sometimes the herpes virus does not display outward symptoms. A person may have the virus and not know it at all. In other cases, they show up as painful blisters, clustered together around the genitals, anus and upper thigh. They are extremely painful and cause a lot of discomfort. In addition to the blisters, an individual might also experience flu like symptoms –fever, headache, colds. Pain and burning sensations are also experienced during urination and passing bowel movements.

Genital Herpes Treatment And Cure For Genital Herpes

How is Genital Herpes Treated? Unfortunately, herpes can’t be cured. Once you contact the virus, it stays in your body. Medication simply allows you to control herpes symptoms and helps the body avoid relapse. If the infection is left unchecked, it can spread to non-genital areas such as the eyes, lips and nipples.

Conventional treatment for genital herpes involves rounds of antibiotics. Since antibiotics tend to be very strong, they are known to wear down the body’s immune system. Therefore it is advisable to complement regular medication with complementary therapies. Natural and herbal remedies help the body recover and fight back. They also provide immediate relief from some of the more uncomfortable symptoms of genital herpes. Some common natural remedies include herbs like lemon balm and goldenseal as well as tea tree. In addition to medication and alternative therapies, one needs to follow a proper diet to ensure long term benefits.

Diet – A regulated and balanced diet can help speed up recovery and avoid relapse. There are certain foods that work against the herpes virus, and certain food that can lead to a recurrence. If you have had genital herpes, this list can be very useful. Remember to include foods rich in lysine to your diet. Lysine is an amino acid that interferes with the multiplication of the herpes virus. These foods include fish, chicken, potatoes, beans and milk. As the same time avoid foods rich in arginine like nuts and chocolate. These are known to lead to further outbreaks. Eat Vitamin C rich foods like broccoli as Vitamin C helps boost immunity. This is essential as the virus becomes active when the body’s defenses are down.

Submitted on January 16, 2014