HERPES

YEARS AGO, BEFORE AIDS, genital herpes was in the forefront of the news as a sexual scourge. While it is no longer in the headlines, it is still very much a part of many peoples’ lives: It’s the most common venereal disease in the United States. Roughly twenty million Americans are infected, with about 500,000 new cases each year. Unfortunately, there is as yet no cure for herpes, but there are natural steps you can take to minimize the number and severity of outbreaks, and there is a drug that your doctor can give you that will also help to limit your outbreaks.

Herpes is among the many diseases caused by herpes virus, a family of viruses with five different strains that cause ailments including chickenpox and shingles. The most common strain, herpes simplex, has two variations: type 1, which is usually associated with cold sores around the mouth, and type 2, which generally infects the genitalia, buttocks, and thighs with painful sores and blisters. But the two types of herpes can overlap: The genital infection can be acquired through oral sex with a partner who has an active cold sore. Typically, after the initial infection, the herpes virus becomes dormant in the nerves and recurs following a minor infection such as a cold, a trauma, an emotional or environmental stress, or sun exposure.

Genital herpes is spread through sexual contact with someone who has an active outbreak of herpes; there is about a 75 percent chance of infection as the result of contact. Infected men who are suffering an outbreak will have blisters and sores on their penis and scrotum while women will typically exhibit sores on their vulva. Unfortunately, because a woman can have a painless outbreak or can have sores hidden inside the female genitalia, she could unwittingly pass the virus on to a sexual partner. In addition, there have been cases of herpes being passed on by a man who has no visible signs of an outbreak. The obvious prevention is extreme care in sexual contact. And of course if you do have herpes, you have an obligation to inform and protect any sexual partner.

One of the potentially serious complications of herpes is that it can endanger a child born of a mother who is suffering from an active infection. If you have herpes or have been exposed to the virus and you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, you should discuss your infection with your obstetrician.

If you have been exposed to herpes and you become infected, you will typically feel symptoms about four or five days after your initial contact. If you do develop burning, itching, and/or pain at the site of contact, I recommend that you call your doctor immediately because there is an antiviral drug, acyclovir (Zovirax), that will shorten the symptoms of the first attack, which generally is the worst. The most severe symptoms can include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms.

No one can predict when a second herpes attack will occur, but there’s a great deal of evidence that you can help prevent attacks by natural means and, while I think it’s sensible to take acyclovir to treat the initial, severe attack, it’s important to take steps to boost your immune system, modify your diet, and take appropriate supplements to prevent future outbreaks.

For immediate relief of an outbreak, do not use any ointment or cream on your sores unless under a doctor’s guidance. Many of the ointments that you have in your medicine cabinet will only worsen your symptoms. It’s important to keep herpes lesions dean and dry. This means washing them with soap and water, avoiding binding clothes, wearing cotton underwear, and avoiding any creams or ointments that will smother the blisters and prevent drying. Some people find warm baths are soothing. Ice wrapped in a clean cloth and applied to the lesions for about ten minutes on and five minutes off can relieve pain. Some people find that drying their genitals with a hair dryer on low heat can be soothing.

Remember when you, or anyone, has active lesions, you should not touch the affected area and then touch your mouth, face, or eyes, as this can spread the infection.

Stress is a major stimulant of recurrent herpes outbreaks. You cannot eliminate the stress in your life, but I believe that it’s critical for you to control that stress. For more information, see Stress Control. I tell all of my herpes patients that they must adopt the relaxation response exercise described in the chapter on stress at least twice a day. Many have reported fewer outbreaks when following this regime.

Certain nutrients can help prevent herpes outbreaks. Beta-carotene strengthens the immune system and can help inhibit viruses. Both vitamin C and zinc are helpful in inhibiting herpes attacks. And vitamin E has been shown to be helpful in relieving the pain of the herpes outbreak and also in shortening the duration of the attack.

In my experience, the most effective aid in the relief of herpes is the amino acid L-lysine. There is a hypothesis that lysine inhibits herpes activity (while another amino acid, arginine, promotes it). Studies have demonstrated lysine’s usefulness. A maintenance dosage can be taken as a preventive and then increased if you experience an outbreak. If you take lysine supplements, be sure that you watch your cholesterol levels, as there’s some evidence that lysine may stimulate the liver to increase production of cholesterol.

In addition to taking tysine as a supplement, it can be applied topically in the form of lysine cream, available in health food stores. I usually advise applying it topically twice a day, but check the directions on the label of the package.

Following the hypothesis that herpes outbreaks are stimulated by the imbalance of the amino acids arginine and lysine, it can also be beneficial to avoid arginine-containing foods while taking the lysine supplements. The foods to avoid include chocolate, peanuts and other nuts, seeds, and cereal grains.

Lactobacillus acidophilus, the living culture used to make yogurt, can be helpful in fighting herpes. It can help relieve the symptoms of an outbreak as well as prevent future outbreaks. You can find Lactobacillus acidophilus in capsule form in health food stores. Be sure to buy capsules that contain living cultures. They are usually kept refrigerated.

NATURAL PRESCRIPTION FOR HERPES

• At the first signs of an initial outbreak-pain, burning, and itching at the site of contact four to five days after encounter with an infected partner-call your doctor to confirm diagnosis and get a prescription for acyclovir (Zovirax), which will lessen the severity of the initial outbreak.
• Keep affected area clean and dry.
• Do not use over-the-counter ointments or creams on the lesions, unless prescribed by a doctor.
• To keep the area dry, wear cotton underwear and non-binding clothes.
• Warm baths-two or three daily during an outbreak-can give relief.
• Relief from pain can be achieved with the use of an ice pack or ice covered with a clean cloth. Apply for ten minutes to lesions and then remove for five minutes. Repeat three or four times.
• Remember not to touch the lesions and then touch your face, mouth, eyes, and so on, as this can spread the infection.
• Adopt a method of stress control. See Stress Control.
• Avoid arginine-rich foods, including chocolate, peanuts, nuts, seeds, cereal grains such as oatmeal, gelatin, carob, and raisins.

IN ADDITION TO YOUR DAILY SUPPLEMENTS, TAKE:

• L-lysine: 3,000 mg. daily; 1,000 mg. with each meal at the first sign of a cold sore outbreak. After the symptoms lessen, reduce your intake to 500 mg. a day. If you break out on this maintenance dosage, increase your maintenance dose to 1,000 mg. a day to prevent recurrence.
• Lysine cream: apply topically to lesions twice a day or as recommended on label.
• Lactobacillus acidophilus: three capsules a day; one with each meal.
• Zinc: 22.5 mg. A day
• Vitamin C with bioflavonoids: 1,000 to 2,000 mg. A day.
• Vitamin E: 400 I.U.
• L-Lysine: 500 mg. daily