Herpes Treatment

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The treatment of cold sores caused by HSV is aimed at relieving symptoms. To reduce the risk of secondary infection, you can gentle wash the sores with soap and water. Ointments that inhibit the herpes virus may be helpful in speeding healing.

A viscous solution of lidocaine (Xylocaine) is a topical anesthetic that can be prescribe to decrease the pain of a herpes sore in the mouth.To ease discomfort, you can take acetaminophen can cause liver damage. Do not exceed the recommended dosage. An astringent such as Campho-Phenique can help relieve symptoms and speed healing, although it may sting when first applied.

The antiviral acyclovir (Zovirax) is a common treatment for genital and oral herpes. It is a relatively safe and well-tolerated drug, and some people have taken it for years. The course of treatment requires that the drug be taken every four hours for up to ten days. If you take acyclovir on a regular basis as a preventive measure, exercise caution. When the drug is stopped, outbreaks sometimes become more severe. However, studies show that this drug does prevent outbreaks in over 90 percent of patients. Acyclovir is also available in ointment form. When applied at the beginning of an outbreak, it can minimize the severity of the attack, but it is not as effective as the oral form of the drug.

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