What is Herpes?

• This is a common viral infection that causes small, irritating fluid-filled blisters on the skin and mucus membranes.
• There are two types → Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) and Type 2 (HSV-2).
• Type 1 is the cause of oral herpes (cold sores) & Type 2 is the cause of genital herpes. However, Type 1 can spread to the genitalia and Type 2 can spread to the mouth, lips, etc.
• It tends to remain dormant for a long duration with outbreaks occurring from time to time.

How is it acquired?

• Skin – to – skin contact with someone who has the infection.
• Typically spreads when ones genitals or mouth comes into contact with another persons genitals or mouth.
  • Can also spread to eyes
• Very easily transmitted but more contagious when lesions are and open and wet. Can still spread when there are no sores present.

Symptoms

• Might be symptom free or experience mild unnoticeable symptoms
• Genital Herpes
  • Itchy and/or painful blisters on any part of the genitals (Vagina, Vulva, Cervix, Penis, Scrotum, Buttocks, etc). The Blisters eventually rupture and become sores.
  • Burning urination, trouble with urination, pain, itching, and flu-like symptoms if caused by HSV-2
• Oral Herpes
  • Similar presentation as genital herpes, but much less severe.

Remedies

Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm is a common herb that is well known for its calming properties. It has been extensively studied for treating many conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, Diabetes, Anxiety and more. It is not uncommon to hear of people often drinking lemon balm tea before bed, as it is an effective remedy for sleeplessness. When it comes to Herpes, however, Lemon Balm is to be used topically. In clinical research, the topical application of Lemon Balm to herpetic lesions resulted in faster healing of the lesions (see study)

Honey

Honey is well known as an antiseptic, mucolytic, and wound healing agent. Its medicinal uses date back too several thousands of years, and it has been well-studied in modern research. Clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of honey in conditions such as conjunctivitis, bronchitis, gangrene, oral mucositis (in chemotherapy) and more. In the case of Herpes, much like lemon balm, honey is quite effective in speeding up the healing of lesions when applied topically (see study).

Propolis

Propolis is a resin-like substance that is produced by bees when building their hives. This substance has a long history of medicinal use dating back to the ancient Greeks. Propolis contains over 300 chemical compounds, most of which are polyphenols – a type of antioxidant that has potent medicinal properties. Propolis, much like honey, has numerous medicinal uses. In the case of Herpes, Propolis ointments can be used topically to speed up healing. In fact, in one clinical trial, a polyphenol-rich Propolis ointment was found to be more effective than Acyclovir in healing genital herpes lesions (see study).

Lysine

Lysine is classified as an essential amino acid, meaning the body cannot produce it on its own and therefore needs to acquire it from food. Lysine has received a lot of attention for its benefits related to high blood pressure as well as Herpes. Lysine supplementation appears to increase the time between Herpes outbreaks, meaning people will experience these lesions less frequently as well as reducing the severity of symptoms and increasing healing time (see study).

Zinc

Out of all the minerals we need for maintenance in health- Zinc is the primary choice used in fighting of viral infections. In fact, Zinc literally blocks the replication of viruses while also supporting immune health. Zinc has numerous functions in the body from regulating immune function, supporting the healing of tissue, regulating blood pressure, metabolizing carbohydrates and it even plays a centralized role in our sense of smell and taste. When it comes to Herpes, the topical application of zinc ointments (such as zinc sulfate) has been found to significantly speed up the rate of herpetic lesion healing (see study). I would also emphasize that while the research has only been done on the topical use, Zinc also has potent antiviral effects when consumed internally. Supplementation with Zinc has demonstrated potent antiviral and immune supporting effects in conditions such as HIV, HPV, and the Common Cold (see my article on Natural Antivirals).

(Always use medicinal herbs under the supervision of a doctor)

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by Dr. Nishal R.
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