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Herpes...
I asked two questions about uti's and stuff, well, I went to the doctors today, and they said I do have one, but she also said I might have herpes. I'm really freaking out. Is herpes like, treatable? Can or will it go away? She didn't tell me anything on that. I'm really scared.
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I'm assuming you are talking about genital herpes but I will explain both a bit for you.
Cold sores and fever blisters (commonly referred to as oral herpes though they can be transferred genitally) are common names for Herpes Simplex Virus 1. That I am aware of, Herpes Simplex Virus 2, or genital herpes, doesn't have many popular common slang names.
If you share a drink (or eating utensils, anything that touches lips) with someone and you have oral herpes you can pass it along. Kissing is usually the most effective way to contract oral herpes.
You do not need to currently be having an outbreak to transfer this STD either. It is a fact that you don't have to have an active, open sore to be able to pass the virus on to other people or other parts of your body. The virus often sheds in skin cells and from the mucous membranes when there is no sign of a sore at all. This means you can transfer it to other people when it seems like you aren't even having an outbreak.
If you have sexual relations with someone you can have them contract herpes from you. If you have oral herpes and you give someone oral sex then you can then they can develop oral herpes on their genitals. If you have genital herpes and someone gives you oral sex then they may contract genital herpes on the lips and can pass it to you orally. Of course, if you have sexual intercourse and you have genital herpes your partner may also contract genital herpes from you.
I also want to note that any type of birth control, specifically condoms in this case, will not completely protect you and/or your partner from contracting STDs/STIs. Condoms only slightly lessen the chance of contracting such diseases and infections, they do not prevent them. "Safe sex" is really not as safe as the media lets on.
Herpes is very, very common now:
"...one in six adults have genital herpes. It is estimated that over 80 million Americans have herpes of one form or another. This means that 8 in 10 Americans are or will become infected."
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
...which would mean about 80% of the American population has herpes! Now, that's scary.
I also want to note that most people have regular outbreaks but it is possible to go years in between them. Most people also show signs of contracting HSV-1/2 about 10 to 14 days after but there are occasions where some do not have outbreaks for years. The first outbreak usually is the most severe of them.
There is no cure for herpes so it is a life-long sexually transmitted disease people live with. The virus actually lives in nerve roots in your body and cannot be removed in any way. Even if you are extremely lucky and go 10 years without a visual outbreak, you still have the virus inside of you. There are treatments to make the outbreak shortened as well as medication that suppresses outbreaks. No matter what you do, you will always have herpes. The medications for herpes sound very scary as they can cause seizures and even death.
Taking supplements may help decrease your outbreak time. You can take between 1500mg-3000mg of L-Lysine for 5 days during an outbreak with a 7 day break from it to help the sores heal faster. Zinc may help the healing time as well. There is also a homeopathic pill from Wal-Mart you can purchase called Herplex that also claims to speed healing time. Aspirin may help with pain and swelling. If your immune system gets low then chances are you will experience an outbreak. Chocolate also increases outbreaks and outbreak length so you may need to alter your diet.
Different people have different outbreaks. The outbreak could be small and just have one bump, or it could spread and become large and very bumpy. Here is a photo of oral herpes:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
Sometimes women believe they only have small cuts on their vaginal area when they are having a genital outbreak. Here are photos of genital herpes (mostly of males; must click links to view the photos so they won't just pop up on you):
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
For oral herpes:
Usually the outbreak begins with a very slight tingling. It may increase to itching before a painful bump appears. The sore usually lasts 5 - 7 days and is commonly located on one of the sides of the upper lip (though it can be anywhere really). Though those are the common side-effects, some people do not experience any tingling, itching, or pain.
For genital herpes:
Most people infected with HSV-2 are not aware of their infection. They mistaken it with insect bites sometimes, especially if the outbreak is not severe. However, if signs and symptoms occur they can be quite pronounced. Sores typically heal within two to four weeks. Signs and symptoms during the outbreak may include a crop of painful and itchy sores, flu-like symptoms, fever, and swollen glands. Many people experience much nerve pain throughout their bodies, specifically legs and back, before and during an outbreak. Urination can be uncomfortable to painful, especially for women.
Genital herpes can lead to potentially fatal infections in babies so it's important to take care of your immune system to lessen outbreaks. Babies can contract it from their mothers and it can cause blindness and fatalities so it's important that, if you become pregnant at any point in your lifetime, you let your doctor know immediately that you have herpes. It is also said that HSV-2 helps to spread HIV/AIDs since there are open wounds on the genitals.
If you are sexually active please let your partner(s) know about your disease. They may have already contracted it from you already but they deserve to know. From now on you need to let your future sexual partners know ahead of time about the dangers of engaging in sexual relations with you. If you do not let them know and they contract the virus from you, they actually can take you to court and sue you because a doctor has already made you aware of your condition.
You also need to make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after touching the area around the sore. You CAN spread it to other places on your body. It may spread on it's own, but it'd be a shame to see you back saying you touched your eye after you touched the sore and now have contracted ocular herpes. You should take every precaution you can to not spread it to other areas of your body or to other people.
I hope I've helped you better understand herpes and what in entails. You are right to be "freaking out" and scared because this is a serious matter. I am sorry you have to live with this life-long illness. If you have any more questions regarding this matter then please feel free to ask me :)
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Im sorry honey , but nothing can make herpies go away. There is a way to keep them from being or getting so bad but once you get herpies, your keeping them.
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