Herpes Outbreak Triggers

It quite common for a person to have mild symptoms (such as a slight rash, redness or itching) or even no noticeable symptoms at all.  If you have not yet had a blood test to determine if you have herpes then there is always the possability that you too have been exposed to the virus.

In some monogomous relationships, the herpes virus is passed on by the partner who shows no actual signs or symptoms of the virus.  That is one of the tricky aspects of herpes - it can sometimes be spread by direct skin contact even if there is no noticeable symptoms.

Sex (particularly the "friction" associated with sex), illness and stress are all possible outbreak triggers that are known to help bring on herpes symptoms for some people.

You will find a full list of other known "outbreak triggers" here: http://www.herpes-coldsores.com/herpes_recurrences.htm

Basically, once infected, the herpes virus emerges when there is a vulnerability in the body.  This is normally related to times when the immune system is running a little low or if there is damage or changes to the skin and body system.

To help reduce these outbreaks I would do the following:

1) Firstly get tested.  There is no point guessing or trying different treatment approaches until you know exactly what you are trying to treat.  An 'herpes specific' blood test which can distinguish between the two types of HSV (1 and 2) is what you should request.

2) Once you have confirmation and a proper diagnosis you can then begin to attempt to resolve the problem.  If the condition is herpes the best step forward is to minimize your outbreak triggers. 

a.  Use a lubricant when you have sex to help prevent too much friction.  It is often the trauma to the skin in the area where the outbreaks appear that causes the problem.

b.  Relax your thoughts, meditation may be helpful here and will help to reduce stress.  Try sipping on herbal teas, juice (without added sugar) or water rather than coffee or caffinated drinks.  Coffee is no good for herpes and contributes to high stress levels as well.  If stress is a big problem in your life try to eliminate or ease the cause of the stress and if this is more difficult a Vitmain B group supplement could be helpful.

c.  Ginseng, Andrographis and Olive Leaf can help to rejuvenate the body and repair the immune system after illness.  Eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and reducing your intake of processed foods, white flour and meat can also help the immune system.

c.  Pure Lysine with Vitamin C, Zinc and Bioflavonoids can assist with restricting the activity of the virus and preventing the development of an outbreak.

There are lots of practical tips to getting on top of outbreaks and these are just some that should point you and your husband in the right direction.

Best of luck with your diagnosis, I hope everything works out well.

Warm regards,
Cindy Robinson

Herpes Support Team
http://www.dynamiclear.com