A well-known blister has suddenly appeared on your lip and you have a feeling that lip herpes is going to break out soon. Do not despair! This inconvenience can be eliminated in just 48 hours. For many of us, oral herpes, especially the one placed in the lip area, is much more than an inconvenience and a common aesthetic problem.
Herpes simplex virus can be concealed in our body for years, but once it breaks out, the real troubles arise, because it invades our body quietly and imperceptibly. The herpes simplex virus type 1 is responsible for labial herpes, an infection which causes the emergence of unpleasant and ugly blisters, known as lip herpes. The herpes simplex virus type 2 most commonly causes genital herpes.
In the following text we will give you a number of recommendations that modern medicine offers, as well as a lot of recipes and methods for home treatment.
How do people get herpes?
Herpes simplex virus first may happen in early childhood and the infection usually goes unnoticed. In the youngest children it causes flu-like symptoms, without visible manifestations on the skin or mucous membrane. The most common mechanism of herpes transmission is direct contact, or a kissing with an infected person. Once the virus enters the body, from that moment on, till the end of our life, it remains there, hiding in the nerves where the immune system mechanisms cannot reach and eliminate it. The virus remains encapsulated until something triggers it.
Herpes signs and symptoms
The trigger can be any type of change, for example, exposure to the sun without a proper skin protection, long periods of stress, high fever, flu, sudden temperature changes or the menstrual cycle. You can often predict the outbreak of the lip herpes because you start to feel tingling and burning of the affected mouth area before it really shows up. That is a clear sign that the virus is “awakened” and then it begins to cause an infection which is usually manifested by the blisters outbreak, most commonly on the lips or in the corners of the mouth.
However, herpes can occur at almost every part of the face where the skin and mucous membrane touch each other. So that is how we distinguish herpes on the nose, ear, eye, or herpes in some other body part such as genitals and anus, as well as herpes on the skin of any other body part. The very first herpes symptoms appear one day before the blisters outbreak, and then you feel pain, burning and skin tightening in the affected area. Once the first blister appears, it will be followed by many more, multiplying one next to the other and it will spread further depending on the intensity of the infection.
Three days later, the blisters burst releasing a liquid that gets dry eventually, forming many scabs. No matter how unpleasant and ugly scabs are, you should not touch or smear them with aggressive substances, because the oral herpes may quickly and easily spread to surrounding skin areas. General symptoms of herpes sometimes include fever, muscle aches, general weakness, decreased appetite and lymph node enlargement.
Oral herpes during pregnancy
Pregnant women may indeed be concerned when it comes to the lip herpes during pregnancy, but there is nothing to worry about actually. In most cases, it is the herpes simplex virus and it usually occurs due to the low immune system during pregnancy.
Certainly, you need to inform your doctor about your condition in order to get appropriate piece of advice and treatment, if necessary. If facing with herpes zoster, the situation gets a little more serious and you surely need to seek professional help.
Note: Do not consume any medication on your own or use acyclovir ointment for treating herpes before consulting your doctor.
Some general advice for pregnant women would be to behave responsibly. They should not kiss during pregnancy, they should not be too exposed to harmful sunlight, but only as needed during the day, they should avoid stressful situations, because stress has become the main culprit of many diseases lately and they should increase the intake of vitamin B complex to protect and strengthen their immunity. Doctors can prescribe certain medications, which will speed up the recovery, but they should follow the above mentioned steps too. Healthy diet is very important and plays a big role in the prevention of herpes, especially during pregnancy, therefore get the most out of seasonal vegetables and healthy, fresh fruits.
The herpes simplex virus in children and adults
The herpes simplex virus is located in serum – the liquid inside a blister, and it is transmitted through direct contact, such as: kissing, inadequate personal hygiene, joint use of cutlery and many other ways. The most vulnerable ones are certainly children who are facing with this kind of virus for the first time, but if they get infected, they will have to fight against this infection for life.
People who have oral herpes or any other type of herpes must behave responsibly and should take more care of personal hygiene while having the infection. Everybody must wash their hands after touching the blisters, especially if they are at the stage of bursting.
Lip herpes and further complications
For people with healthy and strong immune system, herpes simplex infection most often represents a nasty cold sore on the lip, but it may also appear on the genitals and in very rare cases it can be dangerous.
More serious complications can occur in high-risk groups, including newborns and the elderly
people with chronic illnesses, as well as people whose immune system is weakened by other disorders or medications, such as the ones suffering from AIDS and people on invasive therapies, such as radiation or chemotherapy.
Natural home remedies for herpes
Alternative solutions for treating lip herpes certainly exist. They may not be as fast and efficient as some herpes ointments, but these are natural substances which are not bad for your health in any way, and they can protect you from various pharmacological preparations at the same time. On the other hand, these remedies ease the existing difficulties and alleviate the problem.
Apple cider vinegar
Method:
• Make a mixture of equal amounts of apple cider vinegar and water,
• Dip a cotton swab in it and apply it to the cold sores every ten minutes.
• Repeat this routine 3 to 4 times a day.
With the help of this magical remedy, you will significantly speed up the recovery process.
Honey and garlic
Method:
• Take 3 grated garlic cloves and mix them with 100 g of natural honey.
• Take a bit of the mixture with a cotton swab and gently apply it to the lip herpes.
Pumpkin seed oil
Method:
• Take a cotton swab, dip it in the pumpkin seed oil, and apply it to the infected spot.
• Repeat the process 3 or 4 times a day.
Propolis tincture
Method:
• Drink Propolis tincture every day to strengthen the immune system.
• You can also use this tincture for the treatment of herpes. Just apply it to the cold sore, several times a day.
Buckwheat flour
Method:
• Boil 1 cup of water and add 1 teaspoon of buckwheat flour.
• Continue to cook for 1 more minute and then remove from heat.
• Leave it to cool down for at least half an hour.
• Apply the liquid to the herpes, several times a day.
Aloe Vera
Method:
• Take a few large aloe Vera leaves and cut them lengthwise.
• Before you go to bed, apply it to the infected spot, secure it with an elastic bandage and leave it overnight.
• You can repeat this routine until you see an improvement.
Incredible mint
Method:
• Take one teaspoon of mint and pour 2 dl of boiling water over it.
• Cook on low heat for at least 15 minutes more.
• Remove from heat, cover it and let sit for 30 minutes.
• Strain and apply it to the herpes.
• For this treatment it is also recommended to drink mint tea.
Baking soda
Method:
• Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt, and add a bit of water.
• Stir it until uniform mass forms and then apply it to the infected spot.
• You can repeat the process 3 times a day.
Homemade cream against herpes
To prepare this remedy, you will need Melissa officinalis plant – lemon balm.
• Put dried lemon balm leaves in a small pot and pour olive oil over it (you can also use almond oil instead)
• Mix these ingredients all together and cook the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes, but do not let it boil.
• Remove the pot from heat and leave it to cool down a few minutes.
• The resulting cream against herpes will be even better and more effective if you add a small piece of beeswax to it.
• Now pour the whole mixture into an appropriate box and keep it in the fridge.
• Apply this homemade cream to the herpes 2 to 3 times a day.
If you have a serious infection and natural remedies do not help, be sure to consult with your doctor.
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