Herpes can you get rid of it

Tell your doctor if you have ever had symptoms of, or have been diagnosed with, genital herpes. Also tell your doctor if you have ever been exposed to genital herpes. There is some research that suggests that genital herpes infection may lead to miscarriage, or could make it more likely for you to deliver your baby too early.

Herpes infection can be passed from you to your unborn child before birth but is more commonly passed to your infant during delivery. This can lead to a potentially deadly infection in your baby called neonatal herpes. It is important that you avoid getting herpes during pregnancy. If you are pregnant and have genital herpes, you may be offered anti-herpes medicine towards the end of your pregnancy. This medicine may reduce your risk of having signs or symptoms of genital herpes at the time of delivery.

At the time of delivery, your doctor should carefully examine you for herpes sores. Most people who have genital herpes have no symptoms, or have very mild symptoms. You may not notice mild symptoms or you may mistake them for another skin condition, such as a pimple or ingrown hair.

Because of this, most people who have herpes do not know it. Herpes sores usually appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals, rectum or mouth. The blisters break and leave painful sores that may take a week or more to heal. People who experience an initial outbreak of herpes can have repeated outbreaks, especially if they are infected with HSV Repeat outbreaks are usually shorter and less severe than the first outbreak.

Although the infection stays in the body for the rest of your life, the number of outbreaks may decrease over time. You should be examined by your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms or if your partner has an STD or symptoms of an STD. STD symptoms can include an unusual sore, a smelly genital discharge, burning when urinating, or for women bleeding between periods.

Your healthcare provider may diagnose genital herpes by simply looking at your symptoms. Providers can also take a sample from the sore s and test it. Symptoms tend to develop 2—20 days after exposure to the virus. Oral herpes causes blisters, sometimes called fever sores or cold sores, to develop in or around the lips and mouth. Sometimes these blisters form elsewhere on the face or on the tongue, and more rarely on other areas of skin. The sores usually last 2—3 weeks at a time.

These sores tend to develop on the penis, around or inside the vagina, on the buttocks, or on the anus, though they can form on other areas of skin. The first time a person develops the sores, they may last 2—6 weeks. Soon after this initial outbreak, symptoms may recur frequently. Over time, outbreaks may occur less often and the symptoms tend to become less severe. Symptoms that reappear are similar to the initial symptoms, though they tend to be less severe and last for shorter periods.

During each recurrence, symptoms of oral herpes tend to last 8—10 days , according to the American Sexual Health Association. Symptoms of a genital herpes recurrence also last 8—10 days , and there will be fewer sores than in the initial phase. During a recurrence, a person can pass on genital herpes for 2—5 days. When HSV is present on the skin, it can easily pass from person to person through contact with the moist skin of the mouth and genitals, including the anus.

Infection can occur in the following ways :. The virus is most contagious between the time when symptoms first appear and when they heal. Less commonly, a person can transmit the virus when symptoms are not present.

Also, people with HIV have weakened immune systems, and this increases the risk of more severe complications. But, while you may not know it, the virus can also spread by sharing:.

Brown adds. For those who are no stranger to those painful, fluid-filled blisters, when you get a cold sore, you probably want it gone — fast. Unfortunately, there's no cure for cold sores, and it can take between two to four weeks for a cold sore to heal on its own.

But, there are things you can do to make them go away faster. Try home remedies. When used early, there are several remedies that can help ease the pain and reduce swelling — and may even shorten the duration of a cold sore:. Apply topical creams and ointments. There are a few over-the-counter anesthetic ointments and creams that can help control pain, such as lidocaine or benzocaine. Soy protein, peanuts, walnuts, and fish are all rich sources of arginine.

Avocados, chicken, cottage cheese, and pork are all sources of lysine. Older studies suggest that the following supplements may be effective at controlling herpes symptoms:. According to the International Council on Amino Acid Science , taking lysine supplements may help prevent outbreaks of cold sores. However, the evidence for this came from older sources. In a review, experts found that taking a minimum of 1 gram of lysine per day, in combination with a low arginine diet, can help people manage their symptoms.

Always check with a doctor before taking supplements. They may interact with other medications or have negative effects. The Food and Drug Administration FDA do not monitor supplements, so it is not always possible to know exactly what a product contains. Oils that may help include :. Besides oral consumption, a person can also use oils in a diffuser, in bathwater, or by mixing them with a diluting oil and applying them to the affected area.

Using a diluting oil is important, as the oil may cause adverse effects if a person applies it directly to the skin. Diluting oils, or carrier oils, include almond oil and olive oil. Researchers are carrying out clinical trials to test for other potentially effective home remedies, including sesame oil, organic coconut oil , and jojoba oil. There is not yet enough evidence to prove that a specific oil can help a person manage herpes symptoms. There are medications available that can lower the chance of spreading the herpes virus and reduce the severity and frequency of the symptoms.

The main drugs that doctors will prescribe for this purpose are called antiviral medications. These include aciclovir, famciclovir, valacyclovir, and penciclovir. A doctor can prescribe antiviral medications to take orally, intravenously, or in the form of a topical cream.

Most cases of herpes will produce no symptoms.