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HERPES
DECREASING FLARE-UPS
RELIEVING THE
DISCOMFORTS OF HERPES
Dietary Measures
Comfort
Measures
Precautions and Prevention Strategies
Resources
DIETARY MEASURES
Increase the amount of Lysine (an essential amino acid) in your diet and
decrease the L-Arginine (an amino acid that supports the herpes virus).
If you eat foods high in Arginine, balance them with L-lysine foods or
with Lysine/L-lysine tablets that can be found in health food stores
(500mg/day minimum).
Dietary sources of Lysine: fish, chicken, beef,
meat, cheese, eggs, milk and dairy products, yogurt, soybeans, brewer's
yeast.
Dietary sources of Arginine: nuts and nut products, seeds, coconut,
brown rice, whole wheat bread, oatmeal, raisins, chocolate and caffeine.
L-Arginine is an amino acid that suppresses L-lysine, the amnio acid
that retards virus growth.
Increase Vitamin C foods, but be careful of citrus fruits and juices
while the virus is active.
COMFORT MEASURES
1. Warm or cool shallow baths (called sitz baths).
2. Burrow's solution, cool compresses 2-3x/day.
3. Moist tea bags (black tea--not herbal)
4. Dry areas heal faster. Air dry sores thoroughly.
5. The following have been used with some success: Xylocaine spray or
ointment, L-lysine cream from a health food store, Tea Tree Oil to the
area lightly 2-3x/day, or diluted, Campho-phenique, Milk of Magnesia
(dab on with cotton), Vitamin E capsules, Lysine capsules or Aloe Vera.
6. Anti-viral medications are now available, and are sometimes started
late in pregnancy to suppress the virus in preparation for labor. These
medications are also initiated with the first outbreak of the virus, or
for someone who has frequent outbreaks.
PRECAUTIONS and PREVENTION STRATEGIES
1. Good hygiene is essential: bathe frequently, wash hands after going
to the bathroom, handling your genitals or engaging in sexual activity.
Don't share wash cloths, towels, glasses or eating utensils.
2. Chlorine kills herpes: use in the laundry, on towels and clothing,
toilet seats and bathtubs.
3. Abstain from intercourse when sores are present or when you feel a
lesion coming on to prevent the spread or re-infection to your body.
Wash your hands carefully if your partner has a lesion.
4. Refrain from kissing your newborn when you have sores, and wash your
hands carefully. Do not let others with an active cold sores hold your
baby. If the herpes virus gets into an open wound or your child's eyes,
it is very difficult to eradicate and your baby could become very sick.
5. QUIT SMOKING: smoking seems to cause tissue weakness and makes
infections more likely.
6. Decrease stress: cut back on work hours, get adequate rest and
exercise, eat a balanced diet, practice relaxation techniques.
ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES
A very graphic explanation of Herpes can be found at:
Afraid to Ask-->Herpes-->
http://www.afraidtoask.com/STD/
And excellent source for more information about this topic is:
Prescription for Nutritional Healing by James F. Balch
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