The Herpes & Cold Sore Virus - What You Need To Know
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What is Herpes?
Herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the Herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are two types of HSV; Herpes Simplex 1 (HSV-1) and Herpes Simplex 2 (HSV-2).
HSV-1 or mouth herpes are commonly in the form of cold sores on and around the mouth. HSV-2 or genital herpes is a much more intense strand commonly found on the genitals. However BOTH types can be found on the mouth or genital areas.
Sunlight is known to trigger cold sore outbreaks, along with stress and other factors. Genital herpes on the other hand is generally considered to be sexually transmitted. |
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It is possible to be infected by both HSV-1 and HSV-2. Being infected by one particular strand does not make you immune to the other.
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Are Cold Sores really "Herpes"?
Yes. Cold sores are caused by a type of the herpes virus, but, it is rarely the same virus strand that causes genital herpes.
Cold sores are typically caused by the Herpes simplex virus Type 1 (HSV-1).
Genital herpes on the other hand is usually caused by a different strand of the virus called Herpes simplex virus Type 2 (HSV-2).
However, it is possible to transfer the different viruses to other areas of the body. HSV-1 (or cold sores) can be transferred to the genitals through oral sex. In the same way, HSV-2 (or genital herpes) can be transferred to the mouth.
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How do you get Herpes and Cold Sores?
Herpes and Cold Sores are generally contracted from skin to skin contact with an infected area.
For example, if someone has a cold sore on their lip they can pass on the virus to another person's mouth or genitals through kissing.
Genital herpes is generally contracted by direct skin to skin contact with an infected area, normally through oral, anal or vaginal sex.
The usual incubation period of the virus (time before any symptoms show) is approximately two to twelve days after the first exposure to the virus. |
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As most people contract cold sores before the age of seven, it is common for a person not to remember their first or 'primary' cold sore outbreak.
Once infected with herpes, the virus remains inside the body in a latent (sleeping) state. Throughout a person's life the virus can then become "activated" causing a recurrence in the area initially infected.
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What causes or "activates" a herpes recurrence?
There are many factors that can influence or "trigger" a genital herpes or cold sore outbreak, however, it seems to be related to times when the immune system is lowered or run down.
Once infected with the virus a herpes breakout can sometimes be triggered by the following:
- Being run-down
- Menstruation Cycle
- Pregnancy
- Drinking a lot of alcohol
- Exposure of the area to strong sunlight (mouth herpes)
- Conditions that compromise a person's immune system (where the body's immune system is not functioning normally)
- Prolonged periods of stress
- Fatigue
- Ultraviolet light (mouth herpes)
- Skin irritation (including sunburn)
- Diet and certain foods
- Another illness (especially with fever)
- Temperature extremes
- Steroid medication (e.g., asthma medication)
- Anything that lowers your immune system or causes local injury can trigger recurrences.
Some psychological factors:
- Emotional upset and stress
- Periods of prolonged stress can cause more frequent recurrences
- It is also common to experience stress and anxiety as a result of having recurrences.
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Is Herpes common?
Yes. An estimated 40 million people have genital herpes which makes it a chronic viral infection. About 500,000 new people get symptomatic herpes each year and there are even more people without symptoms.
If you have genital herpes you are definitely not alone. Genital herpes is extremely common. In fact, it is so prevalent that in America one out of every five of the adolescent and adult population are infected.
The statistics are just as alarming in the UK and Australia. An estimated 1 in 4 people in the UK are diagnosed with genital herpes and one out of every six adults in Australia.
A recent US survey reported that genital herpes is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the world, with a 32% rise in infections between 1978 - 1990.
Cold sores (mouth herpes) are particularly common. It is estimated that 80% percent of the American population have been exposed to the Herpes simplex virus (which is the virus that causes cold sores).
An interesting fact is that although a person has been infected with the herpes and cold sore virus, they may not necessarily experience an outbreak. This is because some people's immune systems have the ability to completely suppress the virus.
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How is Herpes Spread?
Herpes is most easily spread when a sore is present, but, it is also often spread at other times too. Some people notice itching, tingling or other sensations before they see anything on their skin. These are called "Prodromal Symptoms" and they warn that the virus may be present on the skin.
Herpes is most likely to be spread from the time these first symptoms are noticed until the area is completely healed and the skin looks normal again. Contact with the infected area (including oral, vaginal, or anal sex) is very risky during this time.
Herpes is not spread through vaginal fluids, blood or semen. Unlike a flu virus that you can get through the air, herpes is generally spread by direct contact with an infected skin area. |
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One kind of complication involves spreading the virus from the location of an outbreak to other places on the body by touching the sore(s). This is particularly possible during the first "primary" outbreak.
The fingers, eyes, and other body areas can accidentally become infected in this way. Preventing self-infection is simple. Do not touch the area during an outbreak. If you do, wash your hands as soon as possible with soap and warm water. This will help prevent the virus from spreading further.
The spreading of genital herpes through inanimate objects, such as soap, towels, clothing, bed sheets, toilet seats, and spa surfaces is highly unlikely because the genital herpes virus cannot live very long outside of the body.
Herpes can be spread by the following situations:
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Kissing, touching and caressing infected areas
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Sexual contact with the infected area (vaginal, oral, or anal sex)
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Skin-to-skin contact with the infected area can transmit HSV-1 and HSV-2
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Kissing someone if you have a cold sore can transfer the virus to the area that you kiss
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The virus can be transmitted to your partner if you have active genital herpes and have vaginal or anal intercourse
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If you have a cold sore and put your mouth on a partner's genitals (oral sex), the partner can be infected with genital herpes. Consequently, oral sex should be avoided if one partner has a facial herpes attack.
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people who experience an episode of herpes, either facial or genital, should consider themselves infectious from the start of the episode up until the healing of the last ulcer
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Occasionally, one partner in a long-term relationship may develop symptoms of herpes for the first time. Often this is due to one or both of the partners being carriers of HSV and not knowing it
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From mother to baby during pregnancy or at birth
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How do you know if you are infected with Genital Herpes?
The only way to accurately know if a condition is caused by the herpes virus is to visit a health care provider for a professional diagnosis. To read how herpes is diagnosed please click here.
Many people who are infected with genital herpes (HSV2) are sometimes not aware of being infected. Symptoms of the primary episode, however, can be quite pronounced, the first primary episode usually occurs within two weeks after the virus is transmitted.
Lesions usually heal within two to four weeks of the outbreak. Other symptoms may include a second occurrence of lesions, or flu-like symptoms including:
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fever
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swollen glands
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some people infected with HSV-2, however, do not have lesions, or may suffer only very mild, almost unnoticeable symptoms which are sometimes mistaken for a rash or insect bites.
More information about the symptoms of herpes
A primary episode of genital herpes can cause several symptomatic recurrences a year (average 4 or 5); with most recurrences more prevalent within the first year following the first episode.
If you know that you or your partner are infected with herpes you should first become aware of how herpes can be spread and take precautions to prevent the virus from spreading. You or your partner may decide to use Dynamiclear to speed up the healing of outbreaks and to help eliminate any further recurrences. Always visit your local health care provider for professional information and guidance.
If you need support or information you could contact your local herpes support group or our online support team.
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Diagnosis & Testing
There are several tests that are used to diagnose herpes, some are more accurate then others. Lots of people need to be tested more than once.
If active symptoms are present and the sores are not healed one should request a specific virus culture or assay for the herpes virus. A Viral culture looks for the presence of the virus in the lesion. This method is very specific and does not frequently give a positive result when something else is the culprit.
The viral culture often misses herpes even when it is present. Often a patient who has received a negative culture result will be asked to come back again when a new genital lesion appears so the culture can be tried a second or third time.
Blood tests are generally used in cases where no visible symptoms are present. If you experience symptoms visit your Doctor right away for a culture or assay test. |
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A blood test works by detecting the presence of herpes antibodies. There is a possibility that the virus will not show up in a blood test, and a positive result is not always indicative that a person has genital herpes.
Firstly, after the first exposure to herpes, a person may take several weeks to develop the antibodies that the test looks for. Usually, it takes two weeks to three months after exposure to herpes for antibodies to appear in the blood. Some blood tests detect antibodies sooner than others. However, once antibodies are found they remain in the body for life.
Secondly, blood tests cannot tell the difference between the two types of herpes, HSV-1 and HSV-2. For this reason, anyone seeking an accurate diagnosis of genital herpes must be sure to get a "type-specific" serologic test, which can accurately distinguish HSV-2 from HSV-1 antibodies. Most commercially available kit assays currently cannot make this distinction despite their claims.
Please seek immediate professional help if genital herpes is suspected. Some of the available diagnostic procedures become less reliable the longer you wait.
If you are concerned that a diagnosis for herpes is incorrect you should consult your health care provider for their professional opinion, and request another test to be taken if you feel you require further confirmation.
Genital herpes should be diagnosed professionally. If the condition is confirmed to be herpes Dynamiclear should be applied to the soonest active outbreak. Dynamiclear must be applied when the outbreak is most active (which is commonly when the blisters or sores have opened up and are weeping fluid).
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Symptoms
Symptoms do vary, with some people having very severe symptoms and others having no real noticeable symptoms.
Early symptoms may include:
Genital Herpes: The FIRST OUTBREAK
Symptoms develop usually within 2 to 20 days after contact, but could continue up to 2 weeks. The first infection may be so mild it goes unnoticed, whilst in some cases, the first attack causes visible sores.
Subsequent recurrences of the virus may cause an outbreak of blisters. Healing of the skin does not normally leave scarring.The virus then retreats into the nerves and lies dormant.
If you are lucky enough to catch the virus in its early stages act as soon as you can with an application of Dynamiclear. New infections can be easy to combat and usually require less application. |
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TYPICAL SYMPTOMS
When it gets into skin cells the virus reproduces itself and starts to multiply, making the skin red and sensitive. Blisters or bumps may appear on the genital area, the blisters first opening and then healing with the regeneration of new skin tissue.
The infected area:
Other symptoms include:
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Swollen lymph glands
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Painful inflamed blisters develop around infected area
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Headache
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Muscle ache
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Fever
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Vaginal or penis discharge
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Infection of the urethra causing a burning sensation during urination.
The first episode is the most severe, with most episodes lasting 10 - 21 days. A warning sign (prodrome) such as tingling is experienced by many people in recurring outbreaks.
Should any of these symptoms occur, consult your doctor or other health care provider immediately. Genital herpes should be diagnosed professionally.
Download and print our Herpes Information Pamphlet 
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Where do the symptoms normally 're-appear'?
Typically, if there is a recurrence a herpes sore will occur in the same location as it did previously, or closely nearby.
Nerves can have many axons which is why the herpes virus can take a number of pathways to your skin. This is why outbreaks can sometimes appear in different areas nearby to one another.
Each nerve has a particular area of skin that it serves, called a dermatome, so the herpes lesions are limited to the dermatome it initially infected, unless you autoinnoculate (self-infect) yourself somewhere else.
This means that the outbreaks are limited to the body area where the infection exists (for example, the mouth area) unless you contract or spread the infection somewhere else (such as to the genitals through oral sex or to another body area through contact with the infection).
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Treatment of Herpes & Cold Sores
 Dynamiclear ®
For any person that has active outbreaks of herpes, genital herpes or cold sores Dynamiclear can be beneficial because it dramatically speeds up the healing time of the herpes lesion, reduces the frequency and severity of any recurrences and continues to reduce the outbreaks with each application.
Many Dynamiclear users report that their outbreaks do not return after treatment, in some cases after a period of several years.
In many of these case studies the outbreaks had previously occurred on a regular basis, for long periods of time, before the patient began to use Dynamiclear. There are also reports of patients having no further outbreaks after only one topical application of Dynamiclear.
Read the testimonials section for first-hand experiences from Dynamiclear users .
Immune Support & Diet Changes
Diet and life-style changes are other approaches that can be beneficial in managing herpes and it is a very good idea to strengthen the immune system in order to help your body combat the virus. Good rest, exercise and fresh fruit and vegetable juices will help strengthen the immune system.
With any disease or health condition an approach to improving diet and nutrition should be taken. An appropriate diet high in lysine and low in arginine, with vitamin supplements, may be beneficial for those suffering from viral diseases, in particular the herpes virus.
There is scientific research to support a theory that arginine, an amino acid, can aggravate herpes and bring on an outbreak. Foods containing arginine include nuts, chocolate and caffeine. If herpes outbreaks are a problem for you, see whether cutting back on these foods or eliminating them from your diet helps relieve your symptoms.
It has been found that the amino acid, Lysine, retards virus growth, so you should include in your diet foods high in Lysine and decrease the foods high in L-Arginine (an amino acid that supports the herpes virus). High quality Lysine supplements.
Simple Self Help Remedies:
Herpes outbreaks, for some people, can be quite painful and discomforting. These tips can be helpful to temporarily ease the situation.
For Genital Herpes:
Salt Baths:
Used to wash the genital area salt baths can clean, soothe and dry the sores. Use 1 teaspoon of salt in 600ml of water or a handful in a shallow bath. Use "Epsom Salts" where available.
Swimming in ocean water for a period of time will also help to achieve the same result as the salt in the water can aid in drying out and cleansing any sores or infection.
When using Dynamiclear it is important to make sure that the area is clean and dry before making the application. Once applied, the area should be kept as dry as possible and the area allowed to heal without disturbance. |
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Pain relievers:
Loose Underclothes:
Try to wear loose, cotton underclothes (as opposed to nylon or 'sticky' fabrics) during an outbreak. This can help to minimize the discomfort and allow healing.
Water Relief:
For anyone experiencing extreme pain when urinating, the process can be less painful when done in a cool bath and it is important to remember to drink plenty of fluids as this dilutes the urine.
A Hair Dryer set to the "Cool" setting:
Many people find this helpful to dry out and cool the sores, particularly when they are painful and discomforting.
Bach Flower Remedies:
May be prescribed to ease the emotional stress of herpes, particularly Rescue Remedy. Information on Bach Flower remedies.
For Cold Sores:
To help prevent a Cold Sore happening:
Be Sun Smart:
Exposure to sunlight and ultraviolet rays can trigger a breakout of cold sores. To help protect yourself wear a hat when you are outside in the sun and use a lip balm that contains sunscreen (preferably one with an SPF rating of 15+ or higher).
Moisturize:
Damage to your lips can bring on an episode of cold sores, so it is important to keep your lips protected from chapping and wind burn. A moisturizing lip balm can help here.
Healthy Living:
Good rest, diet and fresh fruit and vegetable juices can assist in strengthening the immune system (the body's natural defense system against viruses, such as herpes).
To help speed up the healing of the Cold Sore:
Ice (wrapped in a towel):
Can be applied to the sores to both numb and soothe the area, as well as lower the temperature of the infection, helping to inhibit the virus. Do not apply the ice directly to the sore, always wrap the ice in a towel first.
Cold tea bags:
Applied to the infected area every hour may be beneficial. This is because tea bags contain tannic acid which is thought to have antiviral properties, best used at the first sign of an outbreak.
Petroleum jelly and other lip moisturizers:
Can soothe and moisten the lips, helping to prevent the cold sore scabs from cracking and bleeding.
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Identifying Your HSV Type
Not everyone knows whether they have HSV1 or HSV2 and in certain situations that information could be relevant. In a situation where both partners have HSV-2 precautions should still be made to prevent the spread of the disease to other 'uninfected' areas.
If one partner has genital HSV1 and the other has HSV2, each might get infected with a second type. |
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Diagnosing genital HSV1 is difficult because the infection seldom recurs. Since many people have HSV1 orally, a finding of HSV1 by Western blot serology (blood test) would not positively identify genital infection. A Western blot confirms if you have HSV2.
If you are seronegative (negative by blood test) for type 2, but positive for type 1, that gives you a strong clue as to the cause of your outbreaks (seropositive for type 1 but not type 2, with infrequent recurring genital herpes is probably genital HSV1). Dynamiclear is effective on both HSV1 and HSV2 infections.
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Conditions confused with Herpes
Listed below are conditions that are sometimes mistaken for herpes:
Canker sores (aphthous ulcers):
Usually occur inside the mouth, are gray with a distinct edge and usually heal within 10 to 14 days without treatment
Bacterial or yeast infections:
Sometimes confused with genital herpes, but do not usually produce blistering
Impetigo:
A highly infectious bacterial disease, more common among children often producing crusty blisters
Syphilis:
A bacterial infection, causes chancres sometimes mistaken for blisters caused by genital herpes. Unlike genital herpes, Syphilis does not usually produce a cluster of blisters, and it usually responds well to antibiotics.
Molluscum contagiosum (molluscum):
Like herpes, molluscum is a viral infection of the skin. Unlike herpes, molluscum produces lesions that are raised, with a central dimple.
If you suspect that you have a health problem please consult your doctor or other health care provider immediately. Genital herpes, and other conditions, should be diagnosed professionally. |
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How can Herpes be prevented?
These steps can help to reduce the risk of infection and transmission:
Tell Your Partner.
It is important to understand what herpes is and how it can be prevented. You and your partner will need to discuss which precautions are best and the social and emotional impacts of herpes.
Avoid sex during outbreaks as herpes is most contagious during this time.
Many couples have had sexual relations for years without transmitting herpes. Some simply avoid having sexual contact when signs or symptoms are present, while others use condoms or other protection between outbreaks to help protect against asymptomatic shedding.
Use Dynamiclear to treat active outbreaks when they happen.
Dynamiclear can be used to dry up and heal the outbreak, quickly and effectively, and to reduce any further episodes.
Limit the number of sexual partners
Limiting your number of sexual partners will reduce your risk of contracting an STD, including Herpes.
Mutual Monogamy
By having sex with a non-infected partner who has sex only with you.
Use Latex Condoms (and Dental Dams) between outbreaks.
Latex Condoms and Dental Dams offer useful protection against herpes protecting or covering the mucous membranes, the most likely sites of infection.
A Dental Dam is a square piece of latex that can be placed over the anus or vagina, preventing germs from entering a person's mouth during oral sex. |
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The facts on condoms and foams:
Laboratory studies show that:
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The herpes virus does not pass through latex condoms and, when properly used, latex condoms are likely to reduce your risk of spreading or getting herpes
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Even the best condoms do not guarantee total safety
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When herpes sores occur in places not covered by a condom the condom is of little help in preventing transmission, if any
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Condoms and foams should not be relied upon when herpes sores or symptoms are present
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Spermicidal foams and jellies may offer additional protection. Spermicides used in contraceptive foams, film and gels kill or neutralize HSV in laboratory tests and may provide some protection when used in the vagina (recommended dose the same as for contraception)
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Some contraceptive foams contain ingredients (such as nonoxynol-9) that kill the herpes virus and other STDs in test tubes
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Foams are best used along with condoms, not in place of condoms
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Condoms do not provide 100 percent protection because a lesion may be found which the condom did not cover. Used consistently, however, condoms are the best available form of prevention aside from abstinence.
Avoid contact with the active infection
Because of the highly contagious nature of this virus avoid any contact with an active herpes site, even if the blister is elsewhere on the body and not directly at a sexual organ.
The fingers, eyes and other body areas can be accidentally infected by touching the sores. Preventing self-infection is simple.
- Do not touch the area during an outbreak.
- If you do, wash your hands immediately.
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Downloadable Pamphlet
Find out why Dynamiclear is rapidly becoming the herpes treatment of choice.
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