Herpes is an infection caused by either of the two types of herpes simplex virus. It can manifest as oral or genital herpes, and is often transmitted through sexual contact. Although there is no cure for herpes, there are treatments that can reduce the symptoms and infectiousness of the disease. In this article, we will discuss the current treatments available for herpes, as well as potential future treatments that may be available in the future. Antiviral medications are the most common treatment for herpes.
These medications can help to reduce the chance of infecting others, as well as shorten outbreaks. However, these medications do not cure herpes, and symptoms may still come back. In addition, some home remedies, such as petroleum gel or essential oils, may ease the discomfort caused by herpes lesions, but they won't help reduce viral load. Researchers have conducted several clinical trials to investigate vaccines against herpes infection, but there is currently no vaccine available on the market. Jerome Laboratory's herpes research only includes HSV-1, but scientists are working to expand its success to HSV-2.So far, they have reported that they have damaged the genes of 2% to 4% of the herpes virus in infected mice. Latent herpes viruses hide in groups of nerve cells called ganglia, and researchers have found that some nodes are harder to reach than others.
As the Jerome Laboratory prepares to see if its gene therapy can block genital herpes, it is also reorganizing its selection of vector viruses and meganucleases to attack nerve cells infected with HSV-2.It will still be a long time before these experiments lead to the first human trials of gene therapy to cure herpes; Jerome estimates that there are at least three years to go. If you know that you have genital herpes before you become pregnant, your doctor will monitor your condition throughout your pregnancy. Genital herpes cannot be transmitted to another part of the body, such as the arm, leg, or hand, after the first infection. Neonatal herpes is when a pregnant person transmits the infection to the fetus before, during, or immediately after delivery. Patients who are infected with both herpes and HIV may also have a higher concentration of HIV virus in their body due to the interaction between the herpes virus and the HIV virus. Treatment from a sexual health clinic can help.
Symptoms go away on their own, but may come back. Although there is currently no cure for herpes, there are treatments available that can reduce symptoms and infectiousness of the disease. Researchers are also working on potential treatments such as gene therapy and vaccines that may be available in the future. In addition, using condoms is highly recommended for couples who may transmit the virus asymptomatically.
