Genital herpes symptoms and treatment

What is genital herpes? Genital or genital herpes is an acute, ulcerative, sexually transmitted disease that causes local problems, but also because of its repetitive nature can have serious psychosocial consequences. Transmission of herpes sexual, vertical, and occurs most often in the fertile period, therefore, especially, women need to pay special attention to this.

See how HSV is transmitted, what are the symptoms and treatment of the disease and its prevention.

Characteristics of the pathogen

The herpes virus type 1 and type 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) belongs to a family of viruses with double stranded DNA, which are large spherical virions (120-220 nm) and a lipoprotein membrane, is created from nuclear membrane of infected cells. HSV, in particular, the virus of genital herpes, multiply intranuclear, as a result, the mRNA goes into the cytoplasm where the ribosomes on the host cell induces the production of a protein capsid of the virus, which is returned to the kernel and is included in the virion. The virus then grows through the nuclear membrane and thus acquires a lipoprotein membrane. Then it gets into the extracellular space, which infect other cells.

HSV-1 and HSV-2 demonstrate the great morphological similarity of the different composition of glycoproteins in the lipid envelope. This similarity causes partial cross-reactivity of antibodies that can change characteristics of infection with the opposite virus.

The possibility of transmission

In the 70-80-ies of the last century there was mass distribution of genital HPV infections-2 in the human population. In those years increased the interest of the public to this disease. This happened for several reasons: partially recurrent in nature has a significant impact on the quality of life of an infected person, thus there is no possibility of complete cure, and infection of the fetus and newborn can lead to serious complications and perinatal death.

In subsequent years gradually changed the epidemiology of genital herpes. Virus infection type 2 is slowly declining, while growing genital herpes HSV-1. Currently up to 84% of primary herpetic infection is a manifestation in the genital area. The reason probably is to improve hygienic standards in the care of young children and the growing popularity orogenitalnyh practices among adolescents.

Herpes on the genitals caused by a virus, type 1 has a lower tendency to recurrence of the infection than type 2, recurrent often. Transmission occurs most often urogenitalny or genital contact. Although the risk of transmission is highest when genital herpes acute seeding, approximately 70% of cases transmission occurs inapparently excretion of virions. Condom use provides only partial protection, because the transfer can even occur in uncovered parts of the genitals. As with most STDs, women are more likely to acquire infection.

Risk factors and causes of infection

The virus remains in the nerve ganglia of the body throughout life. In that moment, when the body is weakened, the infection can resume. Recurrent infections are to 90% of people. The revival of the virus occurs most often in the case of weakening of protective forces of an organism. Triggers can be different. They are usually presented to the following factors:

1. Excessive exposure to the sun.
2. Eating disorders, poor nutrition.
3. Excessive physical stress.
4. Excessive psychological stress.
5. Fatigue, fatigue.
6. Stress.
7. Injury.
8. Postoperative state.
9. Menstruation.

In addition to the above risk factors can aggravate genital herpes symptoms of which are already manifest, and to create further complications may skin irritation and wearing of tight and tight clothing and underwear.

How common is the disease?

Because of the ease of transmission of the disease is relatively common and affects millionspeople all over the world. From the point of view of gender, the disease is more common in women, the genital area, because they are humid and warm. In women, at the same time, the rate of infection is more painful because the disease affects the mouth and the region of the urethra (or can infect the channel itself), as a result, urination becomes painful. Women with genital herpes, unfortunately, is prone to cervical cancer, which is why it is necessary to conduct more frequent medical examinations.

Clinical course

The incubation period of the disease is 2-14 bottom. First of all, comes to the replication of virions in place of the activation of infection and transmission to sensory nerve endings, where retrograde axonal transport of virions are moved to core local sensory neurons. The virus causes the death of neurons, and stored in the body in latent form, during the time of varying duration. Others cell infection leads to cell death, therefore it is only in the touch neurons. In the case of immune deficiency comes to the multiplication of virions and invasion of other cells, you experience recurrent symptoms of genital herpes.

Clinical manifestations, i.e., signs of genital herpes depend on the immune system and stages of the disease. First symptoms in people who do not have antibodies against both types of virus can occur dramatically, under the picture disseminated acute ulcerative infection of the entire vulva, it can spread to the buttocks and in the groin.

Sowing starts in the form of erythematous papules, which produce the typical herpetic vesicles caused by epidermolysis necrosis of the dermis. The pustules burst and form painful ulcers, usually with red edges and grey bottom. Lesions are bilateral, considerably painful, are often accompanied by edema of the vulva, dysuria and inguinal lymphadenopathy.

The symptoms are more severe in the case of vaginal and anal infections where the affected area is much greater.

Also infection can be presents common symptoms, such as headache, myalgia, and General weakness.

Complications can be bacterial super-infection, urine retention, in men, phimosis and paraphimosis.

In women there ectocervical usually associate with mucosal ulceration or bleeding. If symptoms are not treated, they persist for 22-28 days, swollen lymph nodes can persist for several weeks or months after the disappearance of the lesions.

Primary infection in a woman who has antibodies against another type of virus, may not be as acute, but usually, there is a bilateral lesion of the vulva. Common symptoms and dysuria may be absent.

Recurrent infection can have various triggers: menstruation, weakening of the immune system, pregnancy, or local injury. Symptoms may be atypical, with the exception of vesicular efflorescence may have cracks on the skin, excoriations, or boils. May present with unilateral swollen lymph nodes.

Diagnostics

The basis of detection of the disease is a clinical diagnosis, which can be defined in a typical course in the case of recurrent infections. However, it should be emphasized that up to half of cases of primary genital herpes diagnosis is set incorrectly and the treatment often comes from a fungal vulvovaginitis.

In unclear cases, especially during pregnancy, when accurate diagnosis is essential for the management of pregnancy and childbirth, can be used laboratory methods. Cultivation in cell cultures is classically used option today remove the background modern molecular techniques. Another possibility is direct detection of the virus by immunofluorescence. The first choice is PCR, which is now becoming widely available, and allows not only to determine the type of virus, but also to quantify its allocation.

The most obvious material is the scraping of the localization of lesions containing fluid.

Serological detection of antibodies may not necessarily be useful in the diagnosis, since the prevalence of the antibodies in the population, especially in relation to type 1 is high enough. The detection of antibodies at the time of primary infection can be negative, seroconversion occurs within 2 to 12 weeks after infection, on average, from 25 to 33 days (depending on diagnostic methods).

Treatment

Treatment is mainly determined by the degree of manifestation of the disease. Topical administration of antiviral ointments is ineffective and is not recommended. During the initial seeding appointed by the common antiviral drugs (Acyclovir, Valacyclovir), in the case of urinary retention can be assigned to parenteral administration.

Antiviral therapy makes sense if it is administered within 6 days after the onset of the disease, and later – only in the occurrence of fresh lesions.

The duration of treatment is not less than 5 days, if necessary, even longer. The pain may be weakened by common analgesics, local analgesics and antiseptic gargles/sitz baths (thiscase good shows the effect of the drug Tantum Rosa).

In the case of urinary retention it is recommended that temporary insertion of a catheter.

Recurrent infections often require the introduction of antiviral drugs is rare, in the case of severe course, in particular, with the General weakening of the immune system.

If you know the trigger (inducing factor, for example, menstruation), can be used the so-called trigger therapy is prescribed before the symptoms of the disease. Long-term suppressive therapy is recommended in case of very frequent recurrent expression (more than 10 times per year).

Prevention

Despite the fact that was developed antiherpetic glycoprotein vaccine, its effectiveness in preventing genital herpes is low. Future plans include the development of a vaccine based on the principle of inactivation of the virus.

The correct use of condoms reduces the risk of acquiring infection, long-term suppressive therapy in people with recurrent genital herpes reduces the risk of transmission by 50%.

Precautions during pregnancy

The biggest risk of genital herpes during pregnancy the risk of neonatal infection. The incidence of neonatal herpes varies in the individual pointers in the range from 1:3500 to 1:100 000. In 85% of cases, there is periportally infection when the baby is infected during passage through the birth canal of an infected mother.

In the case of recurrent infection the child is partially protected by maternal antibodies, and the risk of transmission is relatively small (indicated by 1-8%).

Infection can also occur when negritella sowing (buttocks, thighs), because at the same time comes to the release of the virus the mucous membrane of the vagina.

During primary infections during childbirth the risk of transmission is high, approximately 30-50%.

Since neonatal herpes can lead to very serious or even fatal consequences, it is recommended in case of presence of infection at the time of birth, to conduct births with caesarean section.

Prophylactic administration of antiviral agents in women with recurrent genital herpes in the last month of pregnancy reduces the risk of seeding during childbirth and increases the chances of the mother, physiological labour.

Genital herpes and homeopathy

Homeopathic treatment in case of genital herpes is more complex than with the oral herpes, but it can lead to a complete cure. The procedure is the same as with any other complication to health.

The most common homeopathic medicines for the treatment of genital herpes include Arsenicum album, Natrum muriaticum, Nitricum acidum, Petroleum, or Sepia.

Their application mostly depends on the directly symptoms of herpes – density and localization of the appearance of blisters, pain character. In order to alleviate cutaneous manifestations, you can apply the ointment with marigold extract. It is also appropriate to adjust the diet thus to achieve a higher pH in the body. However, herpes like any other disease is considered to be the most effective use of the so-called constitutional means, i.e. drug which is selected on the basis of the individual patient, not only on the basis of a specific physical pathology.

Food additive

The effectiveness of the immune system may be compromised in the absence of almost any important substance. Therefore, each person suffering from recurrence of herpes, you should take supplements, mostly multivitamin and mineral. These products, of course, is best used prophylactically, the need is to use them at the first symptoms, which are usually characterized by the sensation of pressure, tingling and itching in places of localization of infection. These symptoms usually appear within two to three days after infection.

In the prevention of herpes tested substance is an amino acid lysine. This amino acid directly prevents and inhibits the growth of HSV-1. It can be used internally in Supplement form, or externally in the form of cream which should be applied on the affected area.