subject: Herpes Medication Options for Prevention [print this page] When you're dealing with a condition like herpes, prevention is always better than cure. Being able to keep an outbreak from occurring at all is so much better than just making it shorter or less painful. However, there is no actual cure for herpes right now. There are, though, some herpes medication options that allow for some prevention of outbreaks from the disease.
One of the main ways that doctors prevent severe herpes outbreaks that occur frequently is to treat a patient with constant doses of antiviral medication. For those who have six or more outbreaks a year, this is the most common treatment. It helps to cut down on the number of outbreaks that occur by 70-80% for must sufferers. This condition is painful enough to deal with, but when you have an outbreak every couple of months, it's nearly unbearable. Treatment with constant medication may be a good option in this case.
Another option is to use a medication that can be applied to the area in question just before a herpes outbreak. For the most part, you can feel when herpes outbreaks are coming on. The tingling and burning sensation is unmistakable for most sufferers. Instead of just letting an outbreak come on, you can actually treat the area with a topical, natural medication that will prevent it from happening at all. Sometimes it doesn't totally prevent it, but it can at least shorten the duration of an outbreak and keep it from being so severe.
There are also lifestyle changes that sufferers can use in conjunction with herpes medication to prevent outbreaks. Stress, for instance, has been linked to increased numbers of outbreaks for many sufferers. Simply by cutting stress levels down through meditation, yoga, or other lifestyle changes you can prevent as many outbreaks from occurring. Artificial sweeteners like aspartame are also linked to increased numbers of outbreaks. Avoiding these sweeteners can be a good way to decrease the number of outbreaks you have.
Using herpes medication regularly can often help keep more breakouts from occurring. Even some new over the counter medications can cut back on the number of outbreaks patients suffer from. Using these every single time you feel an outbreak coming on can actually prevent future outbreaks from occurring. While nothing yet can totally get rid of herpes, using these medications on a regular basis can make it much easier to deal with.
