Genital herpes in women: treatment of herpes on the labia

Many people are familiar with herpes on the lips. Someone he was, and someone just saw or imagine what he looks like. Few know that there is genital herpes.

This is a disease that is unpleasant to talk even with a doctor, but suffering painful symptoms is even more difficult( see photo).Consider what kind of problem it is and how to treat it.

Genital herpes - what is it?

Sexual herpes is a sexually transmitted disease that causes the herpes simplex virus( HSV).Although official statistics can not provide objective data, as patients are often embarrassed by their illness and turn to a doctor in extreme situations, but according to some estimates - this is one of the most common diseases.

In this connection popular methods of treatment of illness with which many headlines of Internet resources, promising to relieve herpes on sexual labiums for some days get popular.

Such advice can lead to the development of complications and cause another exacerbation of the viral infection, so you need to treat them critically.

Sexual herpes occurs with periods of exacerbation and remissions - once infected with the herpes virus, a person can face it throughout life. Completely get rid of it will not work, because it is "populated" in nerve cells forever. Adequate treatment is aimed at reducing the risk of exacerbations to a minimum or preventing them altogether.

About the causes and features of

There are several types of herpes simplex virus. Previously, it was believed that herpes on the lips causes HSV type 1, and on the genitals - the virus of genital herpes( HSV type 2).Later it was found out that both types of herpes can cause illness both on the genitals and on the lips. The only difference is that in most cases( about 80%) the disease on the genitals causes HSV-2, and to a lesser extent( 20%) HSV-1 occurs.

Important! This means that a woman can get infected and with oral contact with the patient, because the infection easily passes from the lips of one of the spouses to the genital organs of the other and, conversely, vice versa.

This herpes is transmitted sexually. In the external environment the virus is unstable and quickly dies after a few minutes under the influence of heat, cold or other factors.

The household way of transmission of the virus is possible, for example, when using general hygiene items, but it is very rare. To avoid domestic infection, it is enough to observe the usual rules of hygiene.

Symptoms and signs of genital herpes in women

Symptoms of herpes on the genitals in women can manifest themselves in different ways. Clinically, several variants of the course of the infectious process are distinguished:

1. Infection of a woman who has not previously had herpes. The disease manifests itself:

• Rash on the genitals( vestibule vestibule, labia and perineal region).Occurs about a week after sexual contact with a sick partner;
• Formation of purulent vesicles and sores by the second week of the disease;
• Formation of crusts in place of ulcers and healing them after several weeks;
• Isolation of pus from the genitals;
• Severe itching of the inguinal region;
• Problems with urination;
• Increased temperature and increased regional lymph nodes.

This is how the first encounter with the virus takes place in women. Later, he permanently settles in the body and can recur and again remind himself of various symptoms.

2. Secondary infection. The virus re-enters the body or is activated because of a decrease in the woman's immunity.

Symptoms vary considerably: the lymph nodes can not increase, and the temperature keeps at the subfebrile level, the bubbles appear quickly, which are replaced by sores and erosions.

3. Asymptomatic flow. If a woman has strong immunity, then HSV, getting into the body, does not show itself. The woman continues to infect her partners, not suspecting that she is the carrier of the herpes virus.

4. Atypical variant. With the development of inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs, it is only on the basis of PCR that their connection with the herpes virus can be established, since the woman is not bothered by itching, rashes, or other symptoms.

Pregnancy for genital herpes

In a small percentage of cases, this infection in a woman can lead to an undeveloped pregnancy or lead to a miscarriage. Disease can become one of the factors of infertility, if it causes the development of inflammatory and adhesive processes in the organs of the small pelvis.

Herpes is passed from mother to child during childbirth. The situation is exacerbated if the mother has new eruptions on her genitals. Such herpes can cause severe organ damage in the newborn and lead to death.

Therefore, it is advisable to think about the presence of the herpes virus in the body and the prevention of relapses at the stage of pregnancy planning.

Diagnostics

If there is no typical clinical picture, detecting the virus will help detect antibodies to HSV-1 and 2( ELISA) or detect DNA virus( PCR method).

Important! Only detection of antibodies is not enough to diagnose the virus, as from the time of infection before they occur may take several weeks.

Several methods are used for diagnosis, especially in complex diagnostic cases and in women during pregnancy.

Treatment of herpes on the labia

How to treat genital herpes in women to relieve the painful symptoms of the disease. To do this, use a set of tools:

1. Immunomodulators( Cycloferon, etc.);
2. Antiviral drugs( Acyclovir, Valaciclovir, Famciclovir, etc.).
3. Physiotherapy.
4. Ointments for genital herpes can be prescribed with antipruritic, anti-inflammatory and antiviral effect. Use of ointments during treatment is ineffective.

The main treatment is antiviral drugs, their use in the early stages of genital herpes can completely eliminate the appearance of unpleasant symptoms. The remaining methods of therapy are prescribed in more advanced and complex cases.

If a genital eruption has already occurred, the use of Acyclovir( or other antiviral drugs) will accelerate wound healing, especially in combination with appropriate ointments( 4th item).

It is worth remembering that this disease can not be cured completely, all medical measures are aimed at suppressing and "euthanizing" the virus - driving it into an inactive state. But with a malfunction of immunity, stress, etc.he can again remind of himself - like herpes simplex.

Separately note - the vaccine against herpes does not exist yet.

About complications of

The most unpleasant complications of this infection can be the development of chronic inflammatory processes of the reproductive organs and, consequently, secondary infertility.

In pregnant women, acute herpes can cause various deviations in the development of the fetus and lead to the death of the baby.

Preventive measures are reduced to the use of barrier methods of contraception in case of accidental sexual intercourse. In addition, it is necessary to monitor the condition of your immune system and strengthen it.

Questions to Dr.

Question: Is genital herpes transmitted when using a generic toilet seat?

Answer: Theoretically, such a probability exists, but the percentage of domestic infection with genital herpes is very low. If your family member has HSV, then you should adhere to the usual rules of hygiene and use antiseptics with antiviral effect.

Question: My husband found HSV-2 when a rash appeared on the scrotum, and I have no manifestations of the disease. Why?

Answer: Most often this infection is not accompanied by symptoms, so even if the husband infected you with HSV-2, you may not have signs of illness. Importance of the manifestation of symptoms is played by the level of the immune system, and if it copes well with the virus, then signs of herpetic infection may never disturb you.

Genital herpes is not a sentence, but an occasion to pay attention to your female health. If he does not have a woman, then you need to monitor sexual relations, and if he appeared - to keep the immune system at the proper level and strengthen it in various ways.