Herpes infection is one of those situations, when calling 911 is senseless. Nobody and nothing can prevent you from getting infected with this viral disease as well as destroy it completely when it is already in the body.

If someone experiences periodic itching, redness and pain, followed by the appearance of blisters and ulcers on skin of genitals or near the mouth, it is an evidence of joining the majority of humans, infected with herpes virus.

"What to do?” is a typical and natural question, arising after getting infected with herpes. Every person decides to solve this problem in a personal manner, but there are three most common options how to deal with herpes:

1) to ignore herpes – someone decides that herpes is after all nothing but a couple of red dots, appearing and healing on their own and life is too short to pay attention to every red dot. Actually, this is the worst decision about herpes, because any health disorder requires adequate reaction in order to avoid the opportunity to make life still shorter.

2) to hide herpes - make-up and powder is sometimes used to hide herpes symptoms (surely, when it is oral form of the disease, not genital). This method is better than previous, because it provides the esthetic improvement, but it is still not an appropriate answer to herpes infection.

3) to treat herpes – this is the best way to deal with herpes of both oral and genital forms. Though, there is no medication for today to get rid of herpes once and forever, but there are options to reduce itching, pain and other herpes symptoms significantly as well as to decrease the number of recurrences or outbreaks.

For the time being there are three medications in the form of oral tablets, approved by Food and Drug Administration, USA, to treat herpes symptoms: - Acyclovir (= Zovirax) - Famcyclovir (= Famvir) - Valacyclovir (= Valtrex)

Since herpes is caused by a herpes simplex virus, all these medications are antiviral drugs, which act by reducing the ability of herpes virus to replicate itself, thus reducing the number of its new attacks and making such attacks weaker and shorter.

Zovirax was the first drug in this family, approved in 1985, while Famvir and Valtrex are the representatives of modern drug generation, which can do the same job as Zovirax but with smaller doses.

There are two types of herpes treatment with the above said pills:

1) Episodic treatment – it helps to relieve symptoms and make the outbreaks shorter, but this method can hardly reduce the frequency of herpes attacks. It is recommended for those, who experience herpes outbreaks less than 6 times a year. In this case, as soon as a person starts feeling the herpes symptoms, such as itching, redness and pain, the administration of drugs should be started. Acyclovir should be taken two, three or five times a day, depending on the pills dosage during 5-7 days. Famcyclovir and Valacyclovir should be taken twice a day during 5-7 days.

2) Suppressive treatment – this option is prescribed for the patients with very often (more than 6 times a year) herpes outbreaks, accompanied with severe and painful symptoms that significantly decrease the quality of life and its comfort. Suppressive therapy aims to reduce the frequency of herpes outbreaks, therefore it lasts from 6 to 12 months with administration of Acyclovir or Famcyclovir twice a day or Valacylcovir – once a day.

Clinical studies showed that herpes drugs can increase the outbreak-free period for 70% (Famcyclovir) and 85 $ (Valacyclovir) when used for suppressive goal. Acyclovir in the same application can reduce the number of recurrences from 11.4 to 1.8 per year.

The side effects are usually rather mild and minor, such as headache, diarrhea and nausea. However, all the drugs need a medical prescription, so do not ignore visiting health provider or family doctor.

Finally, it is certainly a minus that people cannot conquer the herpes virus, but the ability of Zovirax, Famvir and Valtrex to make it weaker and less annoying is our certain plus.

Nick