What are the most effective treatments for herpes? There are actually a few very potent methods for addressing a herpes infection, and it is best to first understand what herpes is, and how it works, before selecting your preferred treatments for it.

Herpes is a virus that is found in eight common varieties. The one most likely to appear on a person is the simplex variety. As you may already know, the simplex virus is the one responsible for the familiar cold sores on the lips and the dreaded blisters on the genitals. This can be quite painful and lead to a tremendous amount of ongoing discomfort and can take a great deal of time to combat effectively.

Because herpes is a virus, most of the treatments for herpes tend to focus on combating the virus or creating an inhospitable environment for any sort of virus. The oral treatments for herpes are made from pharmaceutical compounds and obtained through a prescription, or a person can use herbal formulas too.

The oral treatments tend to work in one of two ways – they will operate as wide-ranging anti-viral medications or they work in a way that triggers the immune system to flood the body with increased numbers of herpes specific antibodies. Both of these approaches will often effectively suppress the herpes to such an extent that it becomes impossible for the virus to break out.

The treatments for herpes that are described as “topical” can also be found as prescription-only pharmaceutical compounds or as all-natural formulations too. Again, they will work as an anti-viral treatment that suppress the virus on contact or as a formula that encourages the immune system to send out anti-virus cells that create such a hostile environment that the virus fails to thrive. The difference here is that these are not used until there is already an active break out. This means that you are not combating the condition on a daily basis, which is not the most efficient or effective form of treatment.

The best approach is to use at least two methods of fighting the virus, and we suggest relying on an oral treatment that is subsequently partnered with a lifestyle change. What is that? It is another of the preferred treatments for those with a herpes infection and it usually means that the individual puts a huge amount of effort into creating the strongest immune system possible.

For instance, they might eat the most optimal diet possible, follow that up with a daily exercise regimen that improves their general health, and be sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep each day. Doing this as a sort of complementary treatment to the oral medications because it will only support or enhance their effectiveness. If there is a break out it is a good idea to turn to the additional use of the topical treatments. Not only do these attack the virus, but they also soothe the skin and make you much more comfortable.