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Ronnie Falcao, LM MS, a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA

Herpes Handout

Decreasing Flareups and Relieving the Discomforts of Herpes

Dietary Measures

1. Increase the amount of Lysine (an essential amino acid) in your diet and decrease the Arginine (an amino acid that supports the herpes virus). If you eat foods high in Arginine, balance them with L-lysine foods or with Lysine/L-lysine tablets that can be found in health food stores (500mg/day minimum).

Dietary sources of Lysine: fish, chicken, beef, meat, cheese, eggs, milk and dairy products, yogurt, soybeans, brewer's yeast.
Dietary sources of Arginine: nuts and nut products, seeds, coconut, brown rice, whole wheat bread, oatmeal, raisins, chocolate and caffeine
2. Increase Vitamin C foods.

Comfort Measures

1. Warm or cool shallow baths (called sitz baths).
2. Burrow's solution, cool compresses 2-3x/day.
3. Moist tea bags (black tea, non-herbal have tannic acid) to area.
4. Dry areas heal faster. Air dry sores thoroughly.
5. The following have been used with some success: Xylocaine spray or ointment, Campho-phenique, Milk of Magnesia (dab on with cotton),Vitamin E capsules, Lysine capsules or Aloe Vera.

Precautions

1. Good hygiene is essential: bathe frequently, wash hands after going to the bathroom, handling your genitals or engaging in sexual activity. Don't share wash cloths, towels, glasses or eating utensils.
2. Chlorine kills herpes: use in the laundry, on towels and clothing, toilet seats and bathtubs.
3. Abstain from intercourse when sores are present or when you feel a lesion coming on to prevent the spread or reinfection to your body. Wash your hands carefully if your partner has a lesion.
4. Refrain from kissing your newborn when you have sores, and wash your hands carefully. Do not let others with an active cold sores hold your baby. If the herpes virus gets into an open wound or your child's eyes, it is very difficult to eradicate and your baby could become very sick.
5. QUIT SMOKING: smoking seems to cause tissue weakness and makes infections more likely.
6. Decrease stress: cut back on work hours, get adequate rest and exercise, eat a balanced diet, practice relaxation techniques.