Urgent Need For More Research Studies On Herpes

More studies needed especially on its unknown effects on human health.

On an average 62 percent of the words population is carrying the herpes  virus according to WHO with a rate of  35 million new infections per year! In Thailand, its estimated that about 84 percent of the population is carrying the virus. Though most people only know that it is a sexually transmitted disease that erupts when your immunity is low and you see physical cold sores or blisters on your lips and sometimes on your genitals or even abdominal, neck and back regions, it can actually cause more medical complications that just that.

What is worrying is despite the physical symptoms being treatable, the virus cannot be eradicated from the body and remains forever in the body and although there are studies to show that  it can be linked to various other ailments and diseases such as nerve issues, eye diseases and even cardiac issues, certain cancers etc, there has not been any studies done to analyze the effects the virus has on individuals. carrying the disease for a long time. Already we know that long term low infections gives rise to low inflammation and studies have already proven that long term low inflammation can give rise to cancer but what about its effects on the immunity system and also whether it aids for other diseases such as TB to infect  a person faster if he is carry herpes. Thailand Medical News has been very interested in these areas for long time and is also willing to co-sponsor any research studies in this field.  

Considering that statistically that birth acquired herpes is rising exponentially and also more teens are contracting it due to early sex, there is not only a huge population walking around with herpes but also more individuals having long term infections.

Herpes is also not only acquired by sex and passed through births but is easily acquired by contact also through contaminated peripherals. The incidence of a type of herpes known as Herpes Gladiatorum which is passed through skin contacts is also rising extremely fast.

Types Of Herpes

There are actually so many strains of the herpes virus. At least five species of the Herpesviridae – HSV-1 and HSV-2 (both of which can cause orolabial herpes and genital herpes), varicella zoster virus (the cause of chickenpox and shingles), Epstein–Barr virus (implicated in several diseases, including mononucleosis and some cancers), and cytomegalovirus, are extremely widespread among humans. More than 62% of adults have been infected with at least one of these, and a latent form of the virus remains in almost all humans.

Nine herpesvirus types are known to infect humans: herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2, also known as HHV1 and HHV2), varicella-zoster virus (VZV, which may also be called by its ICTV name, HHV-3), Epstein–Barr virus (EBV or HHV-4), human c ytomegalovirus (HCMV or HHV-5), human herpesvirus 6A and 6B (HHV-6A and HHV-6B), human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7), and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV, also known as HHV-8). In total, more than 130 herpesviruses are known, some of them from mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and mollusks.

The Herpes Simplex Viruses (HSV)

 In this article we will focus on two common strains: herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2, also known as HHV1 and HHV2.They commonly cause genital herpes. Genital herpes is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections s (STIs). These infection can be bothersome.

Symptoms

Most people never have symptoms, or the symptoms are so mild that people don't know that they are infected. But in some people, the infection causes occasional outbreaks of itchy and painful sores in the genital area.
 
After the first outbreak, the herpes virus stays in the nerve cells below the skin and becomes inactive. It usually becomes active again from time to time, traveling back up to the skin and causing more sores. Things like stress, illness, a new sex partner, or menstruation may trigger a new outbreak. As time goes on, the outbreaks happen less often, heal faster, and don't hurt as much.
 
Either virus can cause sores on the lips(coldsore)  and sores on the genitals. Type 1 more often causes cold sores, while type 2 more often causes genital sores.
 
Symptoms can vary greatly from person to person. Most people never have any symptoms. Sometimes the symptoms are so mild that people may not notice them or recognize them as a sign of herpes. For people who do notice their first infection, it generally appears about 2 to 14 days after they were exposed to genital herpes.

Some people have outbreaks of itchy and painful blisters on the penis or around the opening of the vagina. The blisters break open and turn into oozing, shallow sores that take up to 3 weeks to heal. Sometimes people, especially women, also have flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, and muscle aches. They may also notice an abnormal discharge and pain when they urinate.

Genital herpes infections can be severe in people who have impaired immune system such as people with HIV .
 
Your doctor may diagnose genital herpes by examining you. He or she may ask you questions about your symptoms and your risk factors, which are things that make you more likely to get an infection.
 
If this is your first outbreak, your doctor may take a sample of tissue from the sore for testing. Testing can help the doctor be sure that you have herpes. You may also have a blood test.
 
After the first infection, the virus remains in the body for life and may produce sores at a later date. These are called recurrent outbreaks. These are usually shorter, not as painful as the first attack, and can be triggered by:
 

• physical stress
• emotional stress
• sunlight
• a viral infection
• hormonal changes (including menstruation)

 
Often no trigger can be identified.

The flu-like symptoms sometimes experienced in the first attack do not usually occur with later outbreaks of blisters.

Over time, recurrent outbreaks occur less often and may stop altogether in some people. These recurrent attacks are not cause by another infection (re-infection) but by the virus already present in the body becoming active again (reactivation).

HSV Treatment

Although there is no cure, medicine can relieve pain and itching and help sores heal faster. Specific antiviral therapy is available which can decrease the severity of initial genital herpes infection, decrease the severity of recurrences and if taken continuously, reduce the likelihood of recurrences.

For severe infections, salt baths or ice packs may reduce discomfort. Iodine-containing antiseptics such as Betadine will dry out the blisters and may help prevent secondary infection.

There are three antiviral medications that are FDA-approved for the treatment of genital herpes:

• Acyclovir: The oldest antiviral medication for herpes is acyclovir. It has been available since 1982 in a topical form (as an ointment) and sold since 1985 in pill form. Acyclovir has been shown to be safe in persons who have used it continuously (every day) for as long as 10 years.
• Valacyclovir: A newer drug, valacyclovir, actually uses acyclovir as its active ingredient. This medication delivers acyclovir more efficiently so that the body absorbs much of the drug, which has the advantage of taking the medication fewer times during the day.
• Famciclovir: Famciclovir uses penciclovir as its active ingredient to stop HSV from replicating. Like valacyclovir, it is well absorbed, persists for a longer time in the body, and can be taken less frequently than acyclovir.
• Antiviral medication is commonly prescribed for patients having a first episode of genital herpes, but they can be used for recurrent episodes as well. There are two kinds of treatment regimens: episodic therapy and suppressive therapy.

(Please becareful as long term usage of all these antivirals for herpes as been linked to kidney failure) 

Episodic Therapy

In this approach, a person begins taking medication at the first sign of an outbreak (or ideally at first signs of prodrome) and continues taking medication for several days, in order to speed healing or even prevent an outbreak from fully occurring. All three of the antiviral treatments mentioned above have been proven to help shorten the amount of time that a person may experience symptoms of herpes. However, keep in mind that results may vary from person to person.

Many people feel the advantages of using medication for recurrent episodes are marginal compared with use in a primary episode. But for others, episodic therapy offers a useful way to manage outbreaks by cutting the length of an outbreak by a day or two, on average. The benefits may be greater for those whose outbreaks tend to last longer.

Also, episodic therapy has its best results when treatment begins at the very first sign of prodrome. If lesions are already present, therapy may offer little benefit. Because the medications differ in their absorption rate and duration of effectiveness, dosages vary with episodic therapy treatment ranging from one to five pills every day for three to five days during an outbreak.

Supplements Good For Herpes

For those suffering with herpes, taking Lysine, a type of amino acid supplement is good to relieve symptoms while the amino acid Arginine should be avoided including foods containing it. Vitamin B complex is also good as it helps in neurological disorders as the HPV virus in the dormant stages hides in the nerves and can cause nerve issues in the long term.

Prevention

The only sure way to keep from getting genital herpes—or any other sexually transmitted infection (STI)—is to not have sex. If you do have sex, practice safer sex.

• Before you start a sexual relationship, talk with your partner about STIs. Find out whether he or she is at risk for them. Remember that a person can be infected without knowing it.
• If you have symptoms of an STI, don't have sex.
• Don't have sex with anyone who has symptoms or who may have been exposed to an STI.
• Don't have more than one sexual relationship at a time. Having several sex partners increases your risk for infection.
• Use condoms. Condom use lowers the risk of spreading or becoming infected with an STI.
• Don't receive oral sex from partners who have cold sores.

Taking medicine for herpes may lower the number of outbreaks you have and can also prevent an episode from getting worse. It also lower the chances that you will infect your partner.

If you are pregnant, you should take extra care to avoid getting infected. You could pass the infection to your baby during delivery, which can cause serious problems for your newborn. If you have an outbreak near your due date, you probably will need to have your baby by cesarean section. If your genital herpes outbreaks return again and again, your doctor may talk to you about medicines that can help prevent an outbreak during pregnancy.
 

Complications just by these two viruses

 
If the herpes simplex virus (HSV) invades a part of the body other than the genital area, it may cause disease in that part of the body. In general, complications are rare. And they usually occur with the first-time (primary) genital herpes outbreak. Some of these complications include:
 
-Meningitis an infection of the fluid (cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF) and tissues (meninges) that surround the brain and spinal cord.
 
-Encephalitis an inflammation of the brain. This is usually the result of a viral infection.

-Inflammation of the lower spinal cord and surrounding nerves. This may result in an inability to urinate, loss of feeling and muscle strength in the legs, and constipation.

Other areas of the body that can be infected with the herpes virus include:

• The lips (herpes labialis). These outbreaks are often called cold sores or fever blisters. They are usually mild but may be treated with antiviral medicines if they become severe or more frequent.
• The hands and fingers (herpetic whitlow). Plastic or rubber gloves prevent its spread.
• The anus (herpes proctitis). Herpes proctitis is often more severe than other types of genital herpes.
• The eyes (herpes keratitis). Herpes can be transmitted from the mouth or genitals to the eyes. This can cause blindness if it is not treated early. If your eye is very irritated or if you feel pain in your eye, see your doctor as soon as possible.
• The liver, lungs, and joints. This occurs mostly in people who have impaired immune systems.

 
There are also new studies that show that HSV is also linked to Alzheimer and other Dementia diseases and also new studies linking it to certain types of cancer. Also many nerve and neurological issues are associated with it and also other ocular disease besides ocular keratitis such as light sensitivity.
 
This is just merely the tip of the iceberg, we have yet to even touch on the various other various strains of the herpes virus and even just for the HSV ones, there is a lot more of diseases associated with long term infections including immunity related ones. Ten years ago if one was to make a statement like viruses could be linked to cancer, the medical community would have ostracized you but we now know that even viruses can have epigenetic influences on the genes and we at Thailand Medical news believe that here is more implications in herpes than is actually known. We are willing to co-sponsor any clinical research studies in this area. Kindly contact us for more details.