Vaginal Yeast or Vaginal Herpes?

                

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Article Description: Vaginal yeast and vaginal herpes share similar symptoms. This article is designed to help women better understand what is vaginal yeast, vaginal herpes, their symptoms and to better make the difference between them.

Vaginal Yeast or Vaginal Herpes?

Vaginal yeast and vaginal herpes share similar symptoms. Vaginal yeast is very common among women. Actually 3/4 of women have one vaginal yeast episode in their lives and half of them have several episodes. Vaginal herpes or genital herpes is less common but rapidly spreading. About 25% of all pregnant women have genital herpes and 20% of the population has genital herpes. I believe these figures are underrated. Women are more likely to get genital herpes than men and genital herpes contamination in the US increased by 30% from the late 70's to the early 90's and keeps increasing on a daily basis.

Vaginal yeast is caused by fungi called Candida albicans. They are tiny organisms that normally live in small numbers on the skin and inside the vagina. The vaginal environment is naturally acidic. When its fragile PH balance is disturbed and becomes less acidic yeast starts overgrowing causing vaginal yeast infection. Many things can modify vaginal acidic balance; periods, pregnancy, diabetes, some antibiotics, birth control pills, steroids, friction and so forth. I actually got vaginal yeast from a swimming pool. It seemed the chloride it contained was too strong.

Vaginal or genital herpes is caused by a virus that is usually transmitted from skin to skin contact during sexual intercourse. The virus may remain dormant for a while and when triggered cause an infection. Vaginal herpes triggers are not as easily identified as for vaginal yeast. But they usually are associated with periods or menstruation, long-term stress and anything that could weaken your immune system.

Vaginal yeast and vaginal herpes can both cause vaginal discharge, burning, itching, irritation, redness, bladder infection like symptoms, swelling and blisters. So how do we sort them out? Here are a few pointers. Vaginal herpes itching and burning is usually restricted to one or two specific locations whereas vaginal yeast may cause itching everywhere in the vagina and the vulva. The same thing applies for swelling. Vaginal herpes may cause a lump somewhere in the vulva or vagina but not cause general swelling of the vulva except maybe in very severe first herpes episodes. Vaginal discharge associated with vaginal yeast is usually odorless and white or watery whereas when associated with herpes it can be thick, smelly and yellow. Symptoms vary greatly from woman to woman. Blisters are not very common for vaginal yeast whereas they are part of the normal symptoms of genital herpes. Genital herpes blisters usually turn into sores, then crusts and back into healthy skin within a few days. Blisters and crusts are not usually associated with candida albicans infections. During a herpes infection, flu like symptoms may appear 24 to 48 hours before any itchiness is perceived especially during the first episode. This is not the case with vaginal yeast infections.

If you have any doubts and blisters start forming you may want to visit your doctor immediately to have a swab test performed. Swab tests are performed locally to detect the presence of herpes in a blister. The sooner you take the test, the better because result accuracy is optimal when samples are obtained before any sores have appeared.

I hope this article will help you better understand the differences between vaginal yeast and vaginal herpes. It is recommended for both conditions to use cotton underwear and loose clothing and avoid friction. So it may be a good idea to follow these guidelines anyway.

Nathalie Foy is the author of Best Herpes Treatments which provides great information, tips and advice, products comparison, on medical, natural and herbal treatments for cold sores, oral and genital herpes. Visit her website at Best Herpes Treatments.com

Nathalie Foy is the author of Best Herpes Treatments which provides great information, tips and advice, products comparison, on medical, natural and herbal treatments for cold sores, oral and genital herpes. Visit her website at Best Herpes Treatments.com

Herpes 101 ? An Introduction To The Herpes Simplex Virus

                

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There is often great confusion when it comes to herpes. Just the word ?herpes? often conjures up images of a particularly nasty sexually transmitted disease. But did you know that herpes actually stems from a virus known as the herpes simplex virus? And were you aware, that the chances are that you have already caught it at some stage during your life? In fact, statistics show that around 85% of the world?s population has been infected, and it is in fact the hardest virus to control known to man. However, this is often where the confusion stems from. You see, there are two strains of the virus, known as herpes simplex 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex 2 (HSV-2).

Herpes simplex 1 is the most common strain and is the cause of cold sores and fever blisters that appear around the mouth, lips and gums. Now everyone?s heard of a cold sore, but did you know that it is in fact oral herpes. Despite around 85% of the population being infected with HSV-1, not all people will develop cold sores or lesions around the mouth. This is because each person?s immune system is unique and many are able to suppress an outbreak. Instead, the virus lies dormant, although a carrier will still be able to pass the virus on under certain conditions.

The second strand of the virus, herpes simplex 2, is the virus responsible for genital herpes. Genital herpes is one of the most prevalent STDs, and more worryingly, research shows that there has been 32% rise in the U.S alone between 1978 and 1990. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 out of 5 American teenagers and adults is infected with HSV-2. The symptoms of genital herpes usually occur within 2 weeks of contracting the virus. The area infected can include the genitals, rectum, buttocks, thighs, or any other part of the body where the virus could have entered through broken skin. Small red bumps appear first which develop into itchy blisters. Other common symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, difficulty urinating, vaginal discharge and swollen glands in the groin area.

The symptoms usually last 1-2 weeks. Once infected, HSV remains in the nerve cells of your body for life, and outbreaks (recurrence) can occur several times a year. Despite there still being no cure, scientists are confident that a vaccination will be developed in the next 5 years. However, an effective treatment to reduce the pain and recurrence of symptoms is Acyclovir (Zovirax), which is an antiviral medication. This can be taken in an ointment form, liquid, orally, or even intravenously depending on the severity of the outbreak. Always consult your doctor before taking any new course of medication.

An old clich? is that prevention is better than cure, and this certainly applies to herpes. Never engage in oral sex if your partner has either mouth herpes or genital herpes. Never share towels, cutlery or a toothbrush with an infected person. Always practice safe sex. Using a condom can significantly reduce the risk of transmission, although it is by no means 100% effective, since it may not cover all infected areas. Valtrex, recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, may offer the best hope to sufferers at the present time. It can significantly reduce the chance of transmission, although the person infected must take it continuously.

 Caroline Smith is an author and regular contributor to http://www.about-herpes.com ? An educational resource with information on genital herpes, cold sores, shingles and other diseases caused by the herpes simplex virus.

Why Everyone Needs a Blood Test for Herpes

                

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Why Everyone Needs a Blood Test for Herpes.

I have herpes, don't you?

You don't?

Are you sure?

I wouldn't be so sure if I were you.

Unless you have had a recent type-specific blood test to test for the presence of herpes simplex antibodies you cannot say with any certainty that you don't have herpes.

You think that only 20% of the population has herpes?

Think again.

You may have heard that one out of every five people has herpes, but that number is untrue and a distortion of the facts. The truth is that at least 60% of the adult population has herpes.

Some people for reasons known only to them decided to exclude people who get herpes above the waist- people who get so-called "cold sores" on their mouths and faces, from the herpes statistics commonly reported in the media, then reporting only the percentage of people who get herpes below the waist- so-called genital herpes. This makes no sense at all since the scientific literature doesn't classify herpes simplex 1 (cold sores) as a different disease as herpes simplex 2 (genital herpes)- but rather as two different types of the same disease which are almost identical genetically, and since many of the new cases of herpes of the genital area are actually caused by people getting herpes simplex 1 on their genitals from oral sex. There really is no such thing as " cold sores" -it is simplex herpes simplex 1 of the mouth or face. And those who have it need not be in denial pretending that it's anything other than herpes simplex. The truth is that you can get herpes simplex 1 on almost any part of your body including your nose, your elbows, your fingers, your stomach, your genitals, your anus, etc. The truth is that herpes simplex is herpes simplex and it is only misleading to not include the people with herpes simplex 1 in herpes statistics.

Somewhere between 20 and 25% of the population get their herpes sores below the waist and somewhere between 50 and 80% of the population gets their herpes sores above the waist. If you factor in the number of people who have both herpes 1 and 2 at the same time, you are left understanding that at least 60% of the population has herpes simplex. Which rings true when you consider that 70% of the adult population has HPV (genital warts or cervical dysplasia) and that 80% of the adult population has had chlamydia at least once.

This is the reality of our times. There is almost no adult who has had more than six sex partners who hasn't caught a sexually transmitted infection. Including yourself. Including myself.

You say you've been tested before for sexually transmitted diseases and are clean?

I wouldn't be so sure. Herpes and HPV are almost never included in routine testing for sexually transmitted infections. Some doctors have the attitude of "Almost everyone tests positive for herpes so why bother testing". Unless you have specifically asked for a type-specific blood test for herpes such as the Western Blot test you have probably never had an accurate herpes test. Swabbing for the presence of herpes can and often does render false negative tests. I know that from personal experience. The doctors told me twice that I didn't have herpes before accurately testing me positive for herpes although I had already had a very obvious primary outbreak.

I strongly encourage you to get a type-specific blood test for herpes if you believe that you don't have herpes or are unsure of your herpes status. If you test negative for herpes it will allow you to make some decisions regarding safer sexuality to help keep you herpes free for the rest of your sexual history. If you test positive for herpes it will allow you to decide to treat your herpes and make safer sex choices to help you to not infect others and make this epidemic worse. Not only is it the ethical thing to do it is also the sane thing to do since herpes makes you more vulnerable to HIV and HPV and may have some possible links to certain types of cancer and alzheimers. If you don't know you won't get treatment. Knowledge is empowering. Denial is irresponsible.

You say you are sure you don't have herpes because you haven't had an outbreak?

Most people with herpes, maybe up to 70% don't get noticeable outbreaks. You may be having sub-clinical (subtle) outbreaks or may be shedding virus asymptomatically (without symptoms). You could be infecting others with herpes without knowing it.

Don't be afraid of getting a herpes test. Herpes can be effectively treated by a combination of diet, stress reduction and herbal medicine or by drug therapy. There is no cure but it possible to go years between outbreaks.

I still believe that most people when given a choice prefer to the do the right thing. Getting tested for herpes is the right thing.

If you have any questions about how to treat your herpes holistically feel free to contact me through my websites:

A great resource for learning about herpes is the international herpes resource center

http://www.herpesresourcecenter.com

Christopher Scipio Homeopath/Herbalist Holistic Herpes Treatment Specialist http://www.natropractica.com

Christopher Scipio , is one of the most experienced holistic practitioners treating the Herpes virus. A homeopath and herbalist who hails from a long line of Caribbean natural healers, Scipio has during the last 15 years developed a very successful natural protocol in treating the Herpes family of viruses. http://www.natropractica.com

The Ethics of a Life-long Herpes Infection

                

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The Ethics of a Life-long Herpes Infection

From day one my own personal life-long herpes infection has presented me with several ethical challenges. It has challenged me on the question of who to tell and when. It has challenged me on the issue of what to say and how to others with herpes. It has challenged me on the question of "Do I have any responsibilities towards trying to prevent the people in the community who do not herpes from getting it, and if so what are they"? On how to tell and when:

When I was diagnosed with herpes the doctors told me that it was safe to have sex with others as long as I avoided having sex during outbreaks and that I would get warning signs of when an outbreak would be coming. Luckily, we are working with much better information these days. A person with herpes is potentially contagious every-single day of the year and safer sex including using a combination of a condom or dental dam and an anti-viral gel is the best way of ensuring that one isn't inadvertently spreading the virus.

I was an irresponsible coward when I first got herpes. Because the doctors told me that I wasn't contagious without outbreaks and because I was in the habit of using condoms, I decided that I only had to tell someone that I had herpes if and when it seemed like the relationship was turning serious and there would be regular sexual contact. I had justified my cowardice by thinking that the risk to others was too small to stick my neck out and get the rejection due to a herpes leper. Please don't be like me. Not telling someone before you have sex that you have herpes is absolutely the wrong thing to do. There's no real way to justify it. I now tell potential lovers I have herpes even before the first date. It gets the weight of this guilt most herpes people have off my chest and to me it feels like the right thing to do.

Many people tell me that it's okay if you're not going to have sex with someone to wait and see if the relationship becomes serious before telling them about herpes. Sure this is much better than waiting until after sex, but to me it still isn't good enough. If you care about someone, if you respect them , why not tell them as early as possible so they can decide if they want to invest the energy and time in getting to know you better? Isn't it a bit manipulative to allow someone to develop feelings for you without warning them that they risk a life-long viral infection if they get involved with you? Think about it. If you wait until they are already emotionally attached to you, they may feel compelled to continue with the relationship when they may not have if you had told them up-front. It takes more courage and integrity to tell early but it feels better to have the weight off your chest and the person you tell will usually respect you for giving them the choice.

I am especially appealing to men since I believe that men are not as protective of their sex partners when it comes to telling about herpes as women are. Guys, please don't have sex with anyone without telling them about your herpes. And if they don't know the facts don't understate the risks- herpes is a more physically and emotionally devastating disease for women than it is for men and it is much easier for a man to give a woman herpes than it is for a woman to give it to a man.

On how and what to say to others with herpes:

I am a holistic healer- a herbalist and homeopath. My family have been healers for many generations in my native country of Trinidad and Tobago and as far back as Africa. I had little to no interest in treating herpes as a healer until I got herpes myself. Wanting to change a negative to a positive, I decided to make the holistic treatment of herpes the cornerstone of my practice. The bible says "the stone that the builder refused, I will make my cornerstone. Bob Marley and the wailers sing about it too.

It didn't take me long once I decided to become a holistic viral specialist to realize that I was confronted with a daunting challenge. Most professionals including all the herbalists and homeopaths I know rely heavily on referrals to build their client-base. Here I was now working with a client-base that I was never going to get a lot of referrals from. My patients with herpes don't go around telling the world that I helped them with their outbreaks. Some of my patients have yet to tell their significant others that they have herpes, many have not told their closest friends and their family. I am not a company. I don't have an advertising budget. The only way for me to reach out to others with herpes and encourage them to come for me for treatment was to speak out in public about my herpes work and about herpes in general. This forced me to be far more out of the closet than would have been my personal choice.

I seem to always create challenging situations for myself. Speaking to others with herpes is not a task for the faint of heart. Some people like to shoot the messenger- I have the bullet-wounds to prove it. But I can say that speaking to others with herpes has been and continues to be one of the most gratifying experiences in my life. I feel a deep bond with many of the people with herpes who interact with me. I felt this kind of bond when I played team sports. I've felt this kind of bond all my life with other black people. There's something about "us against the world" that can make people tight with other. I love my herpes friends. I love my herpes patients- even the ones who misbehave. I am not grateful for getting herpes, but I don't regret it either. Nevertheless, the truth hurts, and I have some bitter truth to tell others with herpes:

Having a lover who also has herpes isn't a free ticket for unprotected sex. Even if you both have the same strain Even if one gave it to the other. Having unprotected sex with each other can and often will make one or both partner's cases of herpes worse. It's called re-inoculation and it's a message many with herpes don't want to hear.

If you have herpes or cold sores you are potentially contagious everyday and there is no sure way to tell if you are shedding virus. So do consider using a condom/dental dam combined with an anti-viral gel when having sex and do be careful about sharing wet towels or wash cloths with others.

No two people get herpes the same way so you are going to have your own individual experience with the virus and will have to find your own way of dealing with it on all the different levels you will have to deal with it.

A cure for herpes in our lifetime is unlikely and there are no quick-fix solutions for managing herpes. Herpes cannot be managed with a topical agent alone- whether it be creams, lotions, or essential oils. Managing herpes takes changing your diet, managing stress and other triggers, and may also require either taking herbal medicine or drug therapy.

You may not get fewer outbreaks as you get older. While this is often the case, since no two people get herpes the same way, other diseases, menopause, self-abuse, re-inoculation by unprotected sex and other factors can change the pattern of frequency and severity of outbreaks at any point during your life-long journey with herpes.

Cold-sores are just as contagious if not more contagious than genital herpes and you can infect others when there are no signs of sores present.

Having herpes does make you more vulnerable to other sexually transmitted infections including HIV, cervical dysplasia and genital warts.

Daily use of l-lysine is an ineffective strategy for treating herpes and can do more harm than good. There are more effective natural remedies such as garlic for treating herpes without side-effects.

On talking to those who don't have herpes:

The reality check for me is that the mainstream and alternative media do not want talk about herpes. They would prefer to keep us in a ghetto. There is a lot of misinformation floating around and people without herpes have few places to turn to hear the facts about herpes. They don't hear the facts in their churches, young people are not being educated enough about herpes in school. Most parents aren't teaching their children about herpes, older siblings are not passing information down to the younger ones.

It's really up to us who have herpes to try harder to dialogue with those who don't. HIV won't be the last word in human population control from the world of viruses. If we don't learn how to better protect the population from getting herpes and other sexually transmitted infections we are going to be in a lot of trouble. Herpes is a gateway disease it provided easy access through your mucus membranes for any sexually transmitted virus.

It is my unshakeable conviction that those of us in the herpes community need to be more vocal in the media and to also reach out to those around us. Each one teach one. Each one reach one.

Christopher Scipio Homeopath/Herbalist Holistic Herpes Treatment Specialist http://www.natropractica.com

Christopher Scipio , is one of the most experienced holistic practitioners treating the Herpes virus. A homeopath and herbalist who hails from a long line of Caribbean natural healers, Scipio has during the last 15 years developed a very successful natural protocol in treating the Herpes family of viruses. http://www.natropractica.com