Olives and Herpes Simplex

Olive leaf

Olive leaf extract comes from the leaves of an olive plant. It contains an active ingredient called oleuropein. Oleuropein works as natural wonders by boosting the immune system to stimulate protein production, specifically proteins Oct-2. This protein would typically act as a “sleeping pill” or inhibitor against the herpes virus. While many people have high levels of Oct-2, severe outbreaks can be triggered if the body is low in these proteins and the immune system sets its priorities elsewhere. This can explain why your outbreaks might be worse than others who also have herpes.

500mg (6% oleuropein) Olive Leaf Extract

Take 3-4 capsules every six hours for acute infections of herpes.
Continue until you see noticeable change in the symptoms.
Reduce capsules to 1-2 until the symptoms dissipate completely.
500-750mg (20% oleuropein) Olive Leaf Extract

Take 2 capsules every 3-4 hours with meals.


Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin found naturally in many fruits and vegetables and also marketed as a dietary supplement over the counter. According to holistic medicine specialist Alan R. Gaby, M.D. in the December 2005 issue of “Alternative Medicine Reviews,” doctors have known since the 1930s that high intakes of vitamin C can also fight herpes by inactivating the herpes simplex virus. Dr. Gaby recommends taking supplements in doses of 10,000 mg per day to treat an active outbreak and 500 to 3,000 mg per day to prevent future outbreaks. For people who prefer to focus on vitamin C from foods, sources include bell peppers, citrus fruits and juices, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, leafy greens, sweet and white potatoes, cantaloupe, papaya, mango, watermelon, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, winter squash, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries and pineapples.


Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin found naturally in fruits, vegetables and grain. Like vitamin C, it is marketed as an over-the-counter dietary supplement. Unlike vitamin C, therapeutic use of vitamin E for herpes has focused on topical applications. Dr. Rakel says that patients who apply vitamin E oil generally experience a decrease in herpes-related discomfort within as little as 15 minutes, but sometimes it takes up to eight hours. Patients also report more rapid healing, especially when vitamin E is applied frequently, up to four times per day. For people who prefer to focus on vitamin E from foods, sources include vegetable oils made from wheat germ, sunflower or safflower and green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli.


Reference:

http://www.healthline.com/health/olive-leaf-extract#dosage2

http://www.livestrong.com/article/282430-foods-to-avoid-and-vitamins-for-herpes/

https://herpeshelper.net/olive-leaf-extract-for-herpes/

Foods to avoid for herpes simplex

In the 2007 edition of “Integrative Medicine,” University of Wisconsin professor David Rakel, M.D. recommends steering clear of foods rich in the amino acid arginine, such as chocolate, peanuts, cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds and gelatin. According to Dr. Rakel, the herpes simplex virus requires arginine to reproduce. Diets high in arginine can trigger the virus to begin reproducing. Although arginine is found in many foods, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy products and legumes, arginine in these foods is counteracted by another amino acid, lysine, that opposes the effects of arginine on the herpes simplex virus.

Treatment for Herpes Simplex

The treatment usually consist of herbal anti-herpes drugs which the patients need to take for a period of 14 months. The IgG and IgM antibodies reduces below detection within few months and ultimately to zero in six to seven months. 

Specially formulated oils are made for the treatment of external sores which doesn't settles easily and to subside the burning sensation which is found across the body. Medicines are also available for the itching and other symptoms associated with herpes which aggravates due to exposure to sunlight.

Precautions to be followed by Herpes Positive Patients

Avoid spreading the virus

The following may reduce the risk of spreading the herpes simplex virus:

Oral herpes (herpes simplex type 1)
If you have sores on your face:

• Do not kiss anyone.
• Do not have oral sex.
• Do not share items such as silverware, cups, towels, and lip balms.

If you have tingling, burning, itching, or tenderness where you had a herpes sore, keep that area of your body away from others.

You can prevent spreading the sores to other parts of your body by:

• Washing your hands after touching a cold sore.
• Using a cotton-tip swab to apply herpes medicine to a cold sore also helps.

Genital herpes (herpes simplex type 2)
When you have sores or symptoms do not have sex with uninfected partners.

• If you do not have sores or symptoms, use a latex condom to lower the risk of spreading the virus. You should know that even with a condom, it is possible to spread the virus if it lies on nearby skin that the condom does not cover.
• If you are pregnant tell your doctor if you or your partner has genital herpes. You may need to take medicine at the end of your pregnancy to prevent passing the virus to your baby.

Reference: https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/contagious-skin-diseases/herpes-simplex#tips

Tests for Herpes Simplex

POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION TEST:

This test is done on cells or fluids from a sore or on blood or on other fluids like spinal fluid. This test tells the difference between HSV-1 and HSV-2.

ANTIBODY TESTS:

This test detects the antibodies that are made by the immune system to fight a herpes infection. This test is sometimes not accurate as that of the viral culture at finding the cause of specific sore or an ulcer.

Symptoms of Herpes Virus

Symptoms of herpes virus are painful sores in the genital area, itching, painful urination, vaginal discharge and tender lumps in the groin.

During the first outbreak which is also known as primary outbreak, some people experience flu-like symptoms such as body aches, fever and head ache.

Most people who have herpes infection will have outbreaks of sores and symptoms from time to time. 

Some women have herpes only on the cervix. In this case, there may be few or no symptoms with an outbreak.

Reference: https://familydoctor.org/condition/herpes/

Types of Herpes Virus

The herpes family of viruses consist of 8 different viruses that affect human beings. 

Human herpes virus 1

Human herpes virus 1 (HHV1) is also known as herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1). It is typically the cause of cold sores around the mouth. HHV1 can also lead to infection in the genital area causing genital herpes usually through oral-genital contact, such as during oral sex. HHV1 infections are contagious and are usually spread from skin-to-skin contact with an infected person through small breaks in the skin or mucous membrane. The HHV1 virus is more likely to be spread through things like sharing eating utensils, razors, and towels from a person who has an active lesion.

Human herpes virus 2

Human herpes virus 2 (HHV2) is also called herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV2). It typically causes genital herpes, a sexually transmitted infection. However, it can also cause cold sores in the facial area. Like HHV1, the HHV2 infection is contagious and is spread by skin-to-skin contact. The main route of transmission is through sexual contact, as the virus does not survive very long outside the body.

Human herpes virus 3

Human herpes virus 3 (HHV3) is also called varicella-zoster virus. HHV3 causes chickenpox. It can also cause a recurrent virus infection of the skin, which is called herpes zoster or shingles. Shingles occurs when dormant varicella-zoster virus from an initial bout of chickenpox becomes reactivated. Like its close relative, HHV1, herpes zoster likes to infect skin cells and nerve cells. This virus may also recur along nerve fibre pathways, causing multiple sores where nerve fibres end on skin cells. Because an entire group of nerve cells is often affected, shingles is generally much more severe than a recurrence of herpes simplex. The lesions generally appear in a band-like or belt-like pattern occurring on one side of the body and are often accompanied by itching, tingling, or even severe pain. Healing usually occurs in 2 to 4 weeks, and scars may remain. Postherpetic neuralgia is a complication of shingles where the pain associated with the infection can persist for months and even years. Most people who experience shingles once do not experience it again.

Human herpes virus 4

Human herpes virus 4 (HHV4) is also known as the Epstein-Barr virus. It is the major cause of infectious mononucleosis, or "mono" - the "kissing disease." It is a contagious infection and is transmitted through saliva. Coughing, sneezing, or sharing eating utensils with an infected person can pass the virus from one person to another.

Human herpes virus 5

Human herpes virus 5 (HHV5) is the official name of cytomegalovirus (CMV). CMV is also a cause of mononucleosis. In people with healthy immune systems, the virus may not even cause any symptoms. It can be sexually transmitted, can cause problems to newborns, and can cause hepatitis. CMV can be transmitted through sexual contact, breast-feeding, blood transfusions, and organ transplants. CMV infection is one of the most difficult complications of AIDS. It may lead to diarrhea, severe vision problems including blindness, infections of the stomach and intestines, and even death. For a virus that barely causes a problem in most people with healthy immune systems, it can be amazingly nasty in people with damaged immune systems, such as people with AIDS.

Human herpes virus 6

Human herpes virus 6 (HHV6) is a recently observed agent found in the blood cells of a few patients with a variety of diseases. It causes roseola (a viral disease causing high fever and a skin rash in small children) and a variety of other illnesses associated with fever in that age group. This infection accounts for many of the cases of convulsions associated with fever in infancy (febrile seizures).

Human herpes virus 7

Human herpes virus 7 (HHV7) is even more recently observed and is closely related to HHV6. Like other human herpes viruses, HHV6 and HHV7 are so common that most of humankind has been infected at some point, usually early in life. HHV7 can also cause roseola, but it is not clear what other clinical effects that this virus causes.

Human herpes virus 8

Human herpes virus 8 (HHV8) was recently discovered in the tumours called Kaposi's Sarcoma (KS). These tumours are found in people with AIDS and are otherwise very rare. KS forms purplish tumours in the skin and other tissues of some people with AIDS. It is very difficult to treat with medication. HHV8 may also cause other cancers, including certain lymphomas (lymph node cancers) associated with AIDS. The fact that these cancers are caused by a virus may explain why they tend to occur in people with AIDS when their immune systems begin to fail. The discovery also provides new hope that specific treatments for these tumours will be developed that target the virus.

Reference: http://www.medbroadcast.com/channel/infection/herpes/herpes-virus-8-types