Sometimes, people get to careless when it comes to their own health, even when it comes to having sex. When this happens, certain sexually transmitted diseases have a higher probability of getting contracted. One of the most common STD is genital herpes. This is characterized by painful rashes that grow on the genitals caused by type 2 of the herpes simplex virus.

You can never eradicate genital herpes once it enters your body. It could only lay dormant that is why you have to make sure that you have a strong immune system at all times. When the symptoms such as the distinctive genital rashes do come out, you have to have them immediately treated because they are the direct way to infect your partner. There are many conventional medical  treatments for genital herpes  that your doctor may discuss with you. But if you would rather go for a natural herpes treatment, here are some that you may be interested in:

1. Therapy through Nutrition

A very effective  natural herpes treatment is nutritional therapy. This is the intake of various nutrients needed for treating herpes through food. Here, you change your diet to soften the blow of genital herpes. In this method of natural herpes treatment, the amount of arginine taken in should be decreased and lysine should be increased. This could be effectively done by taking prepared lysine supplements. However, foods that are low in arginine and rich in lysine are chicken, beef, dairy, brewer’s yeast, mung bean sprouts, fish, and potatoes. On the other hand, avoid sesame seeds, pecans, chocolate, carob, peanuts, cashews, and almonds because the are very high in argnine. You should also stop drinking alcohol and too much sweets in general. Other vitamin supplements like vitamin B6, vitamin E, and vitamin C should also be taken to prevent your body from getting infected or from the symptoms to manifest. If ever you do have the symptoms already, you should take a much higher dose of these vitamin supplements to help you.

2. Herbs

Another natural herpes treatment is the herbal therapy wherein you take various combinations of herbs to prevent or treat genital herpes. Taking the recommended herbs strengthen your immune system, overpowers the genital herpes virus, and promotes healing. Glycyrrhizic acid in licorice root could slow down the actions and proliferation of the virus. This comes in the form of an ointment that you should always apply on the affected genitals. But if you take this herb for a long period, you should be well monitored because of the elevated blood pressure and water retention. Purple cornflower or echinacea strengthen your immune system against genital herpes. This usually comes in the for of oral preparations such as capsules and tinctures. Uncooked garlic also makes your immune system stronger. Marigold or calendula fights the genital herpes virus and promotes the healing of the rashes or blisters.

3. Therapy through Oxygen

Another effective natural herpes treatment is oxygen therapy. This prevents the painful  symptoms from recurring . It also battles the virus itself and makes your immune system more resistant to the virus. In this treatment method, blood is drawn (less than a pint) and mixed with oxygen and ozone.  The blood is then returned to your body to circulate. You should check if your area permits healthcare practitioners to use oxygen therapy in treating genital herpes.

4. Other therapies

Aside from the given methods, there are other means of natural herpes treatment that you could discuss with your doctor. Hydrotherapy, homeopathy, body/mind medicine, and Chinese medicine could also be used to treat genital herpes. Hydrotherapy involves the application of castor oil in the abdominal area and then you have a sitz bath, and afterwards, ice packs are applied on your genitals. In homeopathy, sepia, rhus rhus toxicodendron, natrum muriaticum, and dulcamara are used to treat genital herpes. But these must be prescribed by the homeopath. Body/mind medicine therapy deals with the alleviation of stress through guided imagery and meditation. This also involves various support groups. Chinese medicine allows you to make use of herbs and acupuncture to minimize your genital herpes flare-ups.

Although these natural methods do not require the intake of conventional medications, each natural herpes treatment  should be under the guidance of the authorized practitioner. This is to make sure that you use everything at the right doses, times, and combinations. It could also be confusing than just taking a bunch of pills. Talk openly to your doctor if one natural herpes treatment is not effective for you so that another one may be suggested and tried.