There are typically three stages of genital herpes. The first stage is called the prodrome stage where you may start to have sensations throughout your body signaling a possible outbreak. Herpes is a virus that lives in dormant in your body until triggered, at which point it will find the path of least resistance to the skin. The virus lives in a cluster of nerves at the base of your spine. These nerves spread out throughout your body and when active the virus happily moves along the nerves until it probably (but not always!) finds a place on the skin to emerge. This is a herpes outbreak. Because the nerves travel throughout your pelvic region and expand outward, it is very common in these first stages of herpes to feel soreness, a bruising sensation, burning, and even pain throughout the pelvic region. These sensations will often radiate in and around the hip area and down the legs.
While the best method to control outbreaks is through stress reduction and lifestyle choices, it is at this first stage that an intense herpes treatment can possibly calm the virus down and coax it back to a dormant state.
The second of the stages of genital herpes is called the active stage and this is where you can expect a physical episode on the skin. It can take the form of a blistery rash, a single deep sore, a group of small herpes blisters, or any similar combination. It is extremely common to experience both intense itching and burning during this active stage which (on average) can last anywhere from two to ten days. As the virus prefers a warm and moist environment, during this second active stage, you can do your best to keep the outbreak area clean and dry.
During this stage you would want to avoid the excessive use of creams, oils and/or balms. Think: Clean and dry.
The latter part of stage one and well into the second stage can be quite uncomfortable. You can experience pain, muscle aches, headaches, and general soreness. You literally have an active virus in your system and can treat these viral symptoms with Advil, Tylenol or any pain reliever of your choice. As with any virus, adequate sleep and limited alcohol will also contribute to greater well being.
The third and final stage of herpes is the healing phase. The open sore or rash (it is important to note that while not all herpes outbreaks are open and/or break the skin, each outbreak should be considered to have an active stage) will form a crust and the healing process of new skin generation will start under this crust. It is crucial that you do not pick at this crust as healing can be delayed and scarring can result. In this last stage of an outbreak a number of healing agents can be considered (Vitamin E, Tea Tree Oil, Essential Oil: Melissa) which have been proven to dramatically increase the healing process but other than topically applying these oils, it is important to trust and leave your body to heal itself.
You can always find everything you ever needed to know about HSV2 at: Genital Herpes
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