As one infected with herpes, it is likely you know the illness is incurable. That, however, does not mean that you cannot continue to live a full life after being infected with the disease. After experiencing an initial outbreak or various accounts of symptom recurrence and seeing a doctor, you will want to weigh your treatment options so as to choose the most suitable method for your personal healing process. One of the options to manage a herpes infection is suppressive therapy.
Suppressive therapy refers to the mode of herpes treatment where an infected individual takes antiviral medication on a daily basis so as to reduce the manifestation of the herpes virus in their body. Through this treatment option, people can decrease the number of outbreaks they suffer over the period when they are under the medication. This enables them to undertake other activities such as working and school work under normal circumstances. As such, their productivity is not impaired, and they can consistently take on the same amounts of workload and relate with others in the same way as before their infections.
Managing herpes by taking antiviral medication has been proven to be one of the most efficient methods of handling the disease. Suppressive therapy has reduced the frequency of herpes outbreaks by over 70 to 80 percent. What’s more, some individuals on this treatment option have ceased to experience herpes outbreaks since they began the therapy. They have therefore been able to lead full lives after their infections.
Despite the apparent benefits of this method of treating herpes, it is not for everyone. Doctors advise that herpes infected individuals suffering from an average of six outbreaks a year or more should register themselves for suppressive therapy. Since this treatment option also decreases the severity and duration of outbreaks, it can also be applied to those who suffer from extreme outbreaks that cause them to sit out regular activity for long periods at a time. All in all, the sure way you can find out if you, your partner, friend or relative is suitable for this method of herpes management is by booking an appointment with a doctor and having them examine your illness’s intensity. From there, the medical practitioner will be able to make a conclusive decision on whether you are suitable for this form of treatment.
There have been very minimal side effects from the medication used for suppressive therapy. These include headaches, nausea, sore throat and abdominal pain. However, most individuals do not observe adverse effects when they take the medication.