Causes of Herpes Outbreaks – What Are The Triggers?

Despite decades of research into the topic, the causes of herpes outbreaks remain poorly understood. Commonly referred to as “triggers”, the stimuli responsible for initiating the process of viral shedding in infected individuals is believed to include everything from direct sunlight to certain types of foods. Unfortunately, while theories abound, little in the way of scientific proof is available.

This article takes a look at some of the most widely-accepted theories surrounding triggers for herpes outbreaks. While reviewing the information presented, it is important to remember that specific triggers for each person are probably different. Determining which of these, if any, are the causes of your herpes outbreaks is a learning process that can sometimes take years.

The most-commonly reported triggers for herpes outbreaks include: (more…)

Genital Herpes in Single Men – The Issue of Dating

For single men who’ve been diagnosed with genital herpes, the topic of dating is a difficult one to deal with. After all, it’s extremely common for recently-diagnosed individuals to initially feel as if their love life is over and they’ll never be able to establish relationships or enjoy sex again. While these thoughts are completely … Continue reading

What Does Herpes Look Like During Your First Outbreak?

If you’ve recently begun to notice the appearance of unusual lesions or irritations on your skin, a natural question to ask yourself is “What does herpes look like?” While primary outbreak of genital herpes is usually the most severe, and produces the most-obvious visual symptoms, this question is still difficult to answer due to the … Continue reading

The Debate Over Whether to Test for Herpes

While reading the headlines over the past week, I stumbled upon a story about STD testing where a physician made comments suggesting that it is almost pointless to test for herpes. According to Dr. Bradley Stoner of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, medical screening for herpes is so unreliable (producing false negatives at a … Continue reading

Is Genital Herpes in Men Contagious When No Symptoms Are Present?

Despite years of warnings to the contrary from the medical community, a large percentage of the general population has continued to believe that genital herpes in men is only contagious when symptoms are present. Last month, the Journal of the American Medical Association published new findings that should dispel this myth once and for all. … Continue reading

Prescription Cold Sore Remedies – Are They Worth It?

Prescription-strength cold sore remedies are the most-effective oral herpes treatments available, and are among the only FDA-approved medications available to those who suffer from severe, recurring oral herpes outbreaks. While they do have some drawbacks (namely high costs, and the need for a prescription from your doctor) compared to their over-the-counter, and home remedy competitors, … Continue reading

Do Herpes Symptoms in Men Disappear Over Time?

Do herpes symptoms in men disappear over time? The question is a legitimate one since, in many cases, the answer would seem to be “yes”. While the virus itself will remain in an infected person’s body for life, the symptoms of infection usually diminish, and may very well disappear altogether once the person’s immune system … Continue reading

What Is The Most-Accurate Test for Herpes In Men?

There are three different types of tests for herpes in men that are generally administered by physicians, but the blood test is almost universally considered to be the most accurate. Not only do blood tests produce correct positive or negative diagnoses with 97% accuracy, but they offer the major advantage of being available even to … Continue reading

Which Herpes Symptoms in Men Look Like Other Skin Conditions?

Genital herpes symptoms in men are often hard to visually identify for a physician (much less the average person) thanks to a myriad of variables – not the least of which is the fact that some symptoms of herpes look like those of other skin conditions. With each infected individual’s immune system experiencing varied degrees … Continue reading

Home Cold Sore Remedies

While there is certainly no shortage of effective prescription and over-the-counter treatments available to those infected with the HSV-1 virus (oral herpes), many sufferers rely on home cold sore remedies to treat their symptoms. The motivations for this approach may be driven by the individual’s personal finances (i.e., home remedies are generally inexpensive), allergies to … Continue reading