Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHome RemediesOver-the-CounterPrescription Herpes MedicineComplementary/AlternativeFrequently Asked QuestionsNext in Herpes GuidePrevention of Herpes
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Home Remedies
Over-the-Counter
Prescription Herpes Medicine
Complementary/Alternative
Frequently Asked Questions
Next in Herpes Guide
Herpesis not curable, but it is treatable.Antiviral drugs, like Valtrex (valacyclovir) and Zovirax (acyclovir), not only heal herpes sores faster than other options, but they work to prevent recurrences.When herpes is treated properly, the risk ofinfecting othersis greatly reduced.
This article explores the treatment options fororal herpes(cold sores) andgenital herpes, including home remedies, over-the-counter medications, prescription drugs, and complementary and alternative therapies.
Home Remedies and Lifestyle
At-home treatments for herpes are used to relieve pain. They do nothing to alter the course of the infection but can make you more comfortable as the herpes sores begin to heal.
There are several things you can do if you have an outbreak of oral or genital herpes:
To reduce the risk of spreading herpes when you’re having an outbreak, avoid kissing and sharing objects that come into contact with saliva, like drinking straws, utensils, makeup, and towels.
It’s important to note that oral herpes can be spread to the genitals and that genital herpes can be spread to the mouth. To reduce the risk of infection, use condoms anddental damsduringoral sex.Better yet, avoid sex altogether if you are having an active herpes outbreak (or feel an outbreak coming on).
What Causes a Sudden Herpes Outbreak?
Over-the-Counter Therapies
Over-the-counter (OTC) medications are available to help reduce pain and speed recovery from a herpes outbreak. One OTC drug called Abreva (docosanol) has antiviral properties.
OTC medications commonly used to treat herpes include:
The Best Cold Sore Medicines for Quick Treatment, According to Doctors
Indications for Treatment
Not every herpes outbreak requires antiviral treatment. Mild outbreaks can often clear on their own without consequence, including the occasional cold sore.
The decision to treat is ultimately based on whether this is a first outbreak or a recurrence. The frequency and severity of your recurrences are also considered.
In people with recurrent herpes, antivirals can be given daily to prevent outbreaks (referred to asprophylactictherapy). Keeping herpes under control also reduces the risk of infecting others.
This is especially true for herpes infections in people withweakened immune systems, such as those with advancedHIV.In these individuals, herpes can sometimes spread (disseminate) to other organs.In such cases, antiviral drugs are injected directly into the bloodstream, or intravenously.
Types of Antiviral Drugs
There are three oral antivirals recommended for the treatment of oral or genital herpes:
Additionally, three topical antivirals can be used to treat recurrent oral herpes:
Antivirals Heal Herpes Sores Faster
Dosage Recommendations
The dosage of antiviral used to treat genital herpes can vary depending on whether this is your first outbreak or a recurrence. The dosage is also adjusted if used to prevent a recurrence.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued the following dosing schedule—in grams (g) and milligrams (mg)—for adults with primary genital herpes.
The CDC issued the following dosing schedule for adults with recurrent genital herpes.
The CDC issued the following dosing schedule for daily suppressive therapy.
The Link Between Herpes and HIV
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
Complementary and alternative therapies sometimes used to treat herpes include:
How to Prevent Herpes
Summary
There is no cure for herpes, but you can manage outbreaks with at-home treatments and over-the-counter medications that can help ease pain.
Antiviral drugs directly treat herpes infections and may help reduce the severity or duration of an outbreak. This includes Abreva (docosanol), a topical antiviral available over the counter, and prescription antivirals like Zovirax (acyclovir) and Valtrex (valacyclovir). Antivirals can also be taken daily to prevent outbreaks in people with frequent recurrences.
Complementary and alternative therapies are sometimes used to treat oral or genital herpes, but there is little clinical evidence to support their use.
Abreva (docosanol) 10% cream is the first and only over-the-counter antiviral drug approved to treat the type of herpes that causes cold sores. If applied before a blister develops, it may reduce the duration of an outbreak to as few as two-and-a-half days.
All three oral antivirals are effective in reducing the severity and duration of a herpes outbreak. Discuss with your healthcare provider on which is best for you.
Evidence on the benefits of complementary and alternative medicines for treating herpes is scant. However, several natural compounds have shown promise, including:African rue (Peganum harmala)Green algae (Stypopodium zonale)Red seaweed (Hypnea musciformis)Verbena (Verbenaceae)
Evidence on the benefits of complementary and alternative medicines for treating herpes is scant. However, several natural compounds have shown promise, including:
There is no cure for herpes. Once you are infected, the virus remains in your body forever.
There have been some promising trials ofherpes vaccines. However, no human trials have proven effective enough to bring a vaccine to market.
For the fastest healing, use antivirals at the first sign of an outbreak. Keep the area clean and dry and avoid picking or scratching sores.
21 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Genital herpes.U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Herpes - STI treatment guidelines.MedlinePlus.Genital herpes - self-care.Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.How is herpes prevented?Arain N, Paravastu SC, Arain MA.Effectiveness of topical corticosteroids in addition to antiviral therapy in the management of recurrent herpes labialis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Infect Dis.2015;15:82. doi:10.1186/s12879-015-0824-0DailyMed.Abreva—docosanol cream[drug label].Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.Lysine information.DailyMed.Femiclear for genital herpes—lemongrass and olive extract.World Health Organization.Herpes simplex virus.Álvarez DM, Castillo E, Duarte LF, et al.Current antivirals and novel botanical molecules interfering with herpes simplex virus infection.Front Microbiol. 2020;11:139. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.00139DailyMed.Denavir—penciclovir cream[drug label].DailyMed.Xerese—acyclovir and hydrocortisone cream[drug label].DailyMed.Zovirax (acyclovir) cream[drug label].Yip ST, Liu R, Warrington T, Webb CW, Hamilton A.Clinical inquiry: How well do antivirals shorten genital herpes pain duration?J Fam Pract. 2015;64(3):190-1.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021: genital herpes.Sung SH, Choi GH, Lee NW, Shin BC.External use of propolis for oral, skin, and genital diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017;2017:8025752. doi:10.1155/2017/8025752Deethae A, Peerapornpisal Y, Pekkoh J, Sangthong P, Tragoolpua Y.Inhibitory effect of Spirogyra spp. algal extracts against herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 infection.J Appl Microbiol. 2018;124(6):1441-1453. doi:10.1111/jam.13729Qi T, Lan H, Zhong C, et al.Systematic review and meta-analysis: the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of herpes zoster.Ann Palliat Med. 2022;11(2):756-765. doi:10.21037/apm-22-109Abreva.Abreva cold sore medication and pain relief.Alvarez DM, Castillo E, Duarte LF, et al.Current antivirals and novel botanical molecules interfering with herpes simplex virus infection.Front Microbiol2020;11:139. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.00139National Institutes of Health.Strategic plan for herpes simplex virus research 2023-2028.
21 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Genital herpes.U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Herpes - STI treatment guidelines.MedlinePlus.Genital herpes - self-care.Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.How is herpes prevented?Arain N, Paravastu SC, Arain MA.Effectiveness of topical corticosteroids in addition to antiviral therapy in the management of recurrent herpes labialis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Infect Dis.2015;15:82. doi:10.1186/s12879-015-0824-0DailyMed.Abreva—docosanol cream[drug label].Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.Lysine information.DailyMed.Femiclear for genital herpes—lemongrass and olive extract.World Health Organization.Herpes simplex virus.Álvarez DM, Castillo E, Duarte LF, et al.Current antivirals and novel botanical molecules interfering with herpes simplex virus infection.Front Microbiol. 2020;11:139. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.00139DailyMed.Denavir—penciclovir cream[drug label].DailyMed.Xerese—acyclovir and hydrocortisone cream[drug label].DailyMed.Zovirax (acyclovir) cream[drug label].Yip ST, Liu R, Warrington T, Webb CW, Hamilton A.Clinical inquiry: How well do antivirals shorten genital herpes pain duration?J Fam Pract. 2015;64(3):190-1.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021: genital herpes.Sung SH, Choi GH, Lee NW, Shin BC.External use of propolis for oral, skin, and genital diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017;2017:8025752. doi:10.1155/2017/8025752Deethae A, Peerapornpisal Y, Pekkoh J, Sangthong P, Tragoolpua Y.Inhibitory effect of Spirogyra spp. algal extracts against herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 infection.J Appl Microbiol. 2018;124(6):1441-1453. doi:10.1111/jam.13729Qi T, Lan H, Zhong C, et al.Systematic review and meta-analysis: the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of herpes zoster.Ann Palliat Med. 2022;11(2):756-765. doi:10.21037/apm-22-109Abreva.Abreva cold sore medication and pain relief.Alvarez DM, Castillo E, Duarte LF, et al.Current antivirals and novel botanical molecules interfering with herpes simplex virus infection.Front Microbiol2020;11:139. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.00139National Institutes of Health.Strategic plan for herpes simplex virus research 2023-2028.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Genital herpes.U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Herpes - STI treatment guidelines.MedlinePlus.Genital herpes - self-care.Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.How is herpes prevented?Arain N, Paravastu SC, Arain MA.Effectiveness of topical corticosteroids in addition to antiviral therapy in the management of recurrent herpes labialis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Infect Dis.2015;15:82. doi:10.1186/s12879-015-0824-0DailyMed.Abreva—docosanol cream[drug label].Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.Lysine information.DailyMed.Femiclear for genital herpes—lemongrass and olive extract.World Health Organization.Herpes simplex virus.Álvarez DM, Castillo E, Duarte LF, et al.Current antivirals and novel botanical molecules interfering with herpes simplex virus infection.Front Microbiol. 2020;11:139. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.00139DailyMed.Denavir—penciclovir cream[drug label].DailyMed.Xerese—acyclovir and hydrocortisone cream[drug label].DailyMed.Zovirax (acyclovir) cream[drug label].Yip ST, Liu R, Warrington T, Webb CW, Hamilton A.Clinical inquiry: How well do antivirals shorten genital herpes pain duration?J Fam Pract. 2015;64(3):190-1.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021: genital herpes.Sung SH, Choi GH, Lee NW, Shin BC.External use of propolis for oral, skin, and genital diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017;2017:8025752. doi:10.1155/2017/8025752Deethae A, Peerapornpisal Y, Pekkoh J, Sangthong P, Tragoolpua Y.Inhibitory effect of Spirogyra spp. algal extracts against herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 infection.J Appl Microbiol. 2018;124(6):1441-1453. doi:10.1111/jam.13729Qi T, Lan H, Zhong C, et al.Systematic review and meta-analysis: the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of herpes zoster.Ann Palliat Med. 2022;11(2):756-765. doi:10.21037/apm-22-109Abreva.Abreva cold sore medication and pain relief.Alvarez DM, Castillo E, Duarte LF, et al.Current antivirals and novel botanical molecules interfering with herpes simplex virus infection.Front Microbiol2020;11:139. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.00139National Institutes of Health.Strategic plan for herpes simplex virus research 2023-2028.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Genital herpes.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Herpes - STI treatment guidelines.
MedlinePlus.Genital herpes - self-care.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.How is herpes prevented?
Arain N, Paravastu SC, Arain MA.Effectiveness of topical corticosteroids in addition to antiviral therapy in the management of recurrent herpes labialis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Infect Dis.2015;15:82. doi:10.1186/s12879-015-0824-0
DailyMed.Abreva—docosanol cream[drug label].
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.Lysine information.
DailyMed.Femiclear for genital herpes—lemongrass and olive extract.
World Health Organization.Herpes simplex virus.
Álvarez DM, Castillo E, Duarte LF, et al.Current antivirals and novel botanical molecules interfering with herpes simplex virus infection.Front Microbiol. 2020;11:139. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.00139
DailyMed.Denavir—penciclovir cream[drug label].
DailyMed.Xerese—acyclovir and hydrocortisone cream[drug label].
DailyMed.Zovirax (acyclovir) cream[drug label].
Yip ST, Liu R, Warrington T, Webb CW, Hamilton A.Clinical inquiry: How well do antivirals shorten genital herpes pain duration?J Fam Pract. 2015;64(3):190-1.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021: genital herpes.
Sung SH, Choi GH, Lee NW, Shin BC.External use of propolis for oral, skin, and genital diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017;2017:8025752. doi:10.1155/2017/8025752
Deethae A, Peerapornpisal Y, Pekkoh J, Sangthong P, Tragoolpua Y.Inhibitory effect of Spirogyra spp. algal extracts against herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 infection.J Appl Microbiol. 2018;124(6):1441-1453. doi:10.1111/jam.13729
Qi T, Lan H, Zhong C, et al.Systematic review and meta-analysis: the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of herpes zoster.Ann Palliat Med. 2022;11(2):756-765. doi:10.21037/apm-22-109
Abreva.Abreva cold sore medication and pain relief.
Alvarez DM, Castillo E, Duarte LF, et al.Current antivirals and novel botanical molecules interfering with herpes simplex virus infection.Front Microbiol2020;11:139. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.00139
National Institutes of Health.Strategic plan for herpes simplex virus research 2023-2028.
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Everything You Need to Know About Oral and Genital HerpesRecognizing Herpes: Signs and Symptoms to Be Aware OfHow You Can Get HerpesHow to Know If You Have HerpesFast, Effective Treatments for HerpesWhat You Need to Know to Prevent Herpes
Everything You Need to Know About Oral and Genital Herpes
Recognizing Herpes: Signs and Symptoms to Be Aware Of
How You Can Get Herpes
How to Know If You Have Herpes
Fast, Effective Treatments for Herpes
What You Need to Know to Prevent Herpes
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