Is There a Herpes Cure
This is something that we all ask as soon as we are diagnosed. When we find out that the answer is no. We then ask, why not?
The herpes virus is kind of a difficult one to solve. One of the reasons is how the virus lays dormant in some people and in others it is in replication mode.
Basically the virus switches between the "latent" stage and the "lytic" stage, in which it is actively replicating, depending on how tightly its DNA is packaged into bundles called chromatin. (source)
Latent stage means the hidden stage and the lytic stage means the reproductive stage.
Dr. Schang said, "Any problem that herpes causes is because of reactivation from latency," That's the reason why antivirals cannot cure the infection and why so far it's been impossible to develop a vaccine. Latency and reactivation are a major focus for herpes virus research."
Here’s what happens when the HSV virus enters our cells. Our cells do it’s best to protect themselves by wrapping the viral DNA around spool-like proteins called histones which condenses it into chromatin. By doing this it causes the virus to go dormant! This is a good thing. But in some cases the cells are unsuccessful an the chromatin is loosely bundled leaving the HSV viral DNA exposed and accessible. The Herpes particles can then start replication mode and go into lytic stage and cause outbreaks. (source)
Again this is why it’s so difficult to solve the problem for a drug or vaccine that could completely prevent or cure the infection.
Are there scientists researching the cure? Yes absolutely! Will it take a while for something to come out? Yes. There has to be trials and so on. Not to mention the drug companies are not totally inclined to find a cure, I mean they make a ton of money off of us who take the antiviral daily.
Will there be a herpes cure?
I believe there will be. I have no doubt that there will be something in the future. It honestly is not a top priority. Herpes doesn’t kill you, or really impact your life. It is just an annoying blister and an awful stigma.
I also have no doubt that there is something out there that is natural. Like something a medicine man or a shaman could put together. I like to joke that I’m sure there is a recipe that includes a hair of a bat, sap from a flower that blooms once every 40 years and there has to be a full moon with a werewolf howling. I also have no doubt that we can get our immune systems up and running so that we can fight it naturally.
Personally I don’t think you should wait for the herpes cure. I’ve talked to people who have passed up their whole life because they were waiting. One man never got in the swimming pool with his kids because he was afraid that he would pass it in the pool. I’ve talked to others who never dated because of being scared to disclose and then have missed the opportunity to have kids. I’ve talked to people who have given up their profession because they were scared of people finding out that they had herpes. There was another woman who wanted to adopt a child and withdrew her application because she was terrified that the agency would find out about her HSV status. I have even talked to a young woman who dropped out of collage because she was scared her friends would find out and make fun of her.
All of these stories are heartbreaking and make me so sad. These people were also waiting for a cure so that they could go on with life.
I don’t want you to wait. We don’t know when that day will come that there will be a vaccine or a way to eradicate the virus out of our bodies. Please go out and live your life. Pick the career you want, date who you want (please still disclose you have HSV), have children, jump in the pool or the bathtub, adopt or have children. Just live life. Don’t let the virus hold you back from being you and enjoying your life. If you do that then you’re letting the stigma and the virus win.
If you’re newly diagnosed I have a free PDF download that talks about the things I wish I knew before I was diagnosed with herpes. I go into more details on outbreak prevention and some lifestyle tips and tricks that can potentially help suppress the herpes virus. Like I said, it’s free and it has a ton of information.
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