Page 61 - Summer2009

Ask the Doctor

A TREATMENT FOR HERPES
By Thomas S. Cowan, MD

Question: What advice can you give me about present and dormant in the nerve roots. At some
herpes infection? According to conventional point, possibly due to stress or other factors, the
websites, “there is no treatment that can cure virus becomes active and “erupts” as the pain-
herpes, but antiviral medications can shorten ful lesions of shingles in the distribution of the
and prevent outbreaks during the period of time affected nerve. Similarly with genital or oral
the person takes the medication.” Since it can be herpes, after the initial, painful infection has
sexually transmitted, abstinence or “safe sex” cleared, the virus remains in the roots of the
practices are recommended. I don’t like the idea nerves to erupt again on the skin under certain
of taking antiviral medications on a permanent conditions.
basis and the abstinence part doesn’t appeal to The symptoms of genital herpes are pain-
me either. Is there a natural therapy that can get ful sores in the genital region, which at times
rid of herpes for good? can become crusty and infected. Some people
experience only one episode; in others episodes
Answer: “Herpes” is among the ten medical manifest several times over a lifespan; some,
conditions most frequently searched for on the however, experience painful eruptions every few
Internet. You would think that with so much weeks. It is for these people that this article is
interest in the condition, the medical “experts” mainly directed, those for whom longterm use
would have more to offer than antiviral medi- of conventional anti-viral treatments can result Since the virus
catons with their side effects of nausea, vomit- in very unpleasant side effects.
ing, diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, rash and The only other point I would like to men- is essentially a
decreased kidney function. tion before discussing some possible treatments piece of DNA
The virus herpes simplex that is so common is the fact that genital and oral herpes are both surrounded
today manifests in two forms, herpes simplex transmissible illnesses. In fact, they both can
type 1, which is associated with mouth sores, be transferred even if the virus is completely by a fatty
and herpes simplex type 2, which is associated dormant in the person carrying the virus. This is layer, if we
with sores or lesions in the genital area. This truly an inconvenient truth, in that it means that target
distinction is not absolute as it seems that in sexual contact can pass the virus on even if the
some cases herpes simplex type 1 can also be infected partner has no outward signs of illness. this aspect,
associated with sores in the genital area. There Transmission is less common when the condition we can largely

are many other types of herpes viruses that cause is dormant than if there are clear sores present, “disable” the
disease in humans, including the variety that but we have well documented cases showing
causes chicken pox and its associated condition that it can occur. This is why herpes can be so virus. Luckily,
shingles. troubling for people, as it has a disruptive effect we have two
Herpes viruses tend to be contagious, espe- on their sexuality, even in the absence of outward substances
cially the varieties that cause chicken pox and illness.
genital lesions. They are encapsulated viruses, Regarding the natural treatment of herpes which are
meaning they have a lipid or fatty capsule around infection, we can take advantage of the character- known to
their DNA, and they tend to have a chronic istics of the virus to impact its tendency to erupt. target this
form that affects the nervous system. In chicken Since the virus is essentially a piece of DNA sur-
pox, this means that after the original illness of rounded by a fatty layer, if we target this aspect tendency of
chicken pox is resolved, the herpes virus is still we can largely “disable” the virus. Luckily, we the virus.

SUMMER 2009 Wise Traditions 59