Genital Herpes Pain Relief
Genital herpes outbreaks are never fun, never come at a convenient time, and aside from the nasty rash and lesions, they are often accompanied itching and swelling, and in many cases, quite a bit of pain. While many treatments and remedies focus on healing lesions and speeding up recovery time, not many deal with the pain of an outbreak. In this article, we’ll take a look at a few methods you can try at home with easily available ingredients, that are tried and true tested genital herpes pain relief treatments.
Over the Counter Painkillers – Sometimes a simple over the counter painkiller can be enough to reduce the pain of a herpes outbreak. I recommend Ibuprofen, it has worked the best for me in the past and reduces inflammation too. In my experience aspirin and paracetamol haven’t helped much. A local anaesthetic can also work wonders, but get a spray on variety rather than a cream, the spray contains alcohol which will evaporate, while a cream will contain a greasy solution that might gunk up your sores and make healing take longer.
Salt – Washing lesions in a mixture of warm water and Epsom salts can be very soothing and help relieve pain. You can also try sea salt (don’t use table salt), or try a bath of the same mixture, although you’ll need to use a lot of salt, around 2-3 cups for a bath.
Ice – Apply an icepack wrapped in a thin cloth or towel for ten minutes, then take it off for five minutes, then apply for another ten minutes. This is a surprisingly effective pain reliever.