Existing Drugs to Treat Herpes Are Very Effective
Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D.
Q: Are there any new treatments for herpes?
A: There are no new treatments approved in the past few years, but there were many new treatments in the past few decades.
When I was in medical school, there were no treatments for herpes at all. Today, there are five treatments that are very effective.
Herpes is a condition caused by an infection of nerves that lead to the mouth, lips and nose area, or nerves that lead to the genital organs. The infection is caused by a virus called Herpes simplex virus (also human herpesvirus-1).
This virus causes a permanent infection of the nerves and remains latent or "asleep" inside the nerves most of the time. But sometimes it "wakes up" and starts multiplying. This leads to the sores that we call "herpes."
This same virus can cause much more serious disease than cold sores or genital sores. So the drugs that were developed to treat common herpes infections also can be life-saving with more serious infections.
The reason there were no treatments for herpes when I was in medical school is that medical science was just beginning to understand how viruses do their mischief. To cause disease, a virus has to enter a cell, multiply wildly, and then leave the cell and spread to other cells. To enter a cell, multiply and leave a cell, a virus has to activate a series of chemical processes.
Molecules (chemicals) that are part of the virus interact with certain molecules in cells. With Herpes simplex virus, scientists had to understand those chemical processes before they could design drugs to interrupt the processes. One of the first triumphs of the science of molecular biology in generating a treatment for human disease was the development of the first drug to treat herpes, acyclovir.
There are new drugs under development that may prove superior to the drugs currently available, but we'll have to wait and see. Meanwhile, the good news is that the herpes drugs that are available today are very effective at making herpes go away faster, and at making recurrent attacks happen less often.
- Bad Health Habits Rob Years From Life Span
- Beating Back Pandemics is a Cooperative Crusade
- The Importance of Decreasing Dietary Sodium
- Indoor Tanning Definitively Linked to Deadliest Skin Cancer
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Takes Your Breath Away
- 7 Ways to Prevent Heart Disease
- Hypotension or Stiff Arteries May Cause Low Diastolic Blood Pressure
- Is It OK to Travel to a High Altitude With High Blood Pressure?
- Existing Drugs to Treat Herpes Are Very Effective
- Dry Mouth Can Be a Serious Problem
- 6 Simple Ways to Improve Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
- All About Gout: Old Disease Becoming More Common
- Frequent Monitoring Critical to Effectively Manage Scleroderma
- Sick Day TLC
- When to Call the Doctor
- Healthy Eating Tips for a Busy Lifestyle
- Chocolate Reduces Inflammation Associated with Heart Disease
- Olive Oil and Health
- Push for Healthier Diets Means Big Changes for the Food Industry
- How to Identify Suicide Risk Before It's Too Late
- Tips for Natural Allergy Relief
- Inflammation May Play Role in Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Bouncing Back After Being Sick
- Longevity Revolution Will Restructure Life Around the World
- Maximum Fitness: CrossFit Training
- Tests to Optimize Treatment of Breast Cancer
- Enjoy the Health Benefits of Tea
- Is Hefty the New Healthy?
- Fight Dry Skin and Win
- Aerobics Without Heartburn
- How Much Vitamin D is Enough
- Are Carbonated Drinks Bad for Bones?
- Common Myths and Misconceptions About Diabetes
- Vitamin E Supplements Not Recommended for Those With Diabetes
- Tick-Borne Disease Risk Peaks in Spring and Summer
- Meibomitis Creates Receptive Environment for Bacteria
- Stress Less: Ten Strategies That Work
- Paralyzed Limbs Revived by Hacking Into Nerves
- The Threat of Childhood Obesity
- Nature's Gym: Exercising Outdoors
- Eat Smart for Healthy Hair
- Paying the High Price of Food Waste
- Can Acid Reflux Damage my Esophagus
- Secrets to Breathing Better With Allergies
- Take the Work Out of Workout
- Bounce Back From Spring Break
- Cultivate a Nutrient-Rich Approach to Eating for Life
- What's the Right Amount of Vitamin C
- Treadmill Test Can Reveal Hidden Problems in Heart
- Suffering From Allergies? Tailor Treatment to Your Symptoms
- Researchers Break Through to Unconscious Patients
- Key Factors Related to Heart Attack Risk
- Type 2 Diabetes Increases Risk for Cardiovascular Problems
- Middle-Age Spread and How to Avoid It
- Fiber and Weight Loss: Learn the Secrets
- Treadmill Test Can Reveal Hidden Problems in Heart
- Could Hot Flashes Only Occur at Night?
- Hypochondria: The Impossible Illness
- Get the Lead Out: The Less Exposure to This Toxic Metal the Better
- Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sugar
- Omega-3 Rich Diet
- Omega-3 Enriched Eggs an 'Eggs-traordinary' Choice for Heart Health
- Quinoa: Nutritious Mother Grain of the Incas
- 14 Things You Might Not Know About Aspirin
- Cultivate a Healthy Brain Lifestyle As You Age
- Regular Exercise Helps Protect Aging Brains
- Surgeries Can be Combined But May Not be Necessary
- Get the Lead Out: The Less Exposure to This Toxic Metal the Better
- Hypochondria: The Impossible Illness
- Guide to Cold and Allergy Symptoms
- Is Heartburn Surgery the Answer?
- Best Cooking Methods for Heartburn Sufferers
- 14 Things You Might Not Know About Aspirin
Copyright © 2010 Harvard Health Letters. All rights reserved.