Herpes Rash

Herpes rash is caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Type 1 or 2. According to a general observation, HSV type 2 causes genital herpes rash, while HSV type 1 causes herpes rash on other parts of the body such as face, mouth, chest, etc. Herpes skin rash, especially the open lesion, is contagious and may spread through skin to skin contact. Till now, there is no medical treatment for herpes rash on body.

The reason behind the fact that there is no cure for herpes skin rash is that it is very difficult to kill or remove HSV from the body. Once it enters the body of an individual, the virus lives in the nerve cells in its dormant state. It gets activated under the conditions favorable for its survival. The virus travels down to the body part that is supplied by that particular nerve. There, it reproduces and causes the infection and the formation of herpes rash on the body. Two main examples of such conditions are emotional stress and poor immune system caused by AIDS, chemotherapy or malnutrition.

Herpes Skin Rash: An Overview
You may notice a burning pain or sensitive skin several days prior to the outbreak of herpes rash. The rashes are itchy in nature, and are often accompanied with high body temperature. The rash starts as small blisters on a red base. The new blisters continue to form from 2-4 days. The blisters follow dermatomal pattern, i.e, they follow the path of individual nerves that come out of the spinal cord. The blisters appear as a belt on an area of the skin. The belt of herpes rash may or may not have blisters in continuation as in many cases, the belt shows splits of blisters. After popping up, the blisters ooze out pus, dry, crust over and heal on their own. The duration of the eruption of the rash may take 3-5 weeks to complete. Many victims may suffer from occasional pain without the formation of blisters.

Herpes Skin Rash: Home Remedies
As mentioned earlier, herpes rash takes sometime but gets cured on their own. However, if you wish to accelerate the process of healing, you may try out some home remedies for herpes. These are mentioned here.

• Clean the skin rash gently with water and a mild soap 2-3 times a day. This will prevent worsening of the condition.
• Wrap some crushed ice in a clean cotton cloth and place it on the rash for about 2-3 minutes. Do it several times a day to palliate the itching and burning sensation.
• With the help of a cotton ball, pat baking soda on the rash. This will dry them out and alleviate itching.
• Place a cold wet tea bag on the rash on face or any other part of the body. The tannic acid from the tea produce a soothing effect on the affected tissue.
• Dust cornstarch on the rash. This will also dry the blisters out and reduce itching.
• Apply fresh milk on the rash on the body. This will speed up the process of natural healing.
• Have a cup of peppermint tea twice a day to bring down the fever and pain. This remedy is especially effective for genital herpes treatment.
• You may take some over-the-counter antiviral, anti-inflammatory and pain killer medicines to provide yourself some comfort from herpes rash.
• Follow a healthy diet to boost the immune system of your body. It prevents the outbreak of rash.

There are plenty of effective home remedies for rash. Still, in order to rule out the possibility of any complication emerging from this condition, one should consult a medical professional. The need for medical assistance should never be ignored when someone develops herpes rash on sensitive areas like around the eyes and genitals. This is because, the infection can cause permanent damage if the immune system of the sufferer is very poor. Timely medical intervention will definitely restore the healthy state of the person back.