Infection with the herpes virus is common, and there are many purported treatments. The virus can infect several parts of the body and is contagious. There are several therapies available to shorten the healing time of herpes outbreaks, but there is no known cure. Treatment of herpes outbreaks with the solvent DMSO was first suggested in the 1970s, but there is little clinical evidence that it is an effective treatment.
Herpes Simplex Virus
Infection with the herpes simplex virus can affect several parts of the body. The most common type is oral herpes, also known as cold sores or fever blisters. Oral herpes affects almost 90 percent of adults in the United States. Another common type is genital herpes, which is extremely contagious and affects males and females equally. The herpes virus can also infect the skin of the fingers, trunk and elsewhere in the nervous system. Herpes is one of the most common viral infections in humans.
DMSO as a Treatment
Dimethyl sulfoxide, or DMSO, is a sulfur-containing byproduct of the paper production process and has been suggested as a possible treatment for herpes outbreaks. DMSO is a potent solvent and is known to quickly penetrate the skin and cell membranes of the body. It is sometimes used as a vehicle for drug delivery since it penetrates the skin easily. The theory is that topical application of DMSO penetrates the skin and enters cells where it will kill the herpes virus.
Dangers of DMSO
Even though DMSO is readily available online, it is not FDA-approved as a treatment for herpes. Use extreme caution in considering it as a treatment. Most of the DMSO you can purchase is not pharmaceutical grade and may contain dangerous impurities, such as detergents and insecticides. Since DMSO readily penetrates the skin, any dangerous impurities are delivered to cells, according to the National Council Against Health Fraud. There is little scientific evidence that suggests DMSO is a safe and effective treatment for herpes infections.
Safe and Effective Treatments
There are other much safer effective treatments for herpes that are available over-the-counter. Docosanol is an effective treatment for the treatment of oral herpes that is marketed under the name Abreva. It has been clinically shown to shorten the healing time for cold sores. Also, both topical and oral antiviral drugs such as acyclovir are effective for reducing the healing time of cold sores. There is also some belief that topical application of the amino acid L-lysine speeds the healing of cold sores, but evidence is inconclusive, according to Harvard Health Newsletters.
