If you or your loved one fears recent exposure to the herpes virus, you may wonder if there is a window in which there is a cure for herpes. The short answer is “no.” There is no window to cure herpes simplex virus.
Reasons Why There Is No Magical Window for a Cure
There are many reasons no window exists to cure herpes. The main reason is that there is no cure for the herpes virus at all.
From the time of infection, it will take 2 to 12 days for symptoms to appear. Prior to that, the infection is hiding. After it gets past your body’s initial defenses, it multiplies, infects your neurons, and goes silent. It can hide for years. Anti-viral drugs do not affect it during this time. This is one of the reasons why there is no window to cure herpes. It is difficult to treat what you do not know you have.
Another reason there is no window to cure herpes is that 2 of the 3 tests used to detect it depends on the fact that you already have symptoms. There are 3 tests to diagnose herpes: viral culture, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test, and a blood test. Two of these tests involve testing tissue taken directly from the sores. The blood test looks for herpes antibodies in the blood. Even if such a window existed, like for example, your blood test came back negative because it is too soon for the infection to take hold, there is nothing to take. There is no cure for the herpes simplex virus.
Final Thoughts
Herpes is forever. There is no window, or point in the infection timeline, to cure the infection from your body.
