The effectiveness of patches against herpes

There is hardly a disease more unpleasant than a herpes infection. Itchy blisters on the lips, pain, obsessive itching and unsightly looking crusts spoil your mood, ruin your plans, and create the danger of spreading the virus and accidentally infecting others. It is impossible to cure herpes completely, but the pharmaceutical industry offers a way out - special patches that hide its manifestations.

Purpose of antiherpetic patches

Adhesive plasters are a breathable material for creating lightweight dressings that hide minor skin lesions, areas of inflammation and wounds. The inner surface of such stickers may contain medicinal or sorbent substances to provide an additional therapeutic effect.

Patches against herpes perform a complex effect:

reduce the main symptoms of the disease: itching, soreness, swelling, absorb the exudate released by the bubbles;
perform a barrier function, protecting the lesion from accidental mechanical impact, irritation, penetration of dust and other pollutants, and act as an antiseptic;
prevent the progression of the disease at an early stage and protect other people from accidental infection;
the active substance on the surface of the patches shortens the period of inflammation;
have cosmetic properties: aesthetically pleasing flesh-colored stickers mask the problem and protect the sick person from excessive attention to the defect that has appeared on the face.

Remedies with analgesic, antiseptic and antiviral effectiveness can be used at any stage of the manifestation of herpes.

Operating principle

The colloidal product softens the skin, gives it a healthy appearance and elasticity. The patch quickly absorbs exudate, drying the open wound. The chemical formula of the hygiene product for dry calluses contains salicylic acid, which is applied to the central part of the tape.

The substance comes into direct contact with the damaged area of the skin.

The medicinal product contains components that have the following effects:

reduce pain from calluses, abrasions, and wounds on the legs;
facilitate walking in case of destruction of the epidermis;
moisturize rough areas of the skin;
accelerate the healing of cuts;
eliminate fungal infections;
suppress the activity of pathogenic microorganisms.

After gluing the tape, salicylic acid is released and penetrates into the deep layers of the destructively altered area, restoring the natural structure of the epidermis. Additionally, the product softens tissue, blocks the wound surface from the external environment and relieves pain.

Compide is a patch for wet calluses that prevents the emergence of pathogenic microflora, since it creates unfavorable conditions for its development. Under the influence of biologically active components, healing of damaged areas occurs as quickly as possible.

In destructively altered tissues, cellular regeneration processes are launched. Special polymer components of the patch simultaneously polish the skin, giving it smoothness and removing keratinized elements from the surface.

The polyurethane base of the colloidal product provides free access to the damaged area of the air mixture. Due to such natural ventilation, diaper rash does not form.

When do patches help?

You can resort to their help as soon as the initial symptoms of the disease appear: redness, swelling of the skin, itchy spots. Barrier agents are most effective at the second stage of herpes, when the lesion is a cluster of weeping, painful blisters. In such a situation, patches relieve several problems at once, including an unaesthetic appearance, physical discomfort, and the risk of infecting other people. It is only important to follow the rules of hygiene and change the stickers on time.

During the healing stage, patches need to be applied less frequently - only as a camouflage when being among other people. For rapid scarring of the wound, the tissues need an influx of air.

Herpes simplex - symptoms and treatment

The incubation period for the acquired form lasts 2-14 days. Most often, it cannot be installed due to lack of manifestation.

Herpes simplex in children usually occurs as stomatitis and gingivitis - the temperature rises, fever, general intoxication, focal hyperemia (redness) of all mucous formations of the oral cavity, pain when chewing, increased salivation. Small children refuse to eat due to pain. In a short period of time, small vesicular rashes appear at the site of hyperemia, which quickly open, leaving behind painful erosions - aphthae. Regional lymph nodes enlarge and become painful. Over time, the immune system strengthens and the symptoms gradually regress without any traces of damage. Relapses are rare.

When the skin is affected (mainly in adults), vesicular rashes often appear around the mouth, wings of the nose, and sometimes on the torso and buttocks. The rash consists of small vesicles with serous contents on a slightly hyperemic skin background. Subsequently, they open and dry out, after which crusts form without a trace.

Sometimes the bubbles merge into quite large bubbles. Often their contents fester, oozing forms, and a secondary streptococcal or staphylococcal infection (staphylo- and streptoderma) occurs.

General health, as a rule, does not change. Sometimes the regional lymph node may be slightly enlarged and painful. In general, the process rarely lasts more than a week.

With severe immunodeficiencies, the infection may take a more widespread (generalized) course. In this case, a syndrome of general infectious intoxication occurs and internal organs are affected: the liver and spleen are enlarged, the nervous system is affected (meningoencephalitis, encephalitis and meningitis), as well as the lungs, kidneys and other organs. With relapses of a chronic infection, patients sometimes feel mild discomfort and tingling in the area of future rashes.

With genital herpes, rashes appear on the skin and mucous membranes in the genital area and perineum. They are usually accompanied by soreness, hyperemia of the surrounding tissue, enlargement and tenderness of the inguinal lymph nodes. The frequency of relapse depends on the individual characteristics of the immune system.

With ophthalmoherpes - eye herpes - unilateral lesions are more often observed due to the transition of the primary process to the organ of vision, i.e., a secondary lesion occurs. Keratitis, blepharoconjunctivitis, iridocyclitis, uveitis, chorioretinitis, optic neuritis and other manifestations may be observed.

A very unusual form of manifestation of herpes simplex is known as Kaposi's eczema herpetiformis - eczema herpeticum. As a rule, it occurs in people who have any skin disease or predisposition to it (dermatosis or “problem skin”). In this case, intoxication and high body temperature are observed, herpetic blisters appear everywhere, quite abundant and closely spaced, periodically merging, sometimes with hemorrhagic impregnation. In some cases, they suppurate, then they open, dry out and form a solid crust. When the rash is completely treated with green paint, the patient’s skin takes on the appearance of crocodile skin. The disease is often quite severe and can lead to death.

During pregnancy, the child becomes infected:

before birth - in 5% of cases (primary infection and ascending infection during this period are rare);
during childbirth, i.e. when passing through the natural birth canal - in 95% of cases.

With primary infection of a pregnant woman in the first trimester or with ascending infection of the fetus, malformations often develop that are incompatible with life, or a miscarriage occurs, especially when infected with type II herpes virus, which is the infecting agent most often - up to 80% of cases.

When a pregnant woman is infected in the second and third trimesters, the risk of injury to the child is about 50%. At the same time, the liver and spleen enlarge, specific inflammation of the lungs, jaundice, metabolic disorders, malnutrition, meningoencephalitis, anemia and more occur. After birth, it can occur either in an asymptomatic subclinical form or have severe disabling consequences - blindness, severe damage to the central nervous system, deafness [1][2][6][8][11].

Popular types of patches

Products for masking and treating herpes are made from dense elastic materials, the inside of which is impregnated with active ingredients: antiviral substances, anesthetics and antiseptics, and equipped with sorption pads to absorb inflammatory products. Many of them contain acyclovir, which has a detrimental effect on the herpes pathogen.

The adhesive applied to the material allows the patch to be firmly and permanently attached to the skin. For ease of use, the drugs are produced in the form of round stickers. Their area is enough to cover fairly large inflammatory elements.

Positively proven herpes patches:

Compeed: pack contains 15 stickers made of practical material with hydrocolloid particles. A film of waterproof polyurethane ensures a tight fit to the skin. The product masks unpleasant rashes well, reduces burning and itching, disinfects wounds, and stays on the surface for a long time without causing discomfort.
Hartmann Cosmos: a patch with an analgesic effect that protects the site of inflammation from external irritants and further spread of infection. The product contains cooling and healing components.
Silkoplast: medical plaster of complex action, 10 pcs. packaged. Made of water-repellent material, contains silver particles, has a disinfectant, symptomatic and antiviral effect.

Contraindications

The product is well tolerated by people with any skin type and a tendency to allergic reactions. However, there are some clinical contraindications for use.

These include:

hypersensitivity to the components of the patch;
deep cuts in the skin, if the active ingredients of the colloidal product get into them, they can cause burning or itching;
severe diabetes mellitus and other endocrine disorders requiring prior consultation with a doctor;
chronic dermatological pathologies in the area of application;

Do not apply the product after its expiration date.

How to choose the right patch?

The variety of options for such products allows you to purchase the product in accordance with the nature and type of dermatological destruction. But at the same time, this makes the choice much more difficult.

When purchasing Compeed patches, you should be guided by:

type of calluses;
localization of education;
physicochemical characteristics of damage.

To make the task easier for ordinary consumers, the manufacturer indicates on the packaging in large print the purpose of the colloidal adhesive pads. The main thing is to independently determine the type of skin damage that needs to be eliminated.

Compid patches are available for wet calluses, dry calluses and others. Depending on the area of application, you can select a therapeutic and prophylactic sticker of the desired shape and size.

There are patches designed specifically to eliminate calluses and abrasions in the interdigital area of the feet. Such products have increased wear resistance and have a special geometrically precise configuration.

They are poorly suited for use on other areas of the legs. This applies to the entire range of Compeed patches. Such products should not be used for other than their intended purpose.

In this case, their effectiveness will be quite low. The correct choice of a patch will prevent it from slipping during use and will ensure the most effective effect on the type of dermatological destruction for which it is designed.

Special instructions for use

Before purchasing a patch, you need to accurately determine the type of callus formation and its location. The appropriate type of remedy depends on this. The patch should not be applied to a freshly washed surface.

It must first be wiped and degreased to ensure high-quality adhesion of the adhesive layer to the skin and create a tightness in the wound hole. When using an antiherpes drug during pregnancy and lactation, medical consultation is required.

It is forbidden to tear off the bandage from the wound. This will lead to its opening and the risk of suppuration. Do not cover the patch with antiseptic ointments, creams, or disinfectant lotions. Otherwise, the effectiveness of the therapeutic effect will sharply decrease.

The product peels off on its own after completion of the treatment procedure and the consumption of its active ingredients. The Compid patch for wet, dry or ingrown calluses acts in a similar way and falls off without outside intervention.

Article design: Vladimir the Great

Indications for use

According to the instructions for use, the Compid patch is intended for healing calluses.

A callus is a keratinized area of the skin that consists of dead cells. Calluses form as a result of prolonged pressure or friction of the skin.

There are several types of calluses:

Damp or wet is a bubble of a thin layer of skin filled with liquid. Such calluses appear on the feet and hands in the area of the fingers. They occur very quickly and take a long time to heal. When a blister ruptures, inflammation may develop;
Dry - a small solid formation;
Ingrown is a growth that has a rod. The formation of an ingrown callus occurs on rough areas of the skin. It has a round shape, with a small depression in the center;
A corn is a growth that forms on the foot. It can cause severe pain and discomfort when moving. If left untreated, calluses can cause the development of flat feet.

Reviews of the Compeed patch

I wear high heels every day. Especially in summer, the problem of calluses arises. I decided to try the Compid patch and was very pleased with the result. The product comes in the form of small, neat beige circles that stick well and are invisible on the skin.

Svetlana

I often have problems finding comfortable shoes, which is why I often get calluses on my feet. I have been using the Compid patch for a long time. It helps to quickly relieve severe pain from rubbing. The product is easy to use and almost invisible on the skin.

Tatiana

The adhesive plaster quickly relieves pain, it is convenient to use, and can be worn in summer with open shoes. With the Compid patch, calluses are no longer a problem.

Elizabeth

Compeed is a good callus treatment for people who lead an active lifestyle and are constantly on the move.
It helps quickly eliminate pain and discomfort from rubbing. The product is easy to use and almost invisible. In addition, the patch can be changed once a day. Marina

Advantages

The treatment eliminates destructive formations on the skin, rather than masks them.

The main advantages of Compeed patches:

rapid absorption of exudate from the wound surface;
flesh-colored ribbon can be worn discreetly, which does not cause difficulties for women when wearing sandals or open shoes;
the special design of the product ensures proper ventilation, good heat exchange, and effectively removes sweat;
special components of the chemical formula of the product prevent the appearance of unaesthetic scars at the site of a healed wound;

A variety of shapes and sizes ensures the comfort of using Compeed patches. The colloidal product is characterized by high strength, abrasion resistance, and dust-repellent properties.

Therefore, you can wear it for a long time until the calluses are completely healed. When used and in constant contact with tight shoes, the adhesive tape does not roll or crumple.

This prevents re-injury of the protected surface of the skin. The thin patch is not felt at all on the body and causes not the slightest discomfort. Absolute waterproofness allows you not to remove the product in the bath or shower.

This property also protects the open wound from excessive moisture and exposure to shampoo and soap, which can cause irritation of the injured area, unpleasant itching, and burning. The Compeed patch allows you to do without other medications and antiseptics.