Living with HPV: Taking Good Care of Yourself
HPV is a DNA virus that comes from the papillomavirus family. The term papilloma refers to the wart that occurs when infected with HPV. HPV lives in the epithelial cells of the body. Some of the excellent examples of epithelial cells are those found on the surface of the anus, vulva, head of the penis, mouth, and throat.
The virus is transmitted mainly through sexual contact. You should be aware that although a condom helps protect against the virus, you must ensure that you use the condom correctly.
This means that you need to make sure that the condom covers all of your skin before having sex. You should also make sure that the condom does not break during sex.
You should be aware that the virus has no cure; therefore, you must be careful to ensure that you do not contract the virus.
Some of the best ways to protect yourself against the virus are: by getting vaccinated and using a condom every time you have sex. You should also avoid having sex with more than one partner.
Having the virus does not mean the end for you. Once you know you have the virus, you need to take good care of yourself.
If you take good care of yourself, you can easily help your body fight the virus. Some of the best ways to take good care of yourself are: make healthy choices, visit a healthcare provider, and consider your needs.
Making healthy choices
The best healthy choice to make is to eat a nutritious diet. Here you need to eat foods rich in beta-carotene and folic acid. Some of the best beta-carotene foods you can eat are: tomatoes, collard greens, and squash.
Some of the best foods that are high in folic acid are whole grains, broccoli, and beans.
You should also stop smoking. This is because smoking tends to weaken the immune system. Smoking has also been shown to increase the risk of different types of cancer, such as cervical cancer, in women.
Another healthy option to take is getting enough sleep each night. It is recommended that you get at least eight hours of sleep each night. This is because by resting, you ensure that your immune system is better equipped to fight HPV.
Visiting your healthcare provider
Healthcare providers are the ones with the skills and knowledge to manage your condition; therefore, you must visit them regularly. For example, you should visit your doctor regularly for a Pap test.
Genital warts are often troublesome to treat. This means that you can treat them with various medications and they do not respond.
This means that you have to make several visits to the doctor so that he / she can see your condition and if the condition does not respond to prescription drugs, he / she can go ahead and prescribe others.
Even after the warts are gone, you should schedule follow-up visits to the doctor to see if there are any complications. Doctors recommend that you also do a self-exam between doctor visits, and if you notice something wrong, you should visit your doctor immediately.
Considering your needs
A great way to take good care of yourself is to consider your condition. For example, if you are pregnant, you should know that you need special medications for your condition.
You should also know that you must lead a different lifestyle than other people who are not pregnant.
You also need to know that if you have low immunity you are prone to more frequent flare-ups; therefore, you should stay away from situations that can lead to breakouts.