Clear nail polish to the rescue — again!

DEAR DR. GOTT: First, I want to say that I’ve been a fan of yours for a long time. Then I want to tell you it makes me furious to have everyone assume that a person who has herpes has been promiscuous.I, too, have herpes outbreaks at a spot on my buttocks, and there is no doubt in my mind where I got it — at the hospital. Having been monogamous for at least 12 years at the time, I had to have emergency surgery, and the herpes popped up within a week of discharge. The outbreak was exactly where I got all my pain shots. The location migrates just a bit every time it crops up, but it’s never been anywhere close to my genital area, thank heavens. A friend of mine also says she got herpes in the same hospital, years earlier. We’ve been friends for 30 years, and I just found that out last year. Her outbreaks are on her inner thigh, much closer to her knee than to her genitals.I hope this makes some of your readers feel better.That said, I want to recommend nail polish to your readers. The dermatologist I went to (because I did not know what the “rash” was) gave me pills and cream that upset my digestive system, so I tried what I use on anything that itches — clear nail polish! Applied three or four times a day, the outbreak will usually be gone by the third day.DEAR READER: Thank you for sharing your experience. There are a number of different forms of herpes (80, to be exact), referred to as herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2). HSV-1 can cause genital herpes but more commonly causes infection around the mouth and lips, as in fever blisters. Other areas of the body can be affected, but that’s uncommon. HSV-1 is caused by the herpes simplex virus and is estimated to be present in up to 80 percent of the entire American adult population. Both HSV-1 and -2 can be released from the sores the virus causes but is also released between outbreaks from clear skin that doesn’t appear to be affected at all. Genital herpes most commonly results from HSV-2. It is estimated to be present in up to 20 percent of the American adult population. Oddly enough, many people are completely unaware they even have this sexually transmitted disease because it can remain dormant in the system for years. Transmission of HSV-2 occurs during sexual contact with someone who has the infection, who may not have a visible outbreak and who may be completely unaware he or she is infected. You are correct in that the herpes virus can be contracted in a hospital setting. The most common site is the delivery room, where an infected mother may transmit the virus to her infant at the time of delivery. Treatment, as you were likely prescribed, consists of antiviral medication. I must admit that you have opened up another avenue with the use of clear nail polish. My guess is, it acts as an occlusive dressing and keeps the air and moisture from reaching the open-wound site. I have never had anyone else tell me that HSV can be controlled through this method, but if it works for you without unwanted side effects, I guess you should stick with it! Thank you for sharing the information.Peter Gott practiced medicine in Lakeville for 40 years.