Design-Aspirin and HSV

Essay by gongyike October 2014

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Investigating the medicinal properties of aspirin on treating cold sores caused by HSV

Kevin Xia

2014/9/15

Introduction

Herpes simplex virus is a type of viral disease caused by the Herpes simplex virus, usually transmitted through the body fluids or skin-to-skin contact. There are two types of the disease, type one is more common, usually concerning infections in the oral area and causing cold sores to form on the mucosa or lip. The second type is sexually transmitted, causing inflamed vesicles to form around the genital area. Anti-viral drugs can help alleviate the severity of the disease. However, no cure has been identified, even though the symptoms may disappear after the initial outbreak, the virus remains in the body throughout a person's lifetime. During times when the immune system becomes compromised, the symptoms may still occur, though the intensity of the symptoms could decrease. The carrier could still transmit the virus to others even after they haven't shown symptoms in years.

Aspirin is a common drug used for a variety of medical purposes. It could be used as an analgesic to relive mild pain, it could be used as antipyretic to reduce fever, or it could be used as an anti-inflammatory drug. A long-term, low-dosage intake of aspirin could even help reduce the likelihood of heart attacks and formation of blood clots. Mild analgesics like aspirin works by inhibiting the formation of substances like prostaglandins, which stimulate pain receptors and cause fever, pain and swelling. However, even though it is a popular drug, it does have some side effects like the possibility of causing gastrointestinal bleeding. Or in rare cases, causing a disease called Reye's syndrome, which consists of liver and brain disorder in children.

As mentioned before, HSV cannot be completely cleansed from the body. During a period when...