| HSV-1 | HSV-2
According to National Institute of Health; “Low-level light therapy” or photo bio modulation (PBM) “refers to the use of light in the red or near-infrared region, with wavelengths usually in the range of 600 to 700nm and 780 to 1100 nm, and the laser or LEDs typically having an irradiance or power density between 5 mW / cm2 to 5,000 mW / cm2. Low-level light therapy (LLLT) or PBM consists of the application of light with the purpose of promoting tissue repair, decreasing inflammation, and producing analgesia, usually using a low-power light source (laser or LED). Because of the low power, (usually below 500 mW depending on the target tissue) the treatment causes no evident temperature rise in the treated tissue and, therefore, no significant change in the gross tissue structure. ” Below is a partial list, with links, of medical research in this area.
Studies referenced by the National Institute of Health suggest HSV-1 & HSV-2 can be effectively treated using red-light-therapy.
Here is the link to the NIH article
Published in Photomedicine and laser surgery 2009
Photodynamic therapy can be effective as a treatment for herpes simplex labialis.Juliana Marotti, Ana Cecília Côrrea Aranha, Carlos de Paula Eduardo, Martha Simões Ribeiro
Beata J. Osiecka1, Piotr Nockowski2, Stanis?aw Kwiatkowski1 and Jacek C. Szepietowski2*
Beata J. Osiecka1, Piotr Nockowski2, Stanis?aw Kwiatkowski1 and Jacek C. Szepietowski2*
1Department of Pathology, and 2Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Wroclaw Medical University, ul. Chalubinskiego 1, 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland. E-mail: jacek.szepietowski@umed.wroc.pl
Accepted Jul 5, 2017; Epub ahead of print Jul 6, 2017
“Photodynamic Therapy with Red Light and 5-Aminolaevulinic Acid for Herpes Simplex Recurrence: Preliminary Results”
https://www.medicaljournals.se/acta/content/html/10.2340/00015555-2744
RESULTS
“All patients with RHS achieved a good clinical response with ALA-PDT. None of the 8 patients had a relapse of physical evidence of disease during the 12 months of follow-up. However, once during the first 6 months after irradiation 4 patients (1 patient with herpes genitalis and 3 with herpes labialis) experienced prodromal symptoms (partial response): itching and tingling appeared in the place of former lesions, lasting up to several hours and then subsided. Over the next 6 months prodromal symptoms re-appeared once in the same patient with herpes genitalis and in 2 people with herpes labialis. Prodromic signs occurred following occurrence of factors that could provoke recurrent infections: common cold with fever, severe stress, and psycho-physical fatigue (Table SI).
All patients reported pain and burning as the main side-effects associated with irradiation session. Pain as the dominant drawback was reported by 6 patients with herpes labialis: 2 of them rated the pain intensity as moderate, and 4 as severe. Burning sensation as the main adverse effect during irradiation was reported by 2 patients with genital herpes and rated as severe (Table SI). However, no patients discontinued the PDT session due to pain or burning sensation.
Directly after the PDT session swelling and redness was seen at the site of irradiation. The associated inflammation, pain and burning decreased within several hours and was resolved after 24 h in all patients. The use of analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs was not recommended. Approximately 1–2 days after PDT relatively hard crusts were formed and remained longer than usual during the healing period. The process of re-epithelialization took approximately 5–6 weeks. In one patient with herpes labialis, hyperpigmentation of the adjacent healthy skin occurred, and resolved after 3 months. No other adverse effects (such as ulceration, necrosis, scarring or bacterial infections in the irradiated area) were observed.”
FF Sperandio, J Marotti, AC Aranha… – General dentistry, 2009 – europepmc.org
Photodynamic therapy for the treatment of recurrent herpes labialis: preliminary results.
This study sought to evaluate the clinical outcome of patients who had been diagnosed with recurrent herpes labialis (RHL) after treatment with photodynamic therapy (PDT) associated with low-level laser therapy (LLLT). PDT has shown great effectiveness for treating already- established RHL vesicles, compared to ordinary treatments involving antiviral compounds. Two patients with vesicles on their lips were treated with PDT, followed by irradiation with LLLT. Both patients reported pain relief immediately after the procedure; at a six-month …
Cited by 27 Related articles All 2 versions
J Marotti, FF Sperandio, ER Fregnani… – … and laser surgery, 2010 – liebertpub.com
High-intensity laser and photodynamic therapy as a treatment for recurrent herpes labialis
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19821702
Objective: The aim of this study was to report the treatment of recurrent herpes labialis (RHL) using a high-intensity laser or methylene blue (MB)-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) in combination with low-level laser therapy (LLLT). Materials and Methods: Four clinical cases of patients diagnosed with RHL are described in this report. Two patients were subjected to high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) followed by LLLT, and two patients received MB-mediated PDT, again followed by LLLT. LLLT was conducted at 24, 48, 72 h, and 7 d … “
Cited by 45 Related articles All 8 versions
KM Ramalho, RG Rocha… – Photodiagnosis …, 2015 – academia.edu
Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) is one of the most widespread infection that affects orofacial region [1]. Following primary oral infection, HSV-1 maintain a life-long latency and reactivate periodically [1]. Up to 40% of individuals who are HSV-1 seropositive are susceptible to viral reactivation [1].”
Cited by 15 Related articles All 7 versions
ZB Kvacheva, ES Lobanok, VI Votiakov… – Voprosy …, 2005 – europepmc.org
On simulating infection caused by different herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) variants responsive and unresponsive to the drugs acyclovir and phosphonoacetic acid in the cultured Vero and C6 cells has revealed the higher ability of target cells to accumulate 5- aminolevulenic acid (ALA)-induced endogenous porphyrins, which determines the selectivity of their photo damages. Optimal conditions have been defined for all the studied HSV-1 variants to show a virus-inhibiting effect upon photodynamic exposure of infected and …”
Cited by 12 Related articles All 2 versions
Laser treatment of recurrent herpes labialis: a literature review
Carlos Eduardo, Ana Cecília Côrrea Aranha, +6 authors Jan Tunér
Recurrent herpes labialis is a worldwide life-long oral health problem that remains unsolved. It affects approximately one third of the world population and causes frequent pain and discomfort episodes, as well as social restriction due to its compromise of esthetic features. In addition, the available antiviral drugs have not been successful in completely eliminating the virus and its recurrence. Currently, different kinds of laser treatment and different protocols have been proposed for the management of recurrent herpes labialis. Therefore, the aim of the present article was to review the literature regarding the effects of laser irradiation on recurrent herpes labialis and to identify the indications and most successful clinical protocols. The literature was searched with the aim of identifying the effects on healing time, pain relief, duration of viral shedding, viral inactivation, and interval of recurrence. According to the literature, none of the laser treatment modalities is able to completely eliminate the virus and its recurrence. However, laser phototherapy appears to strongly decrease pain and the interval of recurrences without causing any side effects. Photodynamic therapy can be helpful in reducing viral titer in the vesicle phase, and high-power lasers may be useful to drain vesicles. The main advantages of laser treatment appear to be the absence of side effects and drug interactions, which are especially helpful for older and immunocompromised patients. Although these results indicate a potential beneficial use for lasers in the management of recurrent herpes labialis, they are based on limited published clinical trials and case reports. The literature still lacks double-blind controlled clinical trials verifying these effects and such trials should be the focus of future research. LESS