The occurence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 together is around 90% of the population. The occurrence of alzheimer’s is insignificant compared to that. So, clearly just having hsv doesn’t mean you’re going to get alzheimer’s. Ideally you’d be able to test for the presence of risk factors before taking a preventative drug (with potential side effects) for the rest of your life.

yes, I understand, but I would also like to not have the entire lining of my mouth and tongue obliterated for 3 weeks again. :D

also I wonder if the fact that I'm actually experience outbreaks every now and then might imply I'm more at risk.

Valtrex (valacyclovir) is commonly prescribed for people who get cold sores. Taken as needed at the first sign of an outbreak (e.g. before it’s visible but when you feel it coming) it can often prevent or reduce the outbreak.

Your PCP should be able to do this for you. You’ll just have a bottle on hand and you’ll use it for only two or three days whenever the outbreak happens.

There are treatments that reduce the frequency and severity of outbreaks, such as Valtrex (valacyclovir hydrochloride), but they can't do anything about the latent infection in the nervous system.

However! Targeted gene-editing to remove or disrupt latent viral genomes infecting human cell cultures has shown some promise, although it hasn't progressed to testing in animal models, much less an in-vivo clinical trial, just yet:

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?cites=7885240874375341470

Also:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S095279151...

Maybe ask around for methylene blue. You need an Rx in the US.