How to get rid of cold sores
When you feel that painful tingling on the side of your mouth, you know you need cold sore relief now. Those nasty, unpleasant, ugly and often painful blisters are actually very common in our population. They are also very contagious. Cold sores can show up as a cluster of blisters or a single one, usually in the same location on your face. Most commonly they recur on the lips, nose, chin or cheeks.
What causes cold sores?
Cold sores, also called fever blisters, are caused by the herpes simplex1 virus, or HSV1. Many people are infected with HSV1 as children. Oftentimes this virus causes no symptoms at all. However in some people it can remain dormant for years before becoming active. It is estimated that by age 40, 90% of adults have been exposed to the herpes simplex1 (HSV1) virus. Once the virus enters the body it is there for life.
How do fever blisters develop?
Often sufferers know when one is about to appear by the dreaded itching or burning pain they feel on their lips or mouth. This is the first stage of a cold sore and it can happy really fast. Next is the formation of one or several blisters. After that the blisters break and form an (ugly) yellow crust. Finally the crust falls off, just like any other scab, and leaves fresh pink skin behind it. This process takes anywhere from a week to 10 days.
What causes the sores to become active?
Breakouts tend to recur at about the same location time after time. Cold sore sufferers tend to get outbreaks between two and 4 times a year. Although the mechanism isn’t totally understood, there are definite triggers that cause an outbreak to begin.. Common triggers include stress, menstruation, sunlight, fever, dry chapped lips, or local skin trauma. Some other possible triggers are emotional distress or other illnesses.
What is available for treatment?
Although there is no cure at this time for HSV1 blisters, there are things you can do to reduce how often they recur and also shorten the length of an outbreak when it does happen. Without any treatment at all, the pustules will usually clear up in 7 to 10 days. Early intervention, usually during the initial tingling and burning phase, (that moment when you know you need relief ), can shorten the outbreak and sometimes even stop it from forming. There are multiple treatment products available, both prescription and over-the-counter. It is always a good idea to speak to your doctor about your options for managing this virus and minimizing future recurrences.