Wondering what are cold sores? They appear as blisters popping out of your skin, small, painful, bloating and tender with fluid, typically on or around your lips but sometimes appearing in other areas of your face and even in your mouth. These are cold sores, also known as fever blisters. What are cold sores?
Cold sores are lesions caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus or HSV, of which there are two types. The first type, HSV 1, is typically the cause of cold sores. Genital herpes, on the other hand, is mainly attributed to HSV 2. But since the Herpes Simplex Virus is transferred by skin-to-skin contact, both types can infect any part of the body through transference like, for example, oral sex or kissing. Or you can spread the cold sores to other parts of your own body by touching an infected area.
The truth is, HSV infection is very common, and so are cold sores. Most people are, in fact, infected by HSV 1. Even children get them. However, there are people whose immune systems are strong enough to prevent an outbreak.
Symptoms of Cold Sores:
The first symptoms of cold sores are usually felt as an itchy, tingling feeling on the infected skin. Soon after, the blisters appear, lasting for a few days, to eventually disappear, seemingly without a trace. But the virus is actually still there, lying dormant in the skin until factors like stress, too much exposure to the sun, hormonal changes like the menstrual cycle, the flu, a fever, or generally anything that lowers your immune system, trigger a recurrence of cold sores. These recurrences generally happen less frequently with age.
The first experience of cold sores can be really painful. The gums may swell and bleed, a fever can break out. In case herpes mouth sores develop, it may be difficult to eat or even drink. This can be particularly distressing for children, and they can refuse to take any food or liquid because of the pain in swallowing. This could lead to dehydration and malnutrition.
Is There a Cure For Herpes?
You may run into some firms saying they can teach you how to get rid of cold sores fast. But the truth is, you really can’t get rid of them, although there are remedies for cold sores that can shorten the time the blisters stay on your skin. And there are certainly many ways to help prevent fever blisters from recurring and to prevent infection.
There is quite a number of over the counter herpes medication available, such as Abreva and Zofirax cold sore cream. And there are also home remedies for cold sores. The medicinal herb Lysine can help limit recurrence. When an outbreak occurs, you can use ice on the sores to relieve the itch or apply warm tea bags to the infection hourly. You can also apply lip balm to prevent cracking and bleeding if the infection is on the lips.
It is best to find out what are cold sores to know how you can prevent or limit their recurrence and find the best remedies to keep them from making life miserable.
If you want to know more about what are cold sores, what are the best cold sore remedies, and how to prevent them from recurring, you’ve come to the right place.
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