What is Cold Sore
By: Paul FryattTotal Views: 112, Word Count: 523,
It is very important to know what is cold sore, so as to take proper treatment for it. Cold sores are known as painful blisters that usually take place on or around a person's lips. It is caused by herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1). This cold sore can sometimes be inside the mouth, inside or on the nose or on the face. In short, sores can appear anywhere on the body, as well as on the genital area. HSV-1 typically causes sores in the region of the mouth and HSV-2 causes genital sores.
What is Cold Sore?
Cold sore caused by HSV-1 is very common and can appear in kids also. Majority of infection of herpes simplex virus takes place during the preschool years. It is proved that this virus doesn't always cause the sores, it stays in the body with no permanent cure.
During the infection, the HSV-1 virus makes its way through the skin into a group of nerve cells known as ganglion.
When the virus comes here, it takes a long snooze and wakes up causing a cold sore. In some people, it stays dormant or in permanent sleep mode.
Causes of Cold Sore
It is known that this infection is known to be contagious. This virus can spread from one person to other by close contact or infected saliva. The other causes of cold sores are listed as below:
· Fever, flu or colds
· Ultraviolet radiation due to exposure to sun
· Stress
· Changes in the immune system
· Hormonal changes
· Trauma to the skin
Signs and Symptoms of Cold Sore
· Some patients can show the symptoms of prodrome which appears before the acute sore. It typically shows a burning or tingling sensation for a day or two.
· As the cold sore forms, the area becomes reddened with the development of small fluid-filled blisters.
· Cold sores are known to be mildly painful
Diagnosis and Treatment of Cold Sore
You can normally get rid of cold sore by not doing anything special because it can go away on its own. It takes nearly a span of 1 week or more. It is the fact that there is no specific medication which has ability to cure this infection. All the prescription drugs and creams given by doctors are available to shorten the length of the outburst and make it less painful.
If one has a cold sore, it's very important to take guidance of doctor if:
· One has another health conditions like weakened immune system
· The sores don't heal within 7 to 10 days
· Getting cold sores frequently
· Others signs of bacterial infection like fever, pus, or spreading redness are present.
To make the cold sore more bearable, one can place ice or anything cool to the infected area. One can also make use of an over-the-counter pain reliever to avoid the pain. These are like acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
In this way, now we are familiar with what is cold sore and its causes and symptoms. This will definitely help you to remove the misunderstandings about it.
About the Author
Paul Fryatt, M.D. has been in this profession from last 24 years. He made great achievements in his profession. He made an initiative to open a Family Allergy Clinic in 1985 to help his patients who were not reacting to traditional allergy treatment programs. Moreover he has explored the treatment to overcome allergy symptoms to reclaim quality of life through his convenient, no-shots therapy.
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