Cold Sores

cold sores

Basic information about cold sores, such as what they are and how you can help to ward them off.

 Cold sores are caused by herpes simplex virus. They are small and filled with fluid. Cold sores are contagious.

Cold sores are usually caused by type 1 of the herpes simplex virus, and are a symptom of the Herpes Simplex Virus and can only be prevented by way of protecting and boosting immune function. They are groups of painful, fluid-filled blisters. They are definitely not pimples. The virus that causes herpes will remain in your system for the rest of your life, but may become dormant and no symptoms will be exhibited. But when the herpes are visible they are contagious.

Cold sores are often mistaken for a canker sores or thought of as the same thing, when in fact cold sores are caused by a virus and canker sores are most likely caused by stress or local trauma (e.g., chemical irritation, biting the inside of the cheek or lips, or injury caused by toothbrushing or braces). Cold sores are annoying but harmless in children and adults. They are caused by a virus while canker sores are caused by bacteria. Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus.They are very infectious and they are spread by contact between people. Cold sores are common in young children, and are often red, swollen and painful . They are most infectious when the blisters are newly formed, that is for the first 1-2 days of an outbreak.

Cold sores will been seen in a cluster of painful bumps or blisters on the outer lip usually, but can also form on other parts of the body such as the lips, gums, tongue and cheek.

There is not much in the way of prescription drugs that really work in preventing an outbreak of herpes, but there are a few herbal remedies that help with cold sores.

Lysine is an amino acid that helps to slow down the growth of the cold sore virus and to reduce its activity. When you combine it with Vitamin C, Bioflavonoids and Zinc it helps to heal the sores quickly and clear active symptoms. Lysine and arginine are two protein fractions that have a powerful effect on cold sores. The virus likes arginine because it is a major ingredient in building new virus.

Medical professionals, especially in Europe and Japan, have been using licorice more and more in medicine. The Chinese consider licorice to be a superior balancing and harmonizing agent, so it is added to many herbal formulas. Medications such as aciclovir and famciclovir shorten the duration of the cold sore by reducing the ability of the virus to reproduce. Aciclovir cream works best when applied to the blister at the earliest stages of cold sore development, when the area is tingling. Medications can help cold sores clear up faster, but they won’t prevent new outbreaks from occurring.