Skip to main content

Cold Sores

What is a cold sore?
A cold sore is a fluid-filled blister that appears on the lips and around the mouth. Cold sores are also called fever blisters , oral herpes or herpes labialis.



While cold sores are highly contagious , they usually aren't serious. In healthy people , cold sores generally clear up on their own in one to two weeks.

How common are cold sores?
Cold sores are widespread. More than half of the people in the United States have been infected with the virus that causes cold sores, though many people never develop cold sores or have any symptoms.
About 20 to 40 percent of people who have the virus develop cold sores.

How often do people get cold sores?
A cold sore can develop multiple times a year or only once or twice in your lifetime. The frequency of a cold sore outbreak varies from person to person.

Who is affected by cold sores?
People of all ages can become infected with the virus that causes cold sores. Many people are exposed to the virus during childhood.

It is possible to develop a cold sore at any age , though the chance of having a cold sore outbreak decreases after the age of 35.

What are the symptoms of cold sores?
For many people , symptoms are more severe the first time they develop a cold sore. 
When you have a cold sore outbreak :
  • The first sign of a cold sore is usually a tingling , burning or itching sensation on or around the lips, beginning about 12-24 hours before the cold sore develops.
  • The area becomes red, swollen and painful as the blisters form.
  • Over 2-3 days, the blisters rupture and ooze fluid that is clear or slightly yellow. This is sometimes called the "weeping phase".
  • About 4-5 days after the cold sore appears , it crusts and scabs over. It might crack or bleed as it heals.
  • The scab then falls off, revealing skin that may be a little more pink or reddish than usual for a few days. It usually takes 1-2 weeks for the cold sore to heal completely.
What causes cold sores?
Cold sores are sometimes called oral herpes because they are caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1).
The virus is very common and highly contagious. It spreads through saliva or close contact , often through kissing or by sharing utensils, straws, towels or lip balm with someone who has a cold sore.

Children sometimes develop a fever and small blisters inside and around their mouths when they are first exposed to HSV-1.

What triggers a cold sore?
After you have been infected with HSV-1 , the virus never goes away. It remains dormant(inactive) in a group of nerve cells in your face called the Trigeminal ganglion.

When the virus is triggered , or activated , it "wakes up" and travels through your nerve to your lips, where a cold sore develops . After an outbreak , the virus goes back to sleep in your body.

What triggers a cold sore in one person might not cause an outbreak in another person. Some people with HSV-1 never develop a cold sore.

A cold sore can be activated by a variety of factors, including :
  • Hormonal changes during menstruation or pregnancy 
  • Sunburn
  • Extreme temperatures(hot or cold)
  • Stress(physical or emotional)
  • Fatigue
  • Fever and illness, such as cold or flu
  • Damaged, dry or cracked lips
 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

If you have any doubt. Let me know

Popular posts from this blog

Does Vaping Causes Cancer ?

 What is Vaping? E - cigarettes, sometimes called vapes, run on batteries and heat up nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals. They turn them into a vapor you can breath in. Many chemicals that causes cancers are in the this vapor, that includes formaldehyde, heavy metals, and particles that can get stuck in the deepest parts of your lungs. Electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes , put nicotine into your lungs and bloodstream, and they do it without the smoke and tar of a regular cigarette, but other harmful things can get into your body when you vape. That especially true if you use flavored cigarettes. Some chemicals in e- cigarettes can irritate the airways in your lungs. This can cause problems. Studies have found that flavorings like cinnamon can cause inflammation of lung cells. How do e-cigarettes work ? E- cigarettes heat a liquid called e- liquid or e-juice to turn it into aerosol(vapor). E-cigarettes users inhale this into their lungs. How vaping can affect your Lungs Ove...
Post a Comment
Read more

Are We Brainwashed During Sleep?

 In a new study, researchers suggest that tonight while you sleep, something amazing will happen within your brain. Your neurons will go quiet. A few seconds later , blood flow out of your head . Then, a watery liquid called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) will flow in, washing through your brain in rhythmic, pulsing waves. The study is the first to illustrate that the brain's CSF pulses during sleep,and that these motions are closely tied with brain wave activity and blood flow. The research was conducted by a team from Boston University. Earlier studies have suggested that CSF flow and slow-wave activity both help flush toxic,memory impairing proteins from the brain. As people age, their brains often generate fewer slow waves. In turn, this could affect the blood flow in the brain and reduce the pulsing of CSF during sleep., leading to buildup of toxic proteins and a decline in memory abilities. Although researchers have tended  to evaluate these processes separately, it now appea...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sweet Poison : Why Sugar is Ruining your Health

Did you know some of the main ingredients in most of your pantry foods and refrigerated sauces contain sugar? Usually sugar is added to foods in the forms of simple sugars such as glucose, fructose or sucrose, but often manufacturer will disguise the amount of sugar by listing it under several different names. Some of them are : Barely malt Brown rice syrup Corn syrup Dextrin Dextrose Ethyl maltol Have you ever wondered why processed sugar consumption is bad for you ? Quitting sugar has a lot of benefits. Let's face it , very few people go for a day without consuming sugar. However, not all of it is bad. For instance, sugar from milk products(lactose) is healthy. In addition to that, sugar from some fruit products (fructose) is also healthy. In other words it can only be healthy when it is consumed in its natural form and moderate amounts. Unfortunately, most sugar that we consume is unhealthy, artificial, and slowly killing us. Although it helps to make your food sweet , the negat...
Post a Comment
Read more