Cold Sores

Cold sores are common conditions that break out usually on the lips. These are preceded by a slight tingling sensation that culminates in a day or two in the breakout of a cold sore . The most significant aspect of these sores is that they are highly painful till they last. The cold sores almost always subside by themselves. They are also known as fever blisters .

Symptoms of Cold Sores

There are several symptoms of this condition. The most prominent among them are:-

A prodromous condition, which means the cold sores give a kind of warning before they actually appear. These sores produce a kind of tingling sensation on the lips about a day before they are due to erupt.
These appear like blisters on the oral area where they make their appearance, which is usually on the lips. They are small and painful. They have some fluid composition inside them. They appear significantly red in color.
Though the lips are the commonest areas where the cold sores appear, other regions where they might erupt include the nostrils and the chin and even the fingers. Only in some cases do these sores occur inside the person‚’s mouth. When they happen inside the mouth, they target areas such as the gums and the palate.

Causes of Cold Sores

Cold sores or fever blisters are caused due to a strain of the herpes simplex virus, known as HSV-1 . The other herpes virus, the HSV-2 can also be a cause for this condition, but in most conditions, the HSV-2 will infect the genital area of the person. Hence, cold sores are contagious. In fact, they are so contagious that it is believed that at least one in every two persons has been affected by them at least one time in their lives.

The mechanism of the outburst of the cold sore is interesting. Once the HSV-1 has infected the mouth, it will not begin showing its symptoms right away. Its presence will be felt when the person begins to face some injury to the mouth, some dietary changes, an outbreak of fever, some stressful condition, etc. When these factors make their appearance, the HSV-1 which has already infected the person will make its appearance felt.

One thing to remember about cold sores is that it is not a condition that is caused only due to sexual contact. It is because of this belief that people who get this condition can get very apprehensive about it. Cold sores can happen in several ways, even by sharing the same glass with a person who has the condition.

Treatment and Prevention of Cold Sores

The treatment of cold sores is almost automatic because after a couple of weeks, this condition will subside. However, to mitigate this condition, doctors may prescribe some antibiotics. These antibiotics will not treat the problem itself, but they will control some of the symptoms.

In any case, leading a better lifestyle is a wiser suggestion. Eating healthy foods, going easy on the work front, keeping the mind free from stress, etc. are all methods for the prevention of this condition.