Cold Sore Facts - Herpes Cold Sores Exposed
If you are curious about cold sores, this article should answer a lot of your questions. We have learned so much about cold sores in recent years. Read this article and arm yourself with the facts about these unsightly blisters.
WHAT ARE COLD SORES?
Cold sores always seem to appear at the worst time. A cold sore is painful and embarrassing, and it definitely hurts your social life.
Whether you call them cold sores, fever blisters or oral herpes, they are all the same infection. Cold sores can appear anywhere the virus can get through your skin. The lip area is usually the first infection site.
The herpes simplex virus is the parasite virus that causes cold sores. A cold sore is actually the side effect of the herpes replication process.
When the herpes virus first enters your body, it will claim a nearby nerve fiber as its lifetime home. All cold sores produced by this virus family will be at the surface end of that nerve fiber.
WHAT CAUSES A COLD SORE?
Most of the time this herpes virus will sleep in the root cells of its home nerve. If it becomes active, it will wiggle to the surface through the nerve and drill into your surface nerve cells.
Herpes virus cannot reproduce on its own - like bacteria does. It is the host cells that create the new virus particles. The virus will enter your surface nerve cells and force them to build virus clones.
Swelling of the area occurs as the cells fill up with the virus particles they are creating. When the cell is full to capacity, the controlling virus destroys it dumping out millions of new viruses.
When the herpes virus annihilates many cells, you end up with an open wound called a cold sore. Painful they are because you now have exposed nerve endings.
ARE COLD SORES VERY CONTAGIOUS?
The herpes simplex virus is an extremely tiny living particle. It enters the body through soft tissue - like lips - or through cracks in the skin. You are very contagious from the first itching until the final healing redness is gone.
Contaminated fingers and kissing are the most common ways you pass this virus to others. Do not touch the cold sore with bare fingers and always sterilize your hands after any cold sore treatment.
With contaminated fingers, you can spread cold sores to any place on your body. People get these sores on fingers, necks and cheeks if the virus can get through a crack or other sore. These are usually more painful.
Watch out for your eyes. People do get cold sores in the eyes and it can cause permanent damage.
About 90% of the people on earth carry this durable and contagious herpes virus. Approximately two-thirds of these folks will get at least one cold sore every 12 months.
WHAT CAN I DO TO GET RID OF COLD SORES?
Stress activates the herpes simplex virus. It is probably the number one cold sore trigger. Stress makes your body acid because of hormonal changes. This acid environment encourages herpes virus replication.
Your body needs no help from you to heal oral herpes cold sores. But it is a slow process, often taking up to four weeks. You can cut this healing time in half with a good cold sore treatment.
You will find the greatest success in fighting cold sores with natural home-type cold sore treatment remedies. They have proven to out-perform prescription drugs and over-the-counter remedies - and for much less money.
Garlic, lysine and the healing mineral zinc are three of several great cold sore treatment plans currently in use. Use all three topically, but lysine and zinc will do their best work if taken internally with supplements.
Constant cleansing of the cold sore area using alcohol or hydrogen peroxide is critical care too.
Oral herpes cold sores definitely put your social and private life on hold. Hopefully, with the information above, you are now better able to cope with those cold sore attacks.
It takes a little trial and error to find the best cold sore treatment for your own needs. But when you do, you will enjoy beautiful cold sore freedom.
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