Cold Sores – The Latest Facts About Your Cold Sore
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 really interfere with our lives. Painful and unsightly, cold sores greatly affect your personal and social life.
Cold Sores are the exact same sore as fever blisters and oral herpes. They appear and reappear at the site of initial infection. The lip area is the most frequent infection site.
Herpes simplex virus, either type 1 or type 2, produces all cold sores. It is a very damaging virus, as you will see.
When this virus first infects you, it will choose a nerve set nearest its entry point. It will reside in that nerve for life. All cold sores caused by this virus family will be in the same location every time – on the end of that nerve.
WHAT CAUSES COLD SORES?
The herpes virus is normally dormant in the root cells of its chosen nerve. If the conditions become right, this viral family will move to the surface, through the nerve, and enter thousands of cells.
Unlike bacteria, the herpes virus can’t reproduce its own kind. In parasite fashion, the herpes virus enters your nerve cells and forces them to become virus factories.
As the cells fill up they balloon causing visible swelling of the cold sore site. The control virus will destroy the cell when it is full or exhausted. This will spill out hoards of new herpes virus.
The destruction of many cells close together causes the open cold sore. These cold are quite painful to the touch because the nerve tips are exposed.
HOW CONTAGIOUS ARE COLD SORES?
The herpes simplex virus is a tiny, sub-microscopic particle. It enters the body through contact with your soft tissue – like lips. If you have a skin crack, it will enter there too. You are very contagious during the entire event.
Kissing is the usual way to pass on this virus. Contaminated fingers are also a common culprit. Please use every means to protect yourself and others. Use alcohol soaked tissues to cleanse the sore. Wash your hands afterwards.
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.
Be especially careful not to infect your eyes. A cold sore on the cornea will cause serious injury.
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.
HOW CAN I GET RID OF MY COLD SORES?
The most common trigger activating the herpes simplex virus is stress. When you have stress, your body prepares to deal with it. This causes a change in hormones and a drop in your pH toward the acid side. Herpes loves an acid body.
Without your help, your body will heal all oral herpes cold sores. It is slow, however, and often takes three to four weeks or more. Slash this time in half with a proven cold sore treatment program.
Natural home cold sore treatment methods are still your best choice. They give much greater success than the prescription drugs and store-bought remedies and will save you money.
Some of the best cold sore treatment tactics include lysine, garlic oil and zinc. Although lysine and zinc work best internally (supplements), all three can be used topically as well.
Any cold sore care plan should always include continuous cleansing using hydrogen peroxide, alcohol or wine soaked cotton balls or tissues.
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.
After a little experimenting, you will easily find the best cold sore treatment for your personal success. Then you will be well on your way to freedom from cold sores.
More questions about Cold Sores? Go now to Denny Bodoh’s highly respected web-site loaded with tons of FREE information. You will get some very potent Cold Sore Treatment methods you can begin using right this minute.