Cold sores, known by some people as fever blisters, are painful sores that form at the edge of the lip or nose, are often very unsightly and last for about two weeks. They seem to appear every time at the same point they initially developed. Sometimes the infections may shift to two or three new locations but will keep reappearing in these locations from time to time.
Cold sores or fever blisters are caused by a virus known as the herpes simplex that lives in nerve cells. This virus is of two types, type 1 and type 2. Both types do cause these sores but type 1 is known to cause the largest percentage of the sores. However, it is difficult for a lay man to tell what type has caused the sores since in both cases, the pain and severity is the same.
The herpes virus hibernates in the nerve fibers deep beneath the skin surface. Since the detection of the virus, the body produces antibodies that help make the virus remain in an inactive state. If the body suffers stress, the body’s immunity system goes down and the viruses become active. This is why the sores and blisters will normally occur after a cold or flu since this causes body stress.
These sores are contagious, just like other diseases cause by viruses. The sores are not only contagious to other people but also to other parts of the body of the sufferer. The fluid from the sore normally has the herpes simplex virus and should this fluid come in contact with an open skin, that part with the open skin is likely to develop a cold sore. It is therefore advisable that the infected person refrains from tampering with the sore and keeps their distance from healthy people.
Left alone, fever blisters will eventually disappear after two weeks but may last longer depending on the patient’s health and strength of the immune system. These sores do not actually have any cure since the virus remains in the victims body for the rest of their lives once infected. It only goes into hibernation when the body’s immune system is up and strong and surfaces once the body suffers stress.
Currently, if someone identifies the first symptoms of cold sores, they can use prescribed medication that is applied on the affected part. This medication normally contains penciclovir or acyclovir. These ingredients do not kill the virus but just makes it dormant. This way, it does not replicate and the severity of the sore is considerably reduced.
When you experience the tingling sensation, a symptom that the sores may attack, you can help the situation by placing ice on the affected spot. This helps to inactivate the virus and hence may prevent the sore from occurring. If you apply ice on a part that has already developed the blister, it will also help prevent further replication of the virus thus curb further spread of the sore.
The best thing however is to prevent the cold sores rather than treating them. You can prevent the sores by avoiding body stresses, extreme temperatures and by avoiding kissing affected people. Some people have successfully prevented the sores by regularly taking amino acid Lysine. Lysine is also said to have the ability to suppress the virus thus is used to treat the sores.