Cold sores, also known as fever blisters, are caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1, which usually enters the body through a break in the skin near or inside the mouth. Once infected, the virus lies dormant in the nerve cells of the skin and can re-emerge as an active infection at or near the original site. Cold sores are highly contagious and generally have some type of trigger such as stress, fever, menstruation, fatigue, or sun exposure. While some treatment options are available, there is no known cure for the herpes simplex virus.
Symptoms of a Cold Sore
The first symptom of a cold sore is usually pain or a tingling sensation around the mouth and lips. A fever, a sore throat or swollen glands in the neck can also be precursors of a cold sore. The blister that forms can appear as a single or group of small, painful, fluid-filled lesions. The skin around the blister is usually red, swollen and sore. While cold sores most commonly occur on the lip and around the mouth, they can appear in the nostrils, chin or fingers.
Once formed, the blisters grow in size until they break open and leak a clear fluid. The fluid dries to a yellowish crust that disappears after several days to two weeks, revealing pinkish skin that heals without a scar.
Cold Sores are Contagious
The greatest risk of spreading cold sores is from the time the blisters appear until they have completely dried and crusted over. However, there is the slightest possibility of passing the virus on even after the skin has healed so proper action should still be taken to avoid contaminating others.
Skin-on-skin contact is the most common method of spreading the virus. It can also spread when a person touches a cold sore and then another part of the body, kisses or shares a utensil or razor with an infected person or touches that person’s saliva.
Once infected with the virus, there is no proof positive way to prevent more cold sores as there is no cure. However, steps can be taken to reduce their frequency and to limit the duration of an outbreak:
- Keep hands clean and do not touch the blister. This is critical to prevent spreading the virus to the eyes, genital area or to other people.
- Avoid known triggers such as stress.
- Get plenty of sleep as fatigue can create a weakened immune system.
- Use lip balm and sunscreen as, for some people, too much sunlight can cause cold sores to flare.
- Avoid sharing towels, utensils, toothbrushes and other objects of an infected person.
Treatments for Cold Sores
While cold sores generally clear up within two weeks on their own, there are some topical and oral medications available to speed up the cycle. Both must be administered at the first sign of a cold sore which is generally a tingling sensation on the lip or around the mouth. There is also a belief that a proper nutritional balance of two amino acids can aid in avoiding an outbreak.
Topical treatments for cold sores may be prescribed by a doctor or purchased over-the-counter and generally require several applications per day. Read and follow all the instructions on the package and only use as directed.
- Penciclovir 1% cream (Denavir) is a prescribed topical that can decrease the duration of viral shedding.
- Benzocaine (Zilactin) may protect cold sores from trauma and irritation.
- Abreva is a cream that speeds healing time by going beneath the skin to heal from the inside out.
- Campho Phenique makes a two-step topical treatment for cold sores. The first is a gel that contains a drying ingredient and the other is a cream for scab relief.
Oral antiviral medications may shorten the duration of a cold sore, decrease the pain and reduce the number and size of the lesions. These are usually prescribed by a doctor for those people who have frequent outbreaks or experience a related illness during an outbreak.
- Acyclovir (Zovirax)
- Famciclovir (Famvir)
- Valacyclovir (Valtrex)
There is a theory that people with viral diseases can benefit from a diet high in lysine, an amino acid the body cannot make on its own, and low in arginine, another amino acid which is manufactured by the human body. On his website, Dr. Marcus Laux states that lysine retards the growth of the herpes virus while arginine can actually aggravate the virus. He also provides a chart showing the food ratio of lysine to arginine.
One day there may be a cure for cold sores and the herpes virus. Until that day comes, the above information may be helpful in relieving the pain and flare-ups of cold sores, shorten their cycle and prevent the spreading of the virus to others.
Source:
James, William D.; Berger, Timothy G.; et al. Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology. 2006. Saunders Elsevier
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