Cold sores, also known as fever blisters, are small painful lumps that often appear on the lips or around the mouth.
They are fluid-filled pockets which can break open, ooze and crust over, causing pain and discomfort. It is estimated that cold sores last up to seven to ten days, and tolerating them during this whole time requires a lot of patience and strength.
The question that arises is what causes cold sores and how can they be treated?
What Are the Causes of Cold Sores?
1. Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)
Cold sores are caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) which is basically caused by the human touch. They are caused and spread when your skin touches the skin of a person who has them already.
For example, kissing your partner who has cold sores can cause these blisters. Most cold sores on children come from parents who unknowingly give them the virus by kissing them or touching their face. Also, sharing utensils for eating or drinking can cause cold sores.
2. Stress and Fatigue
Another reason behind having cold sores is the weakened immune system. Fatigue and excessive stress can easily wear down your immune system, elevating the chances of a cold sore outbreak.
3. Harmful UV rays
We all know how harmful UV rays can be to your skin, damaging the cells and causing skin cancer. The excessive sunlight can also result in a cold sore outbreak. Like stress and fatigue, the sunlight can easily weaken your immune system.
How to Treat Cold Sores?
1. Use Antiviral Creams
Although a cold sore goes way with its own time, you can still shorten the time it takes to heal a cold sore. One of the ways is to use antiviral creams.
It is best to make a visit to the doctor’s to know which type of antiviral cream will work for your skin. Some of the effective over-the-counter creams include Docosanol cream and Acyclovir (Zovirax) cream and penciclovir (Denavir) cream.
2. Consider Home Remedies
There are many home remedies which you can use in order to treat a cold sore. Cold packs, ice, or cold foods can help treat the inflammation that is often caused due to the fever blisters. These cold items can help soothe the cold sore area in a great way.
You can also rub alcohol or hydrogen peroxide over the cold sore. This will help dry out the sore and speed up the healing process.
3. Take Extra Precaution
To make sure that cold sores do not make an appearance on your face again, it is advised to keep anxiety and stress at bay. To achieve that purpose, make sure that you take a good night’s sleep and make a habit of exercising on a daily basis. If not exercise, you can do yoga early in the morning or before going to bed.
Also, avoid touching and kissing the person who is suffering from cold sores. You should also avoid using someone else’s glass/cup or plate/bowl for drinking or eating respectively. Whenever you are out in the sun, make sure that you have generously applied SPF sunscreen.
Cold sores are rarely dangerous, but in some cases, they can result in serious problems. For instance, the HSV virus can spread to the eye causing blindness. Thus, it is highly recommended to treat a cold sore immediately.
