Cold Sores
Cold Sores
Cold sores are those awful eruptions that are caused by the herpes virus. They always appear at just the least opportune moment, most often during times of stress or illness. Cold sores are also called fever blisters, and they first make their impending appearance known by tingling and a hard area under the skin, which is soon followed by an eruption of small blisters or fluid filled vesicles. There is no fast way to get rid of a cold sore, and no way to cover it up until it heals. You are just stuck with it. However, it is possible hasten the process by applying various topical applications for treatment of cold sores, or by taking a prescription anti-viral medication.
Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus, and they usually appear on the lips, but can erupt on the nostrils or fingers as well. Once exposure to the virus has occurred, it may take up to twenty days for symptoms to appear. After the vesicles appear, they will soon pop and the fluid will form a yellow crust, which will slough off as the lesion heals. This process usually takes from seven to ten days, during which you can’t really cover it up. Once the cold sore has healed, the virus lies dormant in the nerve cells under the skin, and then reoccur with exposure to the sun, illness, stress, or menstruation. For people that get cold sores frequently, oral anti-viral medications are the best defense against repeated outbreaks. Drugs such as acyclovir are very effective in lessening the severity of the cold sore and speeding up healing time. This medication is taken as soon as cold sore symptoms appear, and is continued through at the least five days. By this time the cold sore is almost gone, and topical ointments can also be used to dry it up quicker.
If you are someone who gets cold sores frequently, there are a few steps you can take so that you don’t get them as frequently. Keep your hands clean and keep them off your face. If you feel a cold sore coming on, don’t touch it, especially if the blisters have opened. This can spread the virus to other areas or to others by touch, or by sharing eating utensils or kissing. The virus is most contagious while the cold sore is weeping and can remain so even after the area has healed. Be sure to wear sunscreen when outdoors, limit exposure to the sun, and get plenty of rest to prevent an new outbreak. The herpes virus that causes cold sores can also cause genital herpes, so oral sex is out of the question with an active lesion. If you need more information on cold sores and the herpes virus, visit the Mayo Clinic at www.mayoclinic.com.
Cold Sores related articles:
Compare Files
When it comes time to compare files whether it would be for work or personal reasons, it can become a hard and tedious task if it is not able to be done automatically or if you simply do not know exactly what you are doing.
Luckily there are man... Compare Tvs T
Most of us have said it, believed it, felt it, or written it—that thanks to the Internet, we have a global closeness, a beneficial proximity, with people we would otherwise never meet. One of the many, many values of this is that we can get ideas, have a... Computer Information Systems Degree
Do you know what single form of technology is more prominent than any other these days? Oh come on, it's probably sitting in your house somewhere. Could it be that cell phone you chat relentlessly on, several times a day? Or could it be that television yo... Computers For Sale
Do you have a computer yet? No, I'm not talking about that Tandy 1000 you've got tucked away in the spare room. I'm talking about a new computer. You know, one that has Internet access capabilities. Okay, I'm probably going a tad too far with that spiel, ... Coral Reef
The first time I ever saw a coral reef in person was on a trip to Fiji. It was actually just an extended layover; I was traveling from Auckland to Los Angeles and I was able to add a layover in Fiji for $20. I figured that I probably wouldn’t have anoth...
more Pocket Links articles:
Ansel Adams Poster
Not one at the time who was all that into “nature,” I was still riveted the first time I saw an Ansel Adams poster. It was a collection of trees. It was in brown hues, colors and tones recalling the old tintype photographs. It was, it turned out, titled... Anti Aging Treatments
What's up with our priorities these days? All people seem to care about is youth and beauty. Anti aging treatments are crowding the shelves of our drug stores and cosmetic counters. With the ridiculous impact of Hollywood, people can't seem to escape t... Ingrown Hair
Having an ingrown hair can be a painful thing. When a hair grows under the skin instead of out of it can lead to discomfort and in some cases infection.
If you have an ingrown hair there are things you can do to solve the problem. One is t... New Balance Factory Outlet
I'm not really a name brand type of guy. Nike slogans just annoy me. I've been buying the same few brands of jeans since I was ten years old, and I can't remember off hand what they are unless I look at the back pocket. Nonetheless, unless I am getting dr... Free Online Dating Service
When you google “free dating service online” or “free online dating service”, you will get 10s of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of hits. It seems that loneliness is reaching epidemic proportions among the hip, young, and wired, and that there i... |