Cold Sore Symptoms
Cold sores are little blisters that occur in and around the mouth of a person, infected by a virus called herpes simplex. Cold sores are very infectious but not hazardous. Around 60% of the total population suffers from cold sores, sometime during their lives. On an average, people who get this kind of sores have two or three episodes in a year, but this figure varies considerable from one person to another.
Cold sores are easily transmissible through contact with person having a cold sore. When an individual contracts cold sores, the herpes virus remains in the person’s nerve cells of the central nervous system or on skin. However, it does not trigger any cold sores symptoms.
Something such as stress, illness, injury or sunburn can trigger this virus to turn active again and stimulates cold sore to reappear. Moreover, there is possibility that a person can transmit this virus through sexual contact.
Cold Sores Symptoms:
Few people hardly experience any cold sores symptoms on their body with their first attack, while others feel rigorous flu-like symptoms such as ulcers all around their mouth. Few common, cold sores symptoms are as cited further. The symptoms may vary for one individual to other. Cold sores symptoms may comprise of stinging of the lips, mini blisters over the lips, enlarging of mouth, irritation and itching of the mouth and lips and pain in the mouth and lips. Cold sores symptoms may look like any other skin disease. Hence, it is advisable to consult a physician before taking any medications.
Causes:
The viruses which trigger cold sores are such as herpes simplex virus (HSV-I) and herpes simplex virus (HSV-2). This causes the famous sexual disease as well. Around 80% of the individuals in the North America are living with inactive herpes viruses in their bodies. Typically, the virus resides in an inactive form, within the individuals’ nerve cells in spinal cord. An individual’s immune system is usually able to hold the virus in its dormant state. While the infected individuals’ immune system starts weakening, the virus promptly multiplies, spreads along the nerve cell and then emerges outside the skin, especially over the lips.
Specific causes of cold sores include cold weather, fever such as stomach flu, physical or mental stress, irritation in the lips, sunburn or sunlight. People can get hold of this virus, if they come across cold sore blisters that contain high amount of cold sore viruses. This might easily occur, when a person touches the hands of somebody who has blisters.
Treatment:
The condition is incurable. However, if cold sores symptoms persist for a longer period and are very painful, then people can seek certain treatments, which help to alleviate Cold sores symptoms. Treatment may comprise of:
• Antiviral topical ointments such as penciclovir and acyclovir
• Antiviraloral medicines such as valaciclovir, famciclovir and acyclovir
To detect cold sores, a physician will study a person’s medical history and carry out a physical test. Lab tests such as blood tests and viral cultures also help to determine, what kinds of virus causes a particular symptom.