What Causes Cold Sores And How To Treat Them
Cold sores are small red blisters that usually occur in the lips, mouth and nose area of an individual. These can be very uncomfortable and also embarrassing which is why many of those who contract these cold sores prefer to have them treated than just wait for them to die out. What causes cold sores is exposure to the herpes simplex virus through contact with an infected person. There are two different kinds of herpes simplex virus and both kinds can give you oral and genital herpes, although some people do not contract genital herpes when they have cold sores.
Contracting Cold Sores From Infected People
What causes cold sores to get spread from one person to another is a matter that may be solved by vigilance and cleanliness. Infection with the herpes simplex virus can happen when an individual is exposed through skin contact or fluid contact with an infected individual. Contact with the saliva of an infected person as well as the fluid that oozes from a broken blister can be what causes cold sores to spread. Touching active blisters and even shedding skin of the individual may cause an infection.
Although, often called oral herpes, cold sores can spread to any part of the body and are often initially seen in the area where the virus has entered the body. What causes cold sores to heal to disappear can actually be attributed to the life span of the active virus. Once the virus has entered an individual, it will always be there lying in dormancy. Stress and other triggers may awaken it and cause outbreaks. What causes cold sores to recur in an individual are stressful times, a low immune system, sickness, skin trauma, weakened resistance and many more.
It is important to be aware of what causes cold sores to recur to be able to control their outbreak. What causes cold sores' recurrence is the presence of the virus in the nerves of an individual. Cold sores actually clear up in an average of two weeks all by themselves without any use of medication. Some dermatologists may prescribe medicines such as skin creams and ointments to help with the healing and to ease the pain and discomfort. For those who are also embarrassed by the presence of the tell tale red blisters on their face, applying topical treatment or even taking some prescribed pills can help deal with this.
