What are Cold Sores and How Do I Avoid Them?

A piece of good news is that Acyclovir for Cold Sores will help in gaining relief from them effectively.

In this article, we will explore what cold sores are and how to avoid them.

What are cold sores?

Cold sores are blisters that form on lips and burst, stay on the lips for long forming a kind of a layer on the top. They can be difficult to deal with. Cold sores occur due to the simplex herpes virus and a fact about this virus is it stays in the body once it enters the body somehow. In other words, there is no permanent cure for cold sores. If a person gets cold sores, they will have to deal with them over and over throughout their life.

How to one get cold sores?

Cold sores occur due to the herpes simplex virus that enters the body through various modes. In the first place, the virus is highly contagious. It can spread very fast either through direct or indirect contact. Utensils, toilets, clothes, etc used by the infected person can act as a carrier in spreading the virus.

Direct contact of lips through kissing or oral sex can spread the virus very rapidly. Thus, if one of the sexual partners has this infection, it spreads to others immediately.

In other situations, exposure to extreme atmospheric conditions like sunlight, coldness, can also trigger cold sores. This is also seen in people with lesser immunity, suffer from severe hormonal imbalances, and a history of psoriasis. Organ recipients are also at high risk of contracting this infection due to their less immunity levels.

Doctors also find that stress is another trigger factor for cold sores. People who undergo high levels of stress can easily contact cold sores, the reason being reduced immunity and possible changes in hormones.

People who have had this cold sore issue should take care that they do not spread to others even knowingly or unknowingly.

Treatment for cold sores

Patients can obtain relief from cold sores through oral medication and local cream application. Pills are effective than topical creams. Acyclovir for Cold Sores has been identified as one of the most effective treatments for curing this condition. Additionally, famciclovir and valacyclovir are two other medications that doctors would prescribe for patients. With this condition.

Alongside, aloe vera also helps in getting relief from pain due to cold sores. Analgesic creams and ibuprofen are other two at-home treatments for cold sores.

Avoiding cold sores

• Cold sores transmit from one person to another through various sources. Sex, lip kiss, and usage of utensils that the infected person uses can cause cold sores. Besides, hormonal change and stress can be another trigger factor for this condition. Thus, those who are looking at avoiding cols sores should focus on keeping stress at a bay.

• Also, as climate can affect cold sores occurrence, it is important to stay away from cold and heat that one’s body sensitive to.

• If the problem is recurring frequently, it is advisable to consult a doctor and take medication for the whole complete period.

• Consuming foods that may help build immunity will help to an extent to prevent the frequent attack of cold sores.

• Any kind of intimate contact with the affected individuals can cause the spread of the virus; hence refrain from contacting the infected and the sick people to avoid cold sores.

Suggested treatments for cold sores

• Zinc is proven to act effectively on cold sores. Thus, topical zinc oxide cream can help in obtaining relief from this condition.

• Ointments with licorice extracts are also beneficial for cold sore treatments.

• An ice pack or a cold compress on the affected area will help in removing the patches.

• A combination of rhubarb and sage ointment is found to help cure the condition effectively than the individual component’s cream.

• Amino acids are one proven way to cut down virus spread. They also bring down the time taken for healing drastically.

Conclusion

Cold sores are one of those medical conditions that keep recurring once infected. Preventing the trigger factors and seeking the help of medical providers is the only way to gain some relief from this condition.