Cold sores
cold; sore; fever; blister; herpes; simplex; type; 1;
Contents
You may not have had one for years, then one day you awaken to a familiar tingling twitch of the lip. You see nothing in the mirror. Your imagination perhaps? You go about your day, but the tingling becomes stronger as time goes by. You get home that evening and inspect your lip in the mirror. What you see there horrifies you.
That vague tingling feeling has developed into a huge cold sore that seems to get worse by the minute. An alien virus that entered your body years before has lurked there patiently awaiting the right conditions to come back and taunt you. The name of that alien virus? Herpes simplex type 1. It is ..... the return of the dreaded cold sore.
(Usually a cold sore feels much worse and much bigger to the sufferer than it appears to others).
What is a cold sore?
Most of us have had a cold sore or seen a cold sore at some time in our lives. These common skin sores are also sometimes called 'fever blisters', but their medical name is herpes simplex type 1.
Cold sores usually appear on the lips, or less often in the mouth, on other parts of face and inside or outside the nose. However, they can form on any part of the body, including the genital area, although genital herpes are more often caused by a strain of the herpes virus called type 2.
What causes cold sores?
Cold sores are caused by a virus, often passed on to us when we are children. The virus then stays in the body for the rest of your life. Several things can trigger it into erupting as a cold sore. These triggers can include stress, illness, sunburn and hormonal changes.
In some people, the virus can stay dormant or inactive, and a cold sore may never erupt. Other people may get the odd cold sore here and there, but others are less lucky, and may have cold sores regularly for years and years.
Signs of a cold sore
The first signs of a cold sore are usually an itching or tingling sensation and redness of the skin where it itches. Within a short period of time, small blisters form, on their own, or in 'clusters'. These blisters break, releasing fluid, and then a scab forms. It usually takes about 1 week from the first 'tingle' to the sore healing completely. Luckily, cold sores rarely leave scars.
Treating a cold sore
There is no cure for the herpes virus. However, there are ways to help reduce the effects. It is best to begin treating cold sores as soon as the tingle or itch appears. Try holding an ice cube on the area for about five minutes, every half-hour or so. This may reduce the size of the actual sore when it does appear.
Cold sore creams and treatments available from chemists can be helpful in preventing the cold sore from erupting. Antiviral treatments such as idoxuridine or aciclovir (eg Zovirax** or Betadine** cold sore cream) seem to be quite effective. These treatments work more effectively if they are applied as soon as the first signs appear.
If your cold sores break out after you have been in the sun, make sure you always use a hat, good sunscreen and apply a good quality sun block on your lips.
Resources
- Your doctor or chemist can advise you on treatments and cold sore creams.
**"Any products referred to in our health topics are usually well-known brands readily available in Australia. The brand names are given as examples only, and do not necessarily represent the best products, nor the full range of effective products on the market."
The information on this site should not be used as an alternative to professional care. If you have a particular problem, see a doctor, or ring the Youth Healthline on 1300 13 17 19 (local call cost from anywhere in South Australia).