Cold sores or fiver blisters as many people refer to them are highly contagious. They infect the facial area. They can be quite embarrassing as they are literally on the face. You should not worry as they usually clear within no time. They are caused by a Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) type 1.
This virus enters the body through a broken mucous membrane and can lay in the nerve cell until its triggered.
The area where the virus enters through becomes itchy, can burn and becomes painful. Blister then forms. You can apply petroleum jelly on the blister, just to manage it. The blister bursts leaving a tender soft painful ulcer. This heals within 7-14 days leaving no scar. You must be very careful when you have this a cold sore not to infect others by e.g. kissing, sharing of utensils and face towels. You should also avoid touching the infected area to enable it heal faster and not to re-infect it with other infections.
The cold sores have two stages. The primary and the recurrent stage. The primary stage is immediately after you have come into contact with an infected person. This stage takes 2-20 days after the initial infection.
The recurrent stage is usually mild and is mostly triggered by menstruation, stress, eating certain foods e.g. pineapple, chocolate, coffee, straw berries, eggs, nuts, cheese, oranges, lemons etc, poor immune system, minor injury and fatigue.
There is no known cure for cold sores. However, You can seek medical attention as there are some creams that your doctor can prescribe.
You can avoid getting cold sores by making sure that your immune system is at its peak. If already infected, avoid infecting others and boost your immune system.
Mercy Maranga Reports on Health and Fitness issues. Visit Her Site here for more information on asthma and its management Asthma – Who Gets It?
Recommended Resources
Are Fever Blisters Contagious – Stopping Cold Sores
Fever Blisters – I HATE them – and Valtrex
Cold Sores and Fever Blisters Are Dangerously Contagious
Ten Effective Remedies for Treating Cold Sore
What is a Cold Sore
