How To Get Rid Of Cold Sores

Cold sores are caused by two types of viruses.

Mainly herpes virus 1 which is found on the mouth area. Very,very rarely, you can get the genital type two virus affecting the mouth area as well. Mainly, it is the type 1.

Children are mainly exposed to it. Even though you are exposed to it, does not necessarily mean that you will get a cold sore. In fact, it can lie dormant in the body for many, many years and erupt.

Things that cause it to erupt are things that reduce the immune system because the immune system is not able to control the infection, things like coughs and colds or having had an operation or even various aesthetic treatments like having lip filler put in. Also things like sun exposure, stress, and any sort of physical or emotional stress can cause them as well. It can keep occurring and that is because your immune system is busy fighting the recent other threat that it thinks it needs to mount an immune response against.

It does not have time to think about something like a herpes virus. It can present in different parts of the body, but also specifically around the mouth area. It presents as little fluid filled beads on a red base and they can be very sore.

Normally, they last around seven to ten days. Using the anti-viral cream called Acyclovir cream, which you can get from any pharmacist or you can get a prescription for it, just reduces the severity of the cold sore. It does not completely treat it straight away.

In very severe cases or recurrent cases, you can use Acyclovir tablets. That again reduces the severity. Very rarely, if you do keep having them or if your immune response has dampered because of other things such as steroids for example, you can take Acyclovir tablets continuously to prevent recurrences.

I hope this has been useful in helping to reduce your cold sores and thank you very much for listening.