Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Cold Sores - Signs And Symptoms Can Last 7 To 10 Days

By David Paule


Cold sores are small and somewhat painful blisters that often show up on or around a person's lips and are produced by the herpes simplex virus-1 (or HSV-1). The sores - also known as "fever blisters" - are very different from canker sores, a condition people often associate them with.

They are very contagious and remain that way until the blisters scab over, and occasionly even afterwards. Fever Blisters can appear singlely or in little grape like bunches, and are often filled with fluid. They normally go away on their own within 7 to 10 days after they first appear.


Herpes simplex virus type 1 ("HSV1") usually only infects those body tissues that lie "above the waistline" and it is the virus that produces cold sores in the majority of cases. Herpes simplex is not curable, but can lie dormant for long periods of time. Signs and symptoms may not start until as long as twenty days after exposure, and usually continues for 7 to 10 days. The real reason for the sores is the virus creating new virus on the edge of your lip and/or nose.

Home remedies are usually your best course of action against the painful and unsightly sores. Occasionally, if the cold sores are making a child sick, an MD may prescribe a special drug that fights the virus. The Majority of people get infected with the herpes simplex virus during their preschool years, most probably from eating or drinking after individual who has it or being kissed by an adult with the virus, but not all who gets the virus develops sores.


Symptoms are often severest eight hours after an outbreak and may include: tingling of the lips, tiny blisters on the lips and mouth that enlarge, burst, then crust over, itching and irritation of the lips and mouth, soreness of the lips and mouth. Symptoms can be extremely painful and cause a great deal of embarrassment. At first the infection may create no symptoms or mouth ulcers. The 1st signs of a fever blister usually appear within 1 or 2 weeks -- and as late as three weeks -- after contact with an infected person. Untreated, the symptoms will generally subside in one to two weeks. Antiviral medications given orally may shorten the course of the symptoms and decrease the pain.


Cold Sore Remedies are of a great interest for all of us who endure those painful and irritating fever blisters. For most kids, the sores go away by themselves without any special treatment from an MD. Even though they cannot be cured, if symptoms are severe, treatment may help ease some of the pain and discomfort. The majority of treatment options are focused on decreasing the discomfort and pain and reducing the length of the outbreak. Some options may even help prevent the blisters from forming. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, see your MD. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical problems.


Cold Sores, also called "fever blisters," are painful, unsightly mouth sores that are created by an outbreak of the herpes simplex virus and are not a sign of a recently acquired herpes simplex infection, but instead a re-activation of herpes virus particles already living in your body. They are normally found either: On or at the edge of a your lip and some times signal a deficiency in Calcium. Cold sores AKA fever blisters are very common and also extremely contagious. If they aren't taken care of properly, they can create bacterial skin infections. If you have them, it's important to talk to your personal doctor, should you have another health condition that has weakened your immune system, the sores don't heal by themselves within seven to ten days, and/or you get cold sores frequently.

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