Canada: cold sore (herpes), a crippling enemy …

Both men and women are affected by this disorder and admit to feeling embarrassed or even ugly by it. In fact, a recent study revealed the extent to which Quebecers suffering from cold sores are prepared to do everything possible to remedy their condition. Despite this, to this day, a large number of them do not know how to properly treat this condition.

A great deal of confusion reigns over cold sores. Cold sores are blisters or lesions commonly found around the lips caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1. Many people do not realize that cold sores are contagious and that if they do not. are left untreated, they can last for six to ten days on average, which can become very distressing for people who have them, says pharmacist Denis Tanguay, spokesperson for Abreva and president of Cliniconcept inc.

Cold sores hit hard. Abreva recently commissioned Harris / Decima to conduct a cross-Canada survey to learn more about people with cold sores. Poll results showed Albertans have the highest incidence, followed by British Columbians and Atlantic Canadians.

While a few Canadians consider cold sores to be an unimportant health condition, cold sore outbreaks often have a devastating impact on those who suffer from them:

• Mirror, mirror… During an outbreak, one in three Quebecers suffering from cold sores experiences a feeling of embarrassment.
• Men have feelings too… When it comes to flare-ups, men (43%) almost equal women (53%) on the embarrassment scale.
• “Not tonight…” In Quebec, we can feel embarrassed (39%) and ugly (23%) because of cold sores. So much so that nine percent of those who suffer from it have already missed a day of work or a family / social event because of the condition.

The social stigma associated with cold sores undoubtedly affects those who suffer from it, to a degree and varies depending on where they live. For example, during a cold sore outbreak, Quebecers feel less discomfort (32%) than residents of the rest of Canada.

What would you give to get rid of cold sores? Well, in Quebec, it seems that we would be ready to give big. When cold sore sufferers were asked what things they would give up for a whole month, they expressed the following:

Desserts, Stores and Smartphones: Incredibly, 71% of them would give up desserts, shopping and even their smartphone for a month to get rid of cold sores.

• Shopping (32%) is at the top of the list, followed by desserts (23%), and smartphones (16%).
• No more sugar: A quarter of Quebecers would give up sweets. In Western Canada, they are more likely to give up desserts than Quebeckers (41% versus 23%).
• Relief for the wallet: Men and women across the country are pretty much tied when it comes to giving up shopping for cold sores (19% vs. 22%).
• Farewell Facebook: In Canada, one in four (28%) between the ages of 18 and 34 would turn off their smartphone to get rid of cold sores, compared to 13% for those aged 35 and over. To date, only 14% of men and 18% of women would unplug their device.

It is obvious that Quebeckers are ready to make sacrifices when it comes to no longer suffering from cold sores. So why don’t these same people treat their ailment the way it should?

The first sign of a cold sore flare is often a tingling or itchy sensation, and this warning symptom is often overlooked. says Mr. Tanguay. As a pharmacist, I have a front row seat to see how cold sore flares can literally transform the appearance, life and schedule of the sufferer. This is the reason why it is essential to understand how to treat this condition.

With so many treatment options, it’s no surprise that more than a third of Quebecers with cold sores (37%) believe these popular myths.

• Putting ice on a cold sore helps it heal faster. Ice may provide temporary symptom relief and help reduce the redness and swelling, but don’t expect your cold sore to cure it that way.
• Distilled vinegar prevents cold sore outbreaks. Vinegar helps in many cases, but preventing cold sores is not one of them.
• Tea bags cure cold sores. Store tea bags in cupboards, unless it’s tea time. They will not help you make your cold sore go away any faster.
• Ingredients like camphor, menthol, and phenol can cure a cold sore. While these ingredients are common for lip treatment, they provide temporary symptom relief and hydrate cold sores. They are not intended to neutralize the virus and prevent it from spreading to nearby healthy skin cells.

Ingredients like camphor, menthol, and phenol are common ingredients found in lip balms and ointments and can be used to hydrate and soothe a cold sore., affirms Mr. Tanguay. To reduce the healing time of a cold sore, I often recommend treatments with medicinal ingredients like docosanol. Docosanol is a patented drug found only in Abreva, clinically proven to reduce the duration of a cold sore to as little as 4.1 days, compared to 4.8 days for the placebo, as it prevents the cold sore virus. cold sore from entering neighboring healthy skin cells. “

Source: Press release – Abreva