Herpes labialis, kézako? During their lifetime, 40% of French people should have a cold sore at least once. 15% of them will even suffer from recurrent viral cold sores, with three to four outbreaks on average per year.
Problem: if these cold sore outbreaks are the cause of physical pain, they also cause psychological suffering, according to a recent survey by the brand Vectans Pharma conducted among 300 patients and 366 general practitioners.
First info: according to the patients interviewed, stress and fatigue are the main factors likely to lead to a new outbreak of herpes. Then come exposure to the sun and infections (fever, cold …) then the menstrual period and … dental care!
Labial herpes, a source of moral suffering
Moral suffering, for its part, is real since 1 in 2 people with cold sores say they are “worried” (or even “very worried”) about the risk of infecting those around them during a crisis. 44% of patients also evoke a feeling of stigmatization: 1 in 2 patients speaks of suffering such as “feeling of shame, devaluation of self-esteem” …
In the event of a crisis, 59% of patients refuse to kiss their loved ones and 28% manage to hide their mouths – thus the symptoms of herpes! On the treatment side, only a minority of patients go to the doctor in times of crisis: about 60% trust self-medication – relying on the pharmacist’s advice, all the same.
Source: Vectans Pharma press release.
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