Painful herpes blisters
Cold sores are annoying and painful. Many people suffer from it or know someone who has it. Such a blister near your mouth is an unsightly sight and is always inconvenient. What exactly is a cold sore? And what can you do about it?
A cold sore is a rash of blisters around or on your lips. These are caused by a virus, the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). More than 90 percent of the population is a carrier of the virus.
Recurrent blisters
Many people have come into contact with HSV as a child, but have never had any complaints. Only a small number suffer from the recurring blisters. There are also other herpes viruses, including those that cause shingles and mononucleosis. A genital herpes infection is usually caused by HSV-2, but can occasionally (after oral sex) be caused by HSV-1.
Virus invades
When infected, the virus enters the body through the skin or mucous membrane. At an early stage of the initial infection, HSV invades the nerves of the skin. There it settles in the nerve knot and remains dormant. Cold sores only develop when the virus becomes active.
The virus becomes active under the influence of certain factors. An example is extreme weather conditions. Another factor is a reduced resistance, for example due to menstruation, stress or fever. Hence the name cold sore.
If you’ve had a cold sore, the virus will travel back to the nerve node. There it goes back to sleep. The virus can therefore become active again and again and cause cold sores again. Once you have contracted it, it will remain in your body for the rest of your life. The virus only has a short lifespan outside the body.
painful blisters
Someone who regularly has cold sores can tell exactly when another one is coming. The site of the cold sore may be tender and painful or numb. The area may also tingle, glow, or itch. After the first symptoms, it takes three to nine days before the symptoms really become visible.
Then painful blisters appear, filled with watery or yellowish fluid. The moisture later becomes cloudy. The vesicles form around the lips, usually in groups. Cold sores can also occur around the nose. The blisters are most painful when they are at their peak and no scabs have formed yet.
Eventually the blisters dry up into scabs. These will fall off on their own. It takes about one to two weeks for the cold sore to completely disappear. The blisters themselves do not leave scars. However, if you scratch the blisters open, scars can occur!
Prevent contamination
You have a chance of infection from about three days before the blisters appear until the blisters have dried up. The fluid in the blisters is very contagious; this is where the virus is. Only when the blisters have dried up completely, no more virus can be transmitted.
Infection can come through, for example, kissing, cuddling, sexual contact or other touching. Transmission can also occur through certain utensils such as lipstick. Also be careful when applying medicines, you can actually spread the virus while greasing.
Avoid stress
Once you have been infected, you need to prevent the virus from being reactivated. Sunlight, fever, menstruation or stress can activate the virus and should therefore be avoided if possible.
If your resistance is low, the virus becomes active. Therefore make sure you have a good resistance. Pay attention to a healthy diet, sufficient exercise and enough sleep. Also prevent dried out and cracked lips. Therefore, regularly grease your lips with Vaseline or a lip balm.
Cold sores are dangerous for a baby. Babies can become very sick after contact with the herpes virus. Therefore, never hug or kiss a baby if you have a cold sore. If you are pregnant or have a newborn baby and also regularly suffer from cold sores, it is wise to tell your doctor or midwife.
Inhibit virus growth
In principle, a cold sore heals on its own. Unfortunately, there are no remedies that can prevent cold sores. However, there are products for sale at the pharmacy with which you can try to make the cold sore go away a little faster. However, they do not prevent the cold sore from returning later. The virus remains in your body.
Products containing zinc sulphate and zinc oxide have a slightly astringent and protective effect. It is a gel, cream or oil. Such a remedy promotes drying of the blisters and combats the itching and pain. It should be used until the blisters have dried. One condition is that you start greasing as soon as the tingling and redness appear.
Agents containing acyclovir inhibit the growth of the virus. However, these remedies do not work for everyone. Compared to zinc sulfate or zinc oxide, they have more side effects – a slight stinging, burning or numbness and risk of hypersensitivity.
If you start using it at the first tingling sensation, the cold sore period will be shorter by at most half a day. In the blister stage and after they don’t help anymore. A disadvantage is that the virus can become resistant to it. This means that the virus no longer responds to the drug.
To the doctor?
Cold sores go away on their own, so there’s little point in seeing your doctor. There are, however, a few exceptions. For example if you are pregnant. In that case, first discuss with your GP or midwife which creams you can use. If you are breast-feeding, also consult your doctor or midwife. It’s also wise to go if the cold sore hasn’t gone away after 14 days or spreads over the rest of your face and body.
