Cold Sore Facts for Everyone
Many myths and facts exist about cold sores. Most people are confused on what the truth is from the lies. We have compiled a list of facts to help you better understand the facts about cold sores so you will be able to treat this problem. More and more people seem to be affected by this aliment year after year. I hope that getting the facts out will give people a better chance of treating the problem that exists.
The first thing we must know is what causes cold sores as they are caused by the herpes simplex virus and there are two different types of these. Type 1 is known as HSV-1 and the other one is called HSV-2, which usually causes genital herpes. The majority of people affected with the first type are children. Most of the time this virus will affect our mouths including the gum and can give us a sore throat. The bad part is once the HSV-1 virus enters our system it never leaves. The reason for this is it resides in our central nervous system and that where it stays until it is reactivated which usually will happen in one out of three people. If it is reactivated, it will travel down the nerves of the skin usually attacking the mouth and lips. It will start out as a burning sensation and itching and pain will follow. Many factors can cause an outbreak and one of the main ones is stress and menstruation.
Around 30-60 percent off children below ten years old will be affected by HSV-1, and most of these kids will acquire the virus through sharing common things or family and friends. By the time we reach age 50 almost 80-90 percent of the people have the HSV-1 virus inside their bodies. Cold sores can also be transported to newborn babies so this is something that you must be very careful about. Autoinoculation is when cold sores can be transferred to other parts of the body such as eye, skin, or fingers. Many times, it is transferred to the eyes because people touch a cold sore and rub their eyes and then it will appear there after a few days.
Different over the counter and prescription products are available to combat cold sores. The best thing for you to do is see your family doctor or health care provider. They can check you out and decide which course of action is probably best for your case. Everyone one is different so what may be in your best interest may not be for someone else. There also are various things you can do to heal a cold sore if you do have an outbreak. Let us look at some of those things to speed the healing process of a cold sore.
The one thing the virus needs to survive is plenty of arginine in the cell. Arginine is a protein that is critical building block if these cells want to produce even more cold sores. Lysine is another protein that has shown to help block the ability of these cells to reproduce. By blocking there, ability to reproduce it means it will have to retreat. Take 1,000 to 3,000 milligrams supplement is one thing you can do to lessen the impact. Another step to do is apply ice. For cold sores to continue to survive they need a warm moist environment. If you take that away than they will slowly have to retreat. If you do not have ice than anything cold will do. The key is get to the sore as quickly as possible so you will get maximum success.
The herpes virus prefers an acid environment to live longer. In other words, the better you take care of your body which will include diet, cut out sweets the better chance that cold sores will not crop up as often. Cleaning the cold sore with alcohol and hydrogen peroxide is also a good idea. This will speed the healing by about 50 percent. The lest acid that is available in your body and around the cold sore means faster healing and you getting rid of the sore.
As you can see cold sores eventually will happen to everyone in their lifetime. For children though it is something that is no fun. Looks and appearance are important to all of us, but it seems anymore it means more to children than any one group. Getting the right knowledge in the hands of people with cold sores is the key. The more you know about your body and how to prevent these things the better off you will be. You will never be able to totally eliminate cold sores, but with this information you will be better prepared to handle whatever outbreak comes your way again. One last tip to remember is ask around to people who have had them in the past. They might have some good remedy that worked for them that you may be able to use. Cold sores are not the end of the world just part of our lives as we grow up.
Tags: old sores, mouth sores, cold mouth sores, cold sores prevention, cold sores medications, cold sore treatmen | old sores, mouth sores, cold mouth sores, cold sores prevention, cold sores medications, cold sore treatmen