| Cold sores or herpes simplex are due to a virus called HSV1 (Herpes Simplex Virus 1). They spread from person to person by infected oral secretions. With the first infection you don’t suffer symptoms. The germ lies dormant until it is reactivated with a breakdown in the skin tissues about the mouth and within the mouth itself producing a typical picture of a cold sore, a thin walled blister on a red base which bursts and then crusts before healing. Herpes simplex Virus 1 can spread to the nose and eyes. It can also infect the base of the fingernail producing an infection at the base of the nail. All herpes simplex infections are extremely painful. The active infection or reactivation of the virus producing a tissue breakdown is brought on by the weakening of the body’s immune system often associated with a general viral infection or cold, hence the term cold sores. It can also follow trauma, stress or sun exposure. Treatment is mostly unsatisfactory. There are anti-viral ointments which if applied very early in the infection can help. You should attempt to keep a cold sore as dry as possible. You should consult your doctor regarding treatment. If untreated, individual attacks last one to two weeks. Recurrences are common. |
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1996
Immediate Assistants Pty Ltd.
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