Many people go online every day to research the question are cold sores contagious. This viral infection has affected most people at one point in their lives and they may not have even realized it. This infection is the herpes simplex virus.
This virus cannot be completely killed by the body so it appears as these sores. There is no cure by any medicine that is available on the market today. People generally get these sores on their lips. The first attack of the virus is generally the worst. It is called the primary attack, usually hitting before the age of ten. Another name a lot of people call these by is fever blisters. The blisters are red and filled with fluid. These blisters usually last only a few days and then disappear.
Research has shown that most people get infected before age ten. This first attack is called the primary attack and some attacks can be so severe that a doctor is needed. The causes also vary from person to person. Some conditions associated with the sores are contact with an infected person, fever, colds, stress, and damage to the skin area, the sun and hormonal changes. These are also associated with re occurrences. Sometimes there is no cause for a re occurrence, it just happens. If and when they do reoccur they will generally show up around the same spot as they were located before.
Prevention of the cold sore is fairly simple. Common sense plays a huge part in not contracting the virus. The obvious one is to wash your hands frequently to stop the infection from spreading, also stay away from skin contact with people that do have the virus. Although the blisters maybe gone the person is still contagious because their saliva will be carrying the disease.
Another prevention tip is to not share any of your items. These items could be your Chap Stick, utensils and towels. As always, wash your hands frequently to avoid passing the virus on to another person. Also, be careful when touching other parts of your body, as the virus is easily spread to other areas. Something else to consider is to wear sunscreen all year around because too much exposure to the skin can initiate the virus.
Depending on your preference you could choose to take a pill to relieve your symptoms or use a type of cream. Also, there are several at home remedies to try. Some of the things that have worked for other people is changing your diet, using nail polish remover on the area, using vitamin supplements or putting on a cold compress to relieve some of the pain.
Another proven method to try is using Lysine. Lysine is one of the eight amino acids. It is consumed through what you eat or can also be taken by mouth as a pill. Any regular store sells Lysine. Some of natural supplements to try are Bioflavonoids, Zinc and vitamin C. Other people rely on Abreva to ease some of their symptoms. Abreva is a topical cream that is applied to the area five times a day for ten days. It is the only FDA approved cold sore treatment. The active ingredient in it is docosanol, which is used in a lot of cosmetics.
So, the answers to the question are cold sores contagious are really a variety of answers depending on the situation. Knowing that there are several prevention methods and treatment options should put people at ease. The fact that there are things to make cold sore sufferers feel better with no cure readily available is a calming notion.
This virus cannot be completely killed by the body so it appears as these sores. There is no cure by any medicine that is available on the market today. People generally get these sores on their lips. The first attack of the virus is generally the worst. It is called the primary attack, usually hitting before the age of ten. Another name a lot of people call these by is fever blisters. The blisters are red and filled with fluid. These blisters usually last only a few days and then disappear.
Research has shown that most people get infected before age ten. This first attack is called the primary attack and some attacks can be so severe that a doctor is needed. The causes also vary from person to person. Some conditions associated with the sores are contact with an infected person, fever, colds, stress, and damage to the skin area, the sun and hormonal changes. These are also associated with re occurrences. Sometimes there is no cause for a re occurrence, it just happens. If and when they do reoccur they will generally show up around the same spot as they were located before.
Prevention of the cold sore is fairly simple. Common sense plays a huge part in not contracting the virus. The obvious one is to wash your hands frequently to stop the infection from spreading, also stay away from skin contact with people that do have the virus. Although the blisters maybe gone the person is still contagious because their saliva will be carrying the disease.
Another prevention tip is to not share any of your items. These items could be your Chap Stick, utensils and towels. As always, wash your hands frequently to avoid passing the virus on to another person. Also, be careful when touching other parts of your body, as the virus is easily spread to other areas. Something else to consider is to wear sunscreen all year around because too much exposure to the skin can initiate the virus.
Depending on your preference you could choose to take a pill to relieve your symptoms or use a type of cream. Also, there are several at home remedies to try. Some of the things that have worked for other people is changing your diet, using nail polish remover on the area, using vitamin supplements or putting on a cold compress to relieve some of the pain.
Another proven method to try is using Lysine. Lysine is one of the eight amino acids. It is consumed through what you eat or can also be taken by mouth as a pill. Any regular store sells Lysine. Some of natural supplements to try are Bioflavonoids, Zinc and vitamin C. Other people rely on Abreva to ease some of their symptoms. Abreva is a topical cream that is applied to the area five times a day for ten days. It is the only FDA approved cold sore treatment. The active ingredient in it is docosanol, which is used in a lot of cosmetics.
So, the answers to the question are cold sores contagious are really a variety of answers depending on the situation. Knowing that there are several prevention methods and treatment options should put people at ease. The fact that there are things to make cold sore sufferers feel better with no cure readily available is a calming notion.
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Ever wonder: "Are cold sores contagious?" Herpes Simplex sufferers can find more information about time-tested home remedies for cold sores on our site, today.
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