Cold sores are easily transmitted and very infectious. In this condition, red blisters, also called fever blisters erupt on the face near the lips and around the mouth. This problem is not permanently curable. It may re-occur two to three times a year, but the frequency of the disease can be reduced by proper medication and suppressing agents. To take precautions against cold sores and prevent it from infecting you, it is extremely important to know about it in detail.
Let’s discuss the causes of cold sores. The cause behind cold sores is the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) that mostly remains dormant in the body but becomes active to attack when the immune system of the body goes weak. At such a time, the herpes virus travels back the way it arrived in the first place, along the nerve fiber in the mouth. This is called activation of the virus. Sometimes, instead of entering the mouth, the virus changes its path slightly and ends up in the skin of the lips, or around the mouth. When it arrives and settles on the skin, it causes a cold sore. When the cold sore heals, the virus goes back along the nerve, where it stays until it gets the chance to attacks the next time. It can become activated again at any time, and travel through the nerves to the skin to cause a cold sore again. The virus always travels up and down nerve pathways. That is the reason why cold sores always re-occur at the same place.
There are certain triggers that enable the reactivation of the virus. They are bright sunshine, mental stress, physical stress, and menstruation in women. It’s better to follow a healthy and stress-free lifestyle. A diet high on vegetables chicken, fish, turkey etc. is the best since it keeps the immune system strong and ready to fight infections like cold sores. Another trigger that causes the infection is the increase in acidic levels within the body with pH below 7. Maintaing a healthy pH balance can be done by eating the necessary nutrients in your food. To avoid an outbreak of cold sores, whenever you are exposed to bright sunlight, be sure to apply sunscreen lotion and petroleum jelly on the lips.
One thing to remember about this disease is that it is easily communicable. So any kind of contact with the infected area should be avoided. To prevent the infection from spreading, hands should be thoroughly cleaned before bringing them in contact with the infected area. This disease cannot be permanently cured since the virus inside the body cannot be permanently gotten rid of. The only option left is to heal it as quickly as possible by using natural methods, home remedies, methods that give immediate relief, and medicines prescribed by the doctor.
