Cold sores?
Question:
Tips?
Facts?(like how long they last etc)
Thanks...
Answers:
Hey Amee
Here is some information that I hope will help you.
The root cause of cold sores, fever blisters, or any form of oral herpes is the cloning process of the herpes simplex virus type 1 or 2. Other types of herpes viruses cause closely related diseases such as mono, chicken pox and shingles.
The herpes virus is a parasite that needs a host cell to reproduce. When active, the herpes virus will enter a nerve cell on the surface of your face and turn the cell into a virus factory. The cell is forced to create exact copies of the virus. Then the original virus destroys the cell to release all the new herpes virus. It is the millions of destroyed cells close together that create the unsightly weeping ulcer.
Amee - keep in mind that cold sores are very contagious.
If you have an open sore, only touch it with cotton balls or tissues. If you spread the virus to your eyes, you can damage or lose your vision. You can easily spread this disease to other people or other parts of your own body. Yes, even below the waist. If you have a cut on your finger, and touch the cold sore, you can get reoccurring cold sores on your finger. ( I hear these are particularly painful.)
To protect yourself and your loved ones, you want to take steps to reduce the frequency of - or totally prevent - your cold sores. And if you do get one, to heal it as quickly as possible. A few home remedies that I have seen folks have some success with are lysine, essential oils, Aloe Vera, tea bags, and, of course, ice cubes in a plastic bag. You will need to experiment. For some reason, what works great for one, does not work as well for another.
Good luck, Amee - I hope that this was useful to you.
Denny Bodoh
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