Cold sores are very contagious, especially in the first 2 or 3 days after an outbreak. Cold sores are extremely common; it is estimated that, in the United States, 80%-90% of the population has been infected by the cold sore virus by the time they are 50 years old. These sores are highly contagious until they heal. Transmitted by kissing an infected person or sharing eating utensils, towels, or razors, cold sores are usually confined to the mouth area (particularly on and around the lip).
If you read nothing else about cold sores, it is very important that you read this right now. Although they're called cold sores, you don't need to have a cold to get one. If you've had cold sores before, it can be hard to tell what might make them come back. Eating well, getting enough rest, and learning how to deal with stress are important things for any kid to do, especially a kid who is likely to get cold sores.
Putting on sunblock lip balm and sunscreen on the face before going out in the sun may help prevent cold sores from reappearing in kids who tend to get them. For most kids, the sores go away on their own without any special treatment from a doctor. Some kids may take acetaminophen or ibuprofen if their sores are painful. Actually, it's a good idea to not even touch active cold sores. They normally go away on their own within 7 to 10 days. To make yourself more comfortable when you have a cold sore, you can apply ice or anything cool to the area. Cold sores always seem to occur at the worst possible times.
Symptoms are usually most severe 8 hours after the outbreak. Symptoms may include: tingling of the lips small blisters on the lips and mouth that enlarge, burst, then crust over itching and irritation of the lips and mouth soreness around the lips and mouth. Symptoms that develop after the original infection are generally severer than those that appear in later episodes of the disease. There are many nonprescription medications that provide some relief from the symptoms. The medicine does not eliminate the virus from the body, but it can decrease the number of days you have symptoms and speed the drying up of the blisters. Within 10 to 14 days from the first symptoms, cold sores usually heal, flake away and disappear.
More than 60 million people suffer from the contagious disease caused by herpes virus in every year and to get rid of cold sore fast you need to try some of the following conventional and medicinal approaches. Some people have used Witch Hazel for everything from bug bites to head lice, well, it happens to show promise in the form of a cold sore home remedy as well. Next on our cold sore home remedy tour is a nice warm tea bag. Certainly you are going to feel silly setting around sucking on a tea bag, but some folks have claimed that with this method of cold sore home remedies, the cold sore will actually disappear overnight.
I have a cold sore that i got saturday, I went to the emergency room and was diagnosed with hsv-1 Is that bad? But anyways im not going to school until it heals. I was given Valtrex by the doctor. Hopefully it clears up
hsv-1 is herpes simplex virus type 1, which means u have herpes (which is what cold sores are) dont stress. at least u don't have hsv-2 - which is herpes but on the genitals
i get cold sores a lot and there a pain in the ass and embarrassing! the best thing that works is Valtrex. Go to your doctor and have him prescribe it to you. Once you feel a cold sore coming take the recommended dosage and trust me it will be gone in two days. This is the only thing for me that has worked the fastest.
I have like 5 cold sores on my bottom lip!! my lip is soo swollen i look so retarted!! the doc. gave me zovirax but it doesnt seem to be working, and i used abriva!! i need the swelling to go down if anything!! i tried ice, and the tea bag thing!! whatt do i do!?
» left by jack james from in a trash can (150 days 10 hours ago.)
hahahah u guys need to cut the cold sore with a blade and put alcohol in it ....JK dont do it ill make it worse but u guys need to like not care about the cold sore..i have 2 rightnow and i got school 2morow and i dont care..u guys need to grow ballz if u know what i mean
I am very prone to coldsores, i get them a lot. One thing that works well for me is a prescription called zovarax. Ask your doctor, it's a cream and i just reapply it CONSTANTLY ... that seems to work :)
i just got a cold sore and its my first time and my birthdasy is like in 3 days!!!!!! wat can i do i m using blistex a lip ointment and i dont know if it works !!!!! can someone tell me if it works or not OR PLZ give a better solution
» left by Anonymous from colorado (113 days 16 hours ago.)
use ice to stop the swelling, then an alcohal wipe, just hold it over the sore don't massage or wipe it. The ice will bring down the inflamation, the wipe will kill some of the bacteria. Then apply a petrolium based substance on it every 3 hours and aloa vera seams to work as well.
I have and cols sores since i was little. I have not had them bad in a very very long time. Im on vacation from work an was going to send the week with my new bf an i wake up yesterday with on on my lower lip on on the corner on my lower lip down it, one on my top lip up to my nose an my whold upper lip.
i use Abreva it works well except this time. can my doctor give me anyting? or a pill hat a can take daily to elp prevent them?
I woke up with a cold sore and i've had then before. I used abreva but it didnt work than I tried this stuff called Zilactin and it seems to help but takes awhile.. any other remedies if so please comment under me... Please
tooth paste.. SMALL THIN amount.. and only on the cold sore.. despite what ppl say theres really nothing you can do to magically make them go away ASAP but toothpaste will at least help the blisters go away faster so you can hurry to the scabbing part then the bye bye part.
i have a few cold sores on my bottom lip and its very swollen. they are at the crust stage (gross i know) I feel like if the crust flakes off they'll be worse. is that true??
i have one big cold sore all around my lips from my chin to my nose!!!i have school tomorrow and ive had a sweater on with a big neck to cover my mouth up for 6 days now. and when i put on blistex at night in the mourning my lips are crusty and cemented into the position i slept in. i tried washing it and soaking them with a warm cloth but that seams to be making them worse.do i need to see a doctor?
You waited too long to see a doctor. If they are already crusty there is nothing you can do about them now but let them heal. Next time go to the doctor ahead of time (before you have an outbreak) and get a prescription Valtrex. I keep Valtrex on hand in my purse so at the first sign of my fever blisters I can take the pill. This will keep it from growing and it will be gone in a few days and never get large.
Was this article helpful to you? Leave a Public Comment or Question:
This Article has been viewed 19,806 times.
Article added to SearchWarp.com on 10/25/2007 9:53:40 PM. View other articles written byVictor Newton(2,603)
If you found this article interesting, you may want to check out:
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.