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Let's look at the 8 distinct cold sore stages, and what you can do now to lessen the severity, discomfort and length of your cold sore event.
Cold sore stages 2-8 are the active stages and you are very contagious during this time. Usually 3 to 4 weeks is the average life-span of a cold sore. Much depends on your health and choice of treatments for each of your cold sore stages.
COLD SORE STAGE: #1 - LATENT - Here the herpes simplex virus (also referred to as the cold sore virus) is hiding in the nerve ganglia near the back of the jaw on the same side as your sore usually appears.
Your cold sore virus may "sleep" for weeks or years without incident. Your body's defense "soldiers" keep them in check. When there is stress in another part of your body, the defenses may drop at this location. Then the virus may wake up and travel to the surface to replicate.
COLD SORE STAGE: # 2 - PRODROME - The cold sore virus reproductive cycle begins here. The cold sore virus travels down your nerve fibers to the surface. This movement causes your cold sore target area to itch or tingle. You may even notice a burning or dryness sensation. This stage could last a few hours to a few days before entering the more intense cold sore stages.
COLD SORE STAGE: # 3 - INFLAMMATION Your cold sore virus has now arrived at the surface and begins it's reproductive cycle by entering the cells at the end of the nerve. This causes a lot of swelling and redness at the cold sore site as your cells react to being invaded by the herpes cold sore virus .
COLD SORE STAGE: # 4 - PRE-SORE - Cold sores at this stage are defined by the appearance of cold sore vesicles. A full blown cold sore is not one big blister but a grouping of small blisters called vesicles. You will notice these vesicles as tiny, hard pimples or red bumps that are painfully sensitive to the touch.
COLD SORE STAGE: # 5 - OPEN SORE - Your most painful and contagious of the cold sore stages. All the vesicles break open and merge to create one big open, weeping sore. Depending on the severity, you may develop a fever and swollen lymph glands under the jaw.
The weeping fluid is teaming with newly born cold sore viruses. Touching this fluid, you could easily spread the cold sore virus to another part of your own body or to someone else - either by direct touch or shared objects such as hand towels, telephones, and faucets.
COLD SORE STAGE: # 6 - CRUSTING - A cold sore will develop a yellowish crust or scab as it begins to finally start the healing process. Your cold sore is still painful at this stage. More painful, however, is the constant cracking of your cold sore scab when you move or stretch your lips, as in smiling.
COLD SORE STAGE: # 7- HEALING - Cold sores, once scabbed over, begin healing from the inside out. As new skin forms under the crust, you will experience continued itching, irritation and some pain. Your cold sore virus is now retreating back to the nerve ganglia area where it will sleep until the next opportunity.
COLD SORE STAGE: # 8 - POST SCAB - Cold sores at this stage no longer have a visible cold sore scab and your skin has healed.
But use caution - under your new skin, healing is still taking place as the destroyed cells are regenerated. This produces a reddish area that may linger for another 2 to 14 days - depending on your personal healing speed.
You are still contagious until this red spot disappears. This waiting is the most frustrating of the cold sore stages.
WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW -
Cold sore over-the-counter medications, experts agree, are primarily comfort treatments for the cold sore stages. Some contain numbing agents that greatly reduce your pain. Some cold sore medications contain an anti-bacterial to prevent secondary infections.
None of these store-bought remedies have been shown to actually shorten the life-span of your cold sore stages.
Medical science has been working feverishly on a cure for the herpes virus but have not, as yet, had any real success in developing an effective cold sore remedy.
Prescription anti-virals, both the oral versions and the topical salves, have been a dismal failure for the most part. Vaccines are being tested but are 3-4 years out yet. New breakthroughs could be just around the corner however.
But you don't need to wait!
More and more doctors now agree. There are times when natural remedies just seem to be the best choice. Often our ONLY choice. This is definitely true - right now - for cold sores.
Data studies have shown natural home remedies can reduce the cold sore events by as much as 79%. Not so with commercial cold sore remedies.
Yes! And, in fact, these home remedies can actually prevent your cold sores from taking place at all.
If you are a cold sore victim, you would be well advised to look into these powerful natural remedies without delay for shortening or eliminating all your cold sore stages. ------------------------ Denny Bodoh is a newspaper manager and 38 year veteran health research writer. If you would like to know more about Cold Sore Treatment, cold sore stages and what you can do to get rid of cold sores fast, visit his excellent web site at: http://www.be-cold-sore-free.com/ |
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