|
 Cold sores – we all know how icky they can be! There’s nothing worse than having a big, swollen sore right on your lips for the entire world to stare at…
Not to worry though, those crusty little blisters can be easily kicked to the curb. So say hello to clear, gorgeous, cold sore free skin – woo hoo!  What are cold sores? Cold sores are caused by a viral infection that attacks the skin and nervous system. They are small, painful, fluid-filled blisters that appear around the mouth or nose. The blisters last a few days then burst, leaving a crusted and hard blister which takes around a week to heal. In other words, they aren't very pretty! What causes them? Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus (the same virus that causes genital herpes – eek!). The fluid in the blisters contains a live virus which can easily be spread from one person to another. The infection can be spread by kissing, sharing food or drink, or by not washing your hands after touching the sores.  Once you are infected, the virus continues to live in your body, even after the sores have gone! There are several factors which can increase the chances of the virus becoming active again. You’re most susceptible after an injury, such as a scrape or too much exposure to the sun, when you’re sick, after dental treatment, when you’re stressed or tired and when pregnant. Unfortunately it’s not possible to predict how often you will have cold sores. They are just one of those tricky things – some people will get them regularly, while others may never get them at all! What are the symptoms? About 24 hours before you see blisters you may have a sense of numbness, tingling, itching or burning. Then a small cluster of tiny blisters will appear on your lip or the skin around your lips. So if you feel the tingling – it’s time to take action!  What about nutrition?Your diet plays a huge role in the preventing and resolving of cold sores. Often the salvia has become too acidic due to eating very (surprise, surprise) acidic foods (think meat and protein foods). If you are prone to cold sores you should eat foods that are high in lysine (an essential amino acid) such as whole milk and cheese, fish, chicken, beans and brewers yeast. Foods to avoid are chocolate, nuts, gelatine, oats, wheat and soybean foods. How do I treat a cold sore? Thankfully there are lots of great treatment options available. Although most cold sores will go away by themselves, treatments will help to clear them up a lot quicker. Try an over the counter antiviral agent like Zovirax. In extreme cases there are also prescription antiviral medications that can be prescribed by your doctor. You can also try applying apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil and vitamin E oil. Lysine tablets are also great to help prevent and treat cold sores. Tips for dealing with cold sores - Throw away your tooth brush once you’ve had a cold sore as the virus can linger in there - eww!
- Try not to get too stressed out – high levels of stress are often a trigger of cold sores, so make sure you take the time to chill out and relax now and again.
- If you have a seriously itchy cold sore, don’t scratch it! Try putting an ice pack over it for a few minutes.
Ramarea
.jpg)
|
