What Causes Cold Sore

 

Cold sores are also known as fever blisters. They are a common ailment affecting 60% of Americans during their lifetime. It has a tendency to recur frequently. Small and painful, cold sores are unsightly blisters appearing on the face, mostly around the lips. They seem to come at the most inconvenient time and are difficult to get rid of.

What is a cold sore?

Cold sores are blisters which typically appear on the face near the lips. They look like boils and are filled with fluids. They are commonly known as fever blisters though it has nothing to do with fever. The doctors call it oral herpes. Tiny in shape, they are unsightly and highly uncomfortable. Once they appear, they are very difficult to get rid of. The virus lies dormant within the tissues and erupts recurrently from time to time.

What causes cold sores?

The cold sores are caused by a viral infection. This virus is called Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV). It is of two types, Type I and Type II. The cold sores are caused by HSV I. The word Herpes means to crawl or to creep. This describes the ways in which the lesions spread all over the face.

The cold sores are highly contagious. Direct contact and using common implements often causes the cold sores to spread from one person to another. Kissing and having oral sex causes the virus to spread from one person to another. Apart from this, using common implements liked towels, cosmetics, utensils, razors etc also causes the cold sores to spread from one person to another.

The cold sores are blisters which are filled with clear yellowish fluid. They gradually mature over the course of a few days and then they burst. When this liquid is ejected, that is the time when the cold sores are most contagious. Even if the sores heal, the virus tends to lie dormant within the tissues. They often erupt if there is any trigger.

If you have cold sores, you have to be extra careful that they are not communicated to others. When the blisters burst, that is the time when it is most contagious. Wipe off the liquid frequently and keep a handkerchief especially for the purpose.

You should avoid scratching the cold sores as that would only aggravate the problem. If you happen to touch the sores, you should wash your hands at once with medicated soap.

Be careful not to touch any other part of your body or anybody else with that hand till you have washed it thoroughly. Otherwise, the sores will spread. You should take extra caution not to touch your eyes with your hands after you have touched the cold sores.

Contamination of the eyes leads to chronic corneal ulcer and the sufferer experiences haziness of vision. It is very difficult to completely cure herpes infection of the eyes.