Cold sores are a rather common occurrence and are characterized by the development of rather small, fluid filled blisters - most commonly around the mouth. They are also known as fever blisters because of the fact that they usually accompany a fever. These sores are usually very painful but will usually disappear within a few days. Another factor one needs to be aware of when dealing with cold sores is the fact that, unlike most other viral infections, the cold sore virus is never completely eliminated from the body - thus causing cold sores to reoccur. There are a number of stages that cold sores go through during their development. During the initial stage, the patient will experience some amount of soreness and swelling in addition to the tightening of the skin around the area where the sore will develop. In a couple of days, the blister will become visible and in clusters. On the fourth day, these blisters will rupture and leave an ulcer looking footprint before the surface turns gray in color. Given another few days, the ulceration will dry out completely and a crust will form over the wound. Once the scab has formed, the patient is likely to experience a substantial amount of itching. The entire process takes about a fortnight from the initial symptoms to completely heal. The main cause of their development is a virus known as the herpes simplex virus, which is contagious. Some of the more common forms of contact through which the virus is passed on from one individual to another include shaking hands, exchange of saliva such as in kissing. Some factors that are known to prompt a re-occurrence include stress, ultraviolet radiation, trauma to the skin and hormonal changes.
Because cold sores are such a common occurrence, there are a number of beneficial treatment options that would prove to be rather effective. For example, when you feel the development of a cold sore, you should try applying some ice over the area for a period of about 5 to 10 minutes on a regular basis to prevent their further development. Rubbing aloe juice or gel over the affected area is also known to help contain the condition while applying cornstarch paste is also known to have its benefits. The tannic acid content of tea leaves have antiviral properties that are known to be very good in the treatment of cold sores.
answered by G M