Cold Sores - How To Treat Cold Sores

By Author: Joe Islab
Total Articles: 13
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Cold sores are a lot more common than you think. Caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus type 1, (type 2 is the version that causes genital herpes) this virus is estimated to be carried by 80% of the American population. And so far there is still no known cure for cold sores, why?

The cold sore virus is extremely good at hiding in the body, also it is one of the tiniest pathogens known.  To give you an idea, when this virus shuts down and hibernates, it is small enough to hide in a single nerve cell, hence why it is so hard to detect. And it is not just medical science this virus evades, because it is so small even our own bodies natural defence mechanism is unable to spot it. So now you have a better understanding of why the scientists have been unable to come up with a permanent cure. But, what causes it to stop hibernating and then cause an outbreak?

Well as mentioned, the virus is actually in your nervous system, and because of this it knows exactly the right time and conditions for it to replicate. And when it feels it is the right time, this is when it will move along the nervous system to the area that it ...
... is going to break out at. When this is happening, you will probably feel a tingling sensation. Incidentally the virus only comes alive to replicate. But what are the conditions that cause it to become alive?

One of the main causes that lead to an outbreak is stress, the reason for this is because stress makes so many changes chemically to us and reduces the immune system.
Because of this it is important that you try to eat right and make sure you have a good nutritional intake, as this improves the level of stress your body can handle before an outbreak occurs.

When you do have an outbreak, please act responsibly as the virus is highly contagious. This means no kissing or sharing things like eating utensils or towels and such like. Also, remember if you touch the sore with your hand, to ensure you wash them before touching the skin of anyone else. So now that you know what causes the outbreak, how can you treat them?

There are many ways to treat cold sores, and a lot of over the counter remedies are available, but to attack the cold sore straight away there are a couple of household items you can use. The first is to apply an ice cube to the affected area. The reason this is recommended is because it is believed to stop the condition worsening, but in addition to that it also gives instant pain relief. If you do this remember to put the ice cube in a cloth before pressing it on the sore so that it does not stick to the skin. Another home remedy you can use is to apply a used tea bag on the cold sore. The reason for this is because the tannin found in tea is believed to be effective against the cold sore virus.