Have you recently had your first cold sore? Or maybe you've had a few of them?
You don't have to settle for those single-use creams and gels that barely get
you through an entire outbreak. You can do more to treat cold sores. But first,
you need to know as much as you can about them.
What Are Cold Sores?
You may have heard one of these names for cold sores: fever blisters, kissing
blisters, or oral herpes, to name a few. But no matter what they're called, a
cold sore starts from the same place: a viral infection.
Medically speaking, these infections are called HSV-1, or the herpes simplex
virus. For many people they appear on the skin with a tingling feeling, or there
appears to be some redness on the skin. Eventually, they become bubbly, reddish
blisters on or around your mouth and lips (and sometimes other areas). While you
may feel alone, you're not.
How Did I Get A Cold Sore In The First Place?
There are a number of ways that you may have gotten the cold sore virus. One way
is that you may have gotten the virus a long time ago and may have never known
it. It can lie asleep for years, until something wakes it up (for example,
stress or hormonal changes). And then there it is: you've got a cold sore.
Another common way for cold sores to spread is to come in contact with someone
else who may have the virus. Maybe you kissed someone who had a small blister.
Or maybe they were in the middle of an outbreak (with a visible lesion or signs
of blistering) and you kissed them. There are other ways that you can get a
cold sore, like sharing a towel with someone who may have an active lesion or
cold sore. But no matter how you got the virus, the truth is, cold sores are
contagious.
If you feel a cold sore coming on, there's something you can do. First, be
careful not to spread it to anyone else. Then, ask your doctor about ZOVIRAX®
(acyclovir) Cream 5%. While it's not a cure for cold sores and does not prevent
transmission, it is a prescription antiviral cream indicated for the treatment
of recurrent cold sores. It may help you zero in on your cold sores and shorten
the length of time you have them.