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Cold Sore

What is Herpes Simplex (Cold Sore) ?

A cold sore is a small, painful blister that appears around the lips, nose, or elsewhere on the face, usually occurring in a cluster. The disease is common and highly contagious but not serious, except in newborn babies. A related virus causes similar blisters to erupt on the genitals. People either suffer only attack or several recurrences in their lifetime.

Symptoms

There are 4-stages to a cold sore;

Tingle stage: The skin tingles and itches 1-2 days before the cold sore appears.
Blister stage: This stage begins as a small, raised blotch which swells and forms blisters, either in single or small clusters. The blisters are often very painful.
Weeping stage: The blisters collapse and join up to form a large, weeping sore. The virus can easily spread to other people at this time.
Scab stage: The blisters begin to dry out and heal and a scab begins to form. This stage is most vulnerable to being picked. If picked, the scab will painfully crack and bleed.

Complications

If the blisters erupt in the eye:

- Conjunctivitis.

- Corneal ulcer (open sore in the outer layer of the cornea).

Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).

Cause

Infection by the Herpes simplex Type 1 virus (HSV1). After the initial attack, the virus remains dormant in the nervous system and is reactivated by exposure to excessive heat from the sun or to cold wind; upper respiratory infection(e.g. cold, flu); exhaustion; stress; and menstrual periods in women. A person is highly infectious about two days before the blisters appear (as soon as the tingling sensation begins)until all have healed. The virus is transmitted via direct contact (e.g. kissing on the lips, touching ruptured blisters).

What you can do

Nothing. Just wait for the infection to heal by itself in about a week. Do not burst or scratch the blisters, or peel off the scabs to avoid spreading the infection, and to prevent secondary bacterial infection and scarring.
Avoid direct contact with other people(e.g. kissing etc) to prevent spread of infection.
Avoid excessive exposure to heat from the sun or to cold wind.
Apply petrolatum(petroleum jelly)and/or antviral cream to soothe the itch.
Take simple painkillers.
Consult your doctor or pharmacist if the blisters appear in the eye.

WHAT YOUR DOCTOR/PHARMACIST CAN DO FOR YOU

Prescribe antiviral cream and tablet.
Prescribe antibiotics, if there is secondary infection.
Treat the complications.

Prevention tips

Avoid direct contact with a person who has cold sores until all the blisters have healed.
Do not share handkerchiefs or towels.
Try to stay as healthy as possible. Do your best to avoid respiratory infections even if you have not had cold sores yet. The first attack may already be silent, and you may already be carrying a dormant virus.

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