Posts tagged Herpes

Getting your first cold sore can be unsettling because it isn\’t just the seven to ten day duration that is difficult but knowing it can recur in the future on the lip. Just as the chicken pox virus can recur in future as shingles, so the herpes simplex virus 1 can be re-activated. It remais in the nerve sheaths and when the immune system is low, you are run down or during hormonal changes it can surface again.

Be sure to have a good diet, get enough sleep and use a sun protection factor sunscreen on your lip when you are outdoors. You\’ll notice the stages of first having a tingle or itch. This isn\’t always caught. After that there will be a small red bump on the lip which can grow. It isn\’t a pimple and you can tell it\’s different. It can get quite inflamed. The blister may bleed a little as it starts to heal and it gets stimulated due to eating. It needs to scab and finally it will resolve. After it heals the skin on lip area may seem slightly pinker but this will go away.

During this process don\’t touch the cold sore. It is tempting to constantly gauge if it\’s growing or shrinking but it\’s too easy to then touch another part of your body or lip and possibly spread it. We don\’t always remember to wash our hands when we have cold sore symptoms. Be careful about any part of your skin that are vulnerable already such as eczema outbreaks, acne, insect bites or broken areas. Be careful around others to not spread the virus via sharing forks, kissing or touch.

Antivirals can be prescribed by your doctor and you can also use lysine, vitamins and other supplements to build up your immune system. Do not let your self-consciousness stop you from enjoying each day and know that this sore will resolve.