Do you wonder why small blisters pop out in your lips and around your mouth? Most probably, you are a host of one type of virus that can cause the blisters or cold sores to appear. Read on and find out what this disease is as well as its treatment and prevention.
Cold sores or fever blisters are small blisters that pop out at the lips or around the mouth. The skin with blisters usually becomes swollen, red and sore. Blisters start to break open few days after they developed, release transparent fluid, and scab few more days later. The disease begins to heal after the maximum period of two weeks.
The main culprit that causes cold sores is herpes simplex virus which is of two types, namely HSV-1 and HSV-2. The two types are also the main cause for genital herpes.
Herpes simplex virus can enter the body when there is a break in the skin or inside the mouth. The virus can be quickly transmitted to another person by kissing, using the utensils, and touching the saliva of an infected person.
The first symptoms of cold sores include pain in the mouth or lips, fever, sore throat, and swollen glands at different parts of the body. Days after the blisters developed, they break open, release transparent liquid, scab after few days more, and disappear from the skin after the maximum period of two weeks.
It is not difficult for a doctor to find out if you have cold sore blister . After several questions, the doctor finds out how you come in contact with the virus. This simple procedure is enough and diagnostic tests are no more needed.
Two weeks is the maximum time before the infected person gets healed. However, the disease brings with it uncomfortable symptoms which can be embarrassing and irritating. To eliminate these symptoms, an infected person can make use of treatments such as skin creams, ointments, and pills which can be bought at any drugstore. Taking these treatments can heal the disease two days faster than taking no treatment at all.
Although there are a number of treatments for cold sores, the virus proves to be difficult to fight off. An infected person will not be healed anymore of the cold sores. What treatments can do is decrease the number of sores or blisters but cannot get rid of virus.
Because of this, preventive measures must be taken by those who are not yet infected. Avoiding coming in contact with infected persons and using his belongings are effective preventive measures against cold sores. Boosting immune system by taking nutritious diet is considered the best way to prevent cold sores because the virus can hardly wreak havoc to the body when there are enough agents inside that can fight it off.