| Cold sores are a very common infection of the | | | | brushing or braces or chemical irritation). |
| mouth and occur in epidemic proportions, with the | | | | Cold sores need to be treated at the first sign of |
| United States alone reporting around 100 million | | | | an outbreak and they are at their most |
| recurring infections every year! In fact, it is | | | | contagious when they rupture, but do remain |
| thought that 80%-90% of the US population will | | | | contagious until they have completely healed. |
| have been infected with a cold sore virus by the | | | | They are annoying but on the most part harmless |
| time they reach the age of fifty. These cold | | | | in children and adults, with the possible exceptions |
| sores can cause pain and discomfort and are | | | | of severely weakened immune systems due to a |
| extremely contagious, particularly during the first | | | | condition such as AIDS. |
| two or three days following an outbreak. | | | | Cold sores are probably more emotionally painful |
| Cold sores are caused by a viral infection that | | | | than physical, with some unpleasant social |
| attacks the skin and the nervous system, called | | | | consequences as the sufferer is more than likely |
| Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV1). When they | | | | to be stigmatised by having the visible lesions in |
| erupt, they can be found on or around the lips, | | | | full view of everyone they happen to come into |
| gums, tongue and cheek and are very often an | | | | contact with. Quite often, people that do not |
| indication of a weakened immune system. A lot | | | | suffer from this condition view it as something |
| of times the cold sore is confused with a canker | | | | trivial but in reality that is just not the case. The |
| sore but it is worth bearing in mind that cold | | | | pain can sometimes be quite intense, especially |
| sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus | | | | during the first couple of days after an outbreak. |
| whereas canker sores are almost certainly caused | | | | You cannot heal cold sores but with an abundance |
| by stress or local trauma (for example, biting the | | | | of cold sores home remedies readily available |
| inside of the cheek or lips, injury caused by tooth | | | | nowadays, the sufferer is fighting back! |