Healthcare in America is certainly quite different from UK healthcare. Here we have the luxury of knowing that if we are injured or develop an illness, and we can't pay for it privately, the NHS will take us under its wing. In America there is a very real danger of going bankrupt if you need medical care.
There's no denying that the symptoms of a cold sore are unpleasant. Lasting about 12 days without treatment, the pain, swelling, redness, and dry skin caused by an outbreak can cause discomfort, as well as embarrassment.
If you have never had a cold sore (aka fever blister) before, or an outbreak you are experiencing didn't begin with the usual tingling sensations, you may be suffering from another condition instead.
Genital herpes is described by the NHS as "a common infection caused by the herpes simplex virus". The Herpes Viruses Association states that around 25% of the UK's sexually active population have been exposed to genital herpes (HSV-2) - but might not necessarily have experienced recurring symptoms or be aware they are carrying the virus.
You might already be aware that while developing Herstat, our highly effective cold sore treatment, we decided to include propolis as an ingredient. We did this in order to preserve the ointment and prevent it from becoming contaminated by the HSV-1 virus within the tube after being opened and used for the first time.
According to the NHS Blood and Transplant website Give Blood, more than 25% of people in the UK will require blood from a donor at some point in their lives, and only 4% of adults are currently donating their blood to the cause.
When did humans become infected with the herpes simplex virus which causes cold sores? With 20 to 30% of the UK population suffering from recurring outbreaks, and an estimated 67% of the global population carrying the oral (HSV-1) or genital (HSV-2) variation of the virus, it is certainly a mystery that needed solving.
Typically cold sores will appear on or around your lips after the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) becomes active in the trigeminal ganglion and travels back up the nerve to the skin.
However, one of the complications of cold sores is that they can spread to other parts of the body. When this occurs it is known as secondary infection.
Medicinal products should be disposed of according to their expiry date - their shelf life can sometimes be quite short, meaning that you have to buy a replacement if and when the ailment reappears.
Human beings have suffered from cold sores, which are caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), for centuries. In fact, there is even thought to be a reference to them in what is arguably Shakespeare's most famous play Romeo and Juliet.
