The symptoms the cold sore virus HSV-1 causes can be painful and unsightly. If you suffer from recurring cold sore outbreaks, you will understandably want to reduce their frequency as much as possible.
Cold sores are the bane of many people's lives – 20 to 30 per cent of the UK population's lives to be more precise.
In a few months it will be summer, and you might already have a holiday booked. Whether you're off to the Caribbean for two weeks, Edinburgh for a couple of days, or haven't made any plans at all, there are probably two things you'd rather not see – rain, and a cold sore developing.
There are many natural cold sore remedies available to those who are seeking a different type of treatment from the usual pharmaceutical route. For example, pressing wet tea bags or ice onto your cold sore might reduce the sensations of pain. However, many of the benefits these remedies provide are relatively short-lived and only deal with one aspect of cold sore symptoms.
Cold sores tend to develop when your immune system is weakened. This is because, at these low points, it is easier for the HSV-1 virus to replicate, since your body's defences don't put up as much of a fight as they would normally do.
Cold sores and herpes are inextricably linked. The virus that causes cold sores is a type of oral herpes – herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Genital herpes, which is most often connected to sexually transmitted diseases, is caused by the HSV-2 strain of this virus.
Around 20-30% of the population suffer from cold sore outbreaks yet, thankfully, there are a variety of treatments available which can reduce symptoms and potentially speed healing.
Without any treatment, most cold sores will heal within twelve days, but that is a long time to suffer from this painful condition, not to mention the often unpleasant visible signs of the virus.
Getting to the supermarket from my apartment is pretty easy: I simply step out of the door, take a left, head down the street, take another left, first right – sorted. Alternatively, if those directions are a bit complicated (luckily for me, they aren’t) there are other ways for me to communicate this information, such as downloading a map from Google or using satellite navigation programs.
We are proud to announce the launch of our new website. On it you will find in-depth information about our Herstat cold sore treatment ointment, our LipCare stick, clinical trials, the herpes simplex virus, and the symptoms of cold sores, as well as other useful facts.
