Holidays! They should be great days of fantastic fun which contain all manner of adventures, but, if you're no stranger to a fever blister outbreak, your trip may well start off with THE dreaded tingle and then you know you're going to be blighted.
Of course, the best defense against cold sores is preventing them from happening in the first place. So, while you may be able to pack a tube of Herstat Lip Care Ointment in your suitcase, to help relieve the symptoms of cold sores, understanding why travel is a trigger for cold sores could help you prevent an outbreak in the first place.
Why do cold sores love holidays?
Getting a fever blister around the time you're meant to be relaxing on holiday may seem like a stroke of unfortunate luck, but there are some reasons why an outbreak may occur while you're enjoying some time off.
It turns out that a few of the most common cold sore triggers tend to be encountered during a holiday, and some of these HSV-1 triggers mean that fever blisters may occur before you even get off the plane. Let's take a look at the biggest culprits, as well as some useful ways to help alleviate them.
Pre-holiday stress - Although we all like to think that holidays are the perfect time to unwind, the days leading up to a holiday are rarely calm. There always seems to be last-minute work commitments, passports which are suddenly lost or out of date, and the horrible fight to keep luggage below the airline's baggage allowance. Many people become overtired and stressed before they set off and this means that their immune system is low.
When a cold sore sufferer's immune system dips, the virus takes this opportunity to reactivate and produce a cold sore. If the traveler is fighting a cold or minor infection, or the cramped confines of a long haul cabin mean they are breathing recycled air for hours on end, then the body will be working overtime to fight off any spread of infection. By the time the holidaymaker heads for the hotel, a cold sore could already be manifesting.
What time is it? - Jet lag causes all sorts of issues for cold sore sufferers, and even mild sleep deprivation (late nights are a holiday staple for many) can be a cold sore trigger. So, it doesn't matter what time of night, or day it occurs, getting six to eight hours of sleep each 24 hour period could help halt a cold sore outbreak by preventing the body from becoming tired and run down.
Pass the sunblock - Strong sunlight is a well-known cold sore trigger for many sufferers and the use of a great quality lip balm with ingredients to help reduce UV-A and UV-B damage will always help.
However, getting sunburned on any part of the skin means the body goes into overdrive to heal the affected area; this then leaves a door open for HSV-1 to launch an attack on the lips. So, to prevent sunlight from being a trigger, it is really important to cover up or use a quality sunscreen which protects against harmful UV rays.
The sun's rays can cause much more severe problems for your skin other than cold sores, so a quality sunscreen with the appropriate SPF for your skin is an essential item for any holiday to protect against harmful UV rays.
What's on the menu? Holidays are often seen as a chance to let go a bit, and it's unlikely that you want to be constantly watching what you eat. But a change of diet can wreak havoc on the skin and it's no lesser problem for cold sore sufferers. A healthy diet which avoids foods high in arginine (such as beer, peanuts, cola and chocolate) and is high in Vitamins B, C and E, plus the mineral zinc and amino acid lysine, can go a long way in cold sore prevention.
Yet, it's not always easy while on holiday to make sure that diets remain full of healthy foodstuffs and if the body is suddenly deprived of certain items it can mean that a cold sore rears its ugly head. Simple solutions such as good quality supplements can save the day when the right type of food is simply not available, and why not keep a lookout for healthy alternatives to boost consumption of the diet essentials which are key in helping to fight off cold sores.
Herstat can help
You may think that packing a cold sore relief ointment is unnecessary when you leave for your long-awaited holiday, but including a couple of tubes of Herstat is a very sensible thing to do. Then, if you feel that dreaded tingle, you know you can start using our high-quality lip protectant as soon as possible to keep your lips in great shape.
So, don't fear your annual leave, but don't leave the Herstat at home! Order online today.
