67% of people have the herpes simplex virus type 1 and a common symptom of the virus is
cold sores otherwise known as fever blisters. In this video, we will look at what causes
cold sores, how to treat cold sores to get rid of them, and finally how to prevent them.
Stay tuned until the end.
So first things first: theres nothing to be embarrassed about if a cold sore pops up on
your lip. Many people get cold sores, so you’re definitely not alone. Plus, if you’re healthy,
it’ll likely heal up and go away on its own. But to speed things up and prevent them
for the most part, lets first look at what they are and how they occur. Cold sores are
tiny, fluid-filled blisters found on and around your lips. Many people mistaken them for canker
sores, which are only found inside the moist areas in the mouth. Cold sores are not canker
sores. The blisters on the outer edge of your lip or on your lip are often grouped together
in patches and After the blisters break, a crust forms over the sore. They are the most
contagious when your blisters are oozing, so keep that in mind. But you can still transmit
the virus to others even if you don't have blisters. The good thing is that Itll usually
heal on its own in 2-4 weeks without leaving a scar. So the way it works, is that The virus
infects into the moist inner layer of the mouth,often spread from person to person by
close contact, such as kissing or oral sex. And After the infection, the virus settles
in a nearby nerve sheath and remains there for the rest of your life. Its usually inactive
for the most part and gives you no symptoms at all until it decides to travel to your
mouth area to give you a cold sore blister. And currently There's no cure for the infection,
and the blisters may return at any given time. Recurrences typically appear at the same spot
each time and they tend to be less severe than the first outbreak. So The ways to prevent
the infection is lets say your getting them frequently, your doctor will prescribe you
to take antiviral medications on a regular basis thatll help. They can be a tablet or
a cream to reduce the length of the outbreak or as a preventative measure, and if they
happen once in a while, lets say triggered by sunlight, applying sunblock to the area
is shown to help. But to help prevent it from spreading to other parts of your body and
to others: avoid skin to skin contact and intimate contact while the blisters are still
present, avoid sharing utensils, towels, lipbalm, cosmetics, etc while blisters are present,
make sure your hands are clean as much as you can especially after treating it or touching
it, avoid eating acidic foods, replace your toothbrush when you get a cold sore and replace
it again after it is healed, and avoid picking at it if its open and popping it if its full.
Cuz Thatll just make it worse. When it comes to treating it: there are 2 major triggers
that flare up the outbreak, you should know of. Stress and other medical illnesses. See,
When your immune system is compromised, it’s less likely to fight off viruses. Giving the
virus the upperhand, but to an extent. The best thing you can do in the meantime is to
have those regular checkups, follow your doctors instructions, and keep trying your best to
maintain that healthy lifestyle, which includes eating right,clean, and well as well as getting
enough exercise throughout the week. But If you’re experiencing a lot of stress, try
some stress-relief techniques that have worked for you in the past, whether that is breathing
techniques, yoga, meditation, or journaling. Let me know what helps with your stress in
the description below. There is also alternative methods that don't have a lot of scientific
conclusive evidence to back them up, but have worked for others: such as a lysine supplements
or creams to be rubbed on, propolis which is a synthetic beeswax ointment if applied
early on can shorten the duration of the breakout, rhubarb and sage cream to be applied on, licorice
root, lemon balm extract, and zinc have all been used too. Links are all in the description
below if you want to give them a try. What seems to help also is a cool compress for
soothing the sore because it removes any crusty areas around the lips that can be irritating.
I personally would recommend trying over the counter abreva though, at the very first sign
of your cold sore too which is that first feeling of a tingle, bump, or itch coming
on, dont wait until a blister or scab forms before you try it on. Their website actually
claims it can get rid of cold sore in as little as 2½ days if used at the first sign, which
is a lot better than 14. So it may not hurt to try. Definitely check back with your doctor
if you feel like your symptoms are too severe, if you have irritation in your eyes, if they
dont heal in 2 weeks, or if they are occurring too frequently. I hope this video was able
to help out in someway. If you did like the video and found it useful, please give it
a like now, subscribe, and share the video with someone you might think would benefit
from the info. If you know of any alternative methods that are known to help, leave them
in the comments below, im looking forward to your comments and until then, see you on
the next one.