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What Really Causes Cold Sores?

By Anna Williams

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 14May2009
Word count: 421
Viewed: 311 time(s)

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Well, first of all, what are cold sores? They are lesions on the lips, or on the skin near the mouth.

People can be exposed to different causes of cold sores, each and every day. They are often referred to as "fever blisters." These lesions can be painful, and usually last for a few days. They are caused by a virus. But, unlike other viral infections, these sores are not completely eliminated by our body's defense system. This is the reason why they usually recur over time.

So ... What Causes cold sores?

The herpes simplex virus is the main cause of cold sores. There are two types of herpes simplex virus, but the main culprit for these fever blisters is Type 1. This type affects the body tissues that are found above the waistline.

Most viral infections are caused by exposure to the germs themselves, but this is not one of the causes of a cold sore. It occurs, not with the recent contact with the herpes simplex virus, but with the reactivation of the HSV (Herpes Simplex Virus) particles that are already in your body. These germs are already residing inside the body before being reactivated, but are then "awoken."

Initial contact with the virus does not result in the formation of the actual sores; and therefore it cannot be detected at once.

A person with this virus would first be inflicted with fever, headache, and difficulty swallowing. The person might also be easily irritable. A day or two after these initial symptoms occur, the person will feel pain in his mouth, and the gums will be inflamed. On the third day blisters appear near the mouth or lips. The blisters will pop, over time, but the person's mouth will remain painful it will be hard to eat.

The sores themselves will heal over time. The infection period is between 10 to 14 days. But when the virus remains in the body, cold sores can repeat again at a later date.

Most cases of such an infection occur before the age of seven. This is why many people don't know the actual causes. Further, the majority of people who are inflicted with fever blisters (another word for cold sores) don't even know they have them. The symptoms are subclinical, and not obvious to the normal person. The patient might only feel one or two mild sores near his mouth.

Fever usually accompanies the sores, and the common flu virus can also reactivate the virus. Getting your skin sunburned might also trigger cold sores.

What do you do when you have cold sores? How do you treat them? There are many natural remedies which can be tried. For more information on treatments and remedies for cold sores, please visit Cold Sores - Treatement & Remedies.

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