Don’t Let Cold Sores Get You Down

Artistic Touch Dentistry wants you to know how to heal your cold sores. Many people suffer from cold sores, and they are caused by a virus called herpes simplex virus type 1, or HSV-1. Colgate reported that, “45 out of 100 Americans have had cold sores related to the HSV-1 virus. HSV-1 is transmitted by skin or saliva and most people are infected their first time as children.” WebMD shares that some of the symptoms associated with cold sores are:

• Fever
• Sore gums
• Sore throat
• Swollen glands

After you are infected with the virus for the first time, it is dormant in the nerves near the skin. The virus can return, but sometimes people never experience reoccurrences. Doctor’s don’t know why the virus reoccurs, but often times emotional stress, dental treatment, illness, trauma to the lips, or sun exposure can lead to cold sores.

“There is no cure for cold sores. Some medicines can help cold sores heal faster. They may also relieve pain and discomfort. The medicines are valacyclovir (Valtrex), famciclovir (Famvir) and acyclovir (Zovirax). These drugs cannot get rid of the virus. You may need to take one of these drugs each time you have cold sores,” Colgate explains. If you start to take this medicine as soon as you feel the cold sore developing, they can stop the cold sores from popping up in the first place. Some people take them when they know they will be under stress.

Cold sores and canker sores are not the same. Cold sores usually occur outside the mouth, on the lips. Canker sores occur only inside the mouth and are not caused by a virus. If you have any questions about your oral health then please give Artistic Touch Dentistry a call to schedule an appointment with Dr. Maryam Brazdo or Dr. Janice Wahl.