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Some call them fever blisters, others cold sores. Whatever you call those ugly sores that pop around your lips or around your nostrils, they are extremely unwelcome and can certainly ruin the date you had planned for Saturday night.
Most people are even more discouraged when they find out that fever blisters are causes by the herpes simplex I virus, a close cousin to incurable genital herpes. Like their uglier cousin, herpes simplex I have no cure, and once you get them, you will very likely get them again periodically throughout the year, although your first outbreak will probably be the worst.
The most common types are fever blisters are canker sores and herpes simplex I. other rarer forms of mouth sores are caused by tuberculosis, syphilis, Vincent’s disease, Behcet’s syndrome, leukemia, anemia, or drug allergies.
Canker Sores
Canker sores are tiny crater-like lesions inside of the mouth that can appear on a under the tongue or inside the cheeks, alone or in a group. Minor canker sores affect about 20% of the population at any given time. The sore is usually small and oval with a gray center and a surrounding red, inflamed halo. Cankers have not been proven to have a viral origin, and they are not contagious, or a sign of any other disease. They are painful and irritation; but hey do tend to go away by themselves in about a week.
Avoid Stress and Take Vitamin C
It is a not clear what causes canker sores to appear. They sem to be stress-related for some people, but stress can also be a side effect of the sores. Heredity may play a role, and some women find that they recur at the some time each month during their menstrual cycle. Some people have claimed that food allergies instigate the sores, and others blame a lack of Vitamin C and the diet. One last suspect is trauma, the kind that comes from biting your tongue or the inside of your cheek. If sores persist more than two weeks, see your doctor.
Herpes I
The herpes simplex virus is different from canker sores in that they are extremely contagious. Herpes simplex type I is the virus that affects the mouth and facial areas, although it can be transmitted to the genital area through oral-genital sex. The virus can be transmitted through direct contact with a lesion, through contact with fluid from a lesion, and through contact with the virus even when no symptoms are present in the infected person.
First is Worst
The first outbreak is usually the worst and last the longest. After this outbreak, the virus lives in the nerve pathways around the area of the initial infection. The virus symptoms can and probably will recur, always at the some site, but they will be much less serious that he first outbreak. Often HSV I is reactivated because of circumstances that can be controlled, such as extensie sun exposure, elevated stress, fever, and for some people, possible form foods like nuts, seeds, and chocolate, so avoid these.
There is no cure for herpes I, so treatment is prescribed to relieve pain, avoid infections, and prevent spreading of the virus. There are various over-the-counter medications to alleviate pain, burning, and itching, and to shorten the like of the outbreak.
For more information about any of these types of blisters, you can contact the Herpas Resource center at 1-800-230-6039 and the National Herpes Hotline at 1-919-361-8488.
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