From the NHS web site
The herpes simplex virus, or 'cold sore virus', is highly contagious, and can be easily passed from person to person by close direct contact.
From the NHS web site
The herpes simplex virus, or 'cold sore virus', is highly contagious, and can be easily passed from person to person by close direct contact.
Guess that means that I’m finishing off the Christmas chocolates then!
You won’t catch a cold sore off someone, but you can catch the virus from someone who is suffering (but only when they have an actual sore, not if they are asymptomatic), and may then develop a cold sore later on – months or years later. If you did have them as a teenager, then you’ve got the virus anyway. I’m the same – have had about 2 in my life, but not for years.
I don't think they're very contagious. On occasion, people have been prepared to kiss me despite the presence of the oozing encrustations and they haven't immediately responded by popping up blisters everywhere. I accept that this might occur further on down the line but sufficiently far removed in time for me not to get the blame. I'm sure I should have been practising Safe Snogging but at the time it didn't seem like a good idea.
I think it's likely that many people have the virus but it mainly lies dormant in them for whatever reason. I didn't get any until my early thirties when life went through a particularly stressful phase. I got loads of cold sores during that time but now I only get the occasional small one. I also had shingles when I was 19 (Herpes zoster, now that was really grim, cold-sore misery x 100) which is reputed to cause subsequent attacks but if so it took a decade or more to get around to it.
I've had cold sores ever since I was a kid, I blame my mum who also suffered - neither my brother or my dad get them. I've also had boyfriends in the past who didn't mind kissing me when I had them the neither of them have ever suffered either!
Don't know if women are more susceptible (or more stressed) but I think more women get them than men.
I've tried ice cubes, without the lemon, and had a pretty good success rate. But you do have to be near ice when you get the tingle.
I now use the compeed cold sore patches (but I do now tend to get sores in the middle of my lips, not corners of my mouth as I used to when I was younger).
Again, if you catch them early the patches can really help. Even if you don't get them early enough and the sore starts to develop, the patch stops the scab drying out and cracking and all the while emparts healing chemicals. They also decrease the chances of spreading them.
Just don't even try to put lipstick / balm or anything greasy on them 'cos they'll just peel off (even a decent fish supper can be enough)
The light thing sounds good though, look forward to hearing how it works for you.
It's been a while since I studied HSV but all viruses rely on using receptors on the surface of human cells to get inside the cell and take it over to reproduce. As far as I can remember most receptors are not related to what sex you are, more just the usual mix of genetics, your Mum had the receptors but your Dad didn't and it just so happens that you got the gene that produce the receptors and your brother didn't. I know My Mum is very susceptible to cold sores, as am I, but my Dad isn't.
Some years back when my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 Lung Cancer we tried everything we could to give us some hope. This meant that (amongst all the other stuff) I did a lot of research into alternative herbal treatments and about the only one with any medical research backing it was based around an extract taken from the Coriolus Versicolor (Turkey Tail) mushroom.
Amongst its properties (other than the alleged anti-cancer aspect) was the fact that it had been used for centuries as an adjunct nutritional supplement with regard to a range of chronic and acute viral and other immune deficient conditions – Herpes being one of those.
Throughout his life I hardly remember my Dad ever suffering from cold sores, but with the onset of the cancer, the chemo and the obvious stress relating to all of this he did go through a phase of having them virtually constantly – and all I can tell you is that about 6 weeks after taking the Coriolus supplements everyday they completely cleared up. So they might be worth a try? There’s lots of information on them on the net and they are fairly easy to get in the UK – and as a natural immune booster it seems like a good supplement to take anyway.
Hope that helps? By the way, I can also report (in Dad’s case anyway) that they don’t cure cancer…
*geeky scientist alert*
There are eight different human herpes viruses, and once you've caught one, it may persist for life, although it may never re-occur. You can also shed the virus without having any apparent disease, although shedding usually occurs with an outbreak:
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (cold sores)
Herpes Simplex Virus 2 (genital herpes)
Varicella Zoster Virus (Chickenpox and shingles)
CMV
HHV 6
HHV 7
EBV (glandular fever)
HHV 8 (Kaposi sarcoma associated)
The first three lie dormant in the nerve cells, the others in blood cells. Although traditionally, HSV1 causes cold sores and HSV2 causes genital herpes, they are interchangable and nowadays it's about 50:50. That means that you can catch one from the other (I'll leave you to work out the how and why ). You can also "auto-innoculate" i.e. touch a sore in one part of your body, then touch yourself elsewhere... Again, work it out for yourself!
HSV reactivations are linked to physical stress, emotional stress, fever, UV light, tissue damage and immunosupression.
The little blighters are very good at hiding from the immune system - making them very difficult to kill. Acyclovir (Zorvirax) is slightly more effective against HSV1 than HSV2.
It's possible to die from a HSV infection, as it can cause meningitis and encephalitis. Recently heard of a new born baby that was kissed by a well meaning auntie that had a cold sore. The baby died a week later from HSV meningitis.
Phew, science lesson over!
Update #2
It's been , what , 4 or 5 months since I got the device. I've not really had any cold sores of any note since then. I get the tingle and I zap it with the device and tingle goes and cold sore never appears. I think I've had one cold sore properly sicne I started using the device and even then it was very very small and lasted only a day.
Yesterday morning I cut my lip shaving and during the day I felt the unmistakable tingle of a cold sore forming. Any stress emotional or physical can trigger an outbreak and it's not uncommon for me to get some sort of irritation or injury to my lips and then find I have a cold sore there as well. Well I zapped it with the infrared device and it's come to nothing. and in fact the cut seems to be healing better too.
Over the same period I would have expected to have suffered at least 4 or 5 cold sore outbreaks probably a lot more. Now this is not a clinical trial, my diet has changed since I moved to London, I'm better off physically and less stressed with a new job but I have to say from a personal perspective I'm impressed and give these infrared devices a resounding thumbs up !
Sounds like a great thing - might do some more reading up and head down to Boots tomorrow - I'd love to find something that could get rid of them fast and effectively and, as you say, with out the £6+ of compeed plasters at least once every couple of months.
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