A Pharmacist Can Help With Cold Sores
A pharmacist can recommend:
- creams to ease pain and irritation
- antiviral creams to speed up healing time
- cold sore patches to protect the skin while it heals
You can buy electronic devices from pharmacies that treat cold sores with light or lasers.
Some people find these helpful, but there have not been many studies to confirm if they work.
If you regularly get cold sores, use antiviral creams as soon as you recognise the early tingling feeling. They do not always work after blisters appear.
How Does Genital Herpes Affect A Pregnant Woman And Her Baby
Neonatal herpes is one of the most serious complications of genital herpes.5,16 Healthcare providers should ask all pregnant women if they have a history of genital herpes.11 Herpes infection can be passed from mother to child during pregnancy or childbirth, or babies may be infected shortly after birth, resulting in a potentially fatal neonatal herpes infection. 17 Infants born to women who acquire genital herpes close to the time of delivery and are shedding virus at delivery are at a much higher risk for developing neonatal herpes, compared with women who have recurrent genital herpes . 16,18-20 Thus, it is important that women avoid contracting herpes during pregnancy. Women should be counseled to abstain from intercourse during the third trimester with partners known to have or suspected of having genital herpes. 5,11
When To See A Doctor
See a doctor as soon as possible if you notice genital discharge that may be associated with herpes or any other STI.
A diagnosis can help you understand how herpes affects you and start taking preventive measures to keep from spreading the infection to anyone with whom you have sex.
Getting treatment for herpes outbreaks can help reduce the severity of your symptoms and also might help limit how many outbreaks you have throughout your lifetime.
Heres how to decrease the chances of getting or spreading herpes when you have sex:
- Use protection whenever you have oral sex, such as a dental dam or penile condom.
- Limit or avoid sex if you or a partner are having an outbreak of symptoms.
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What Does Genital Herpes Look Like
Many people who have genital herpes dont show symptoms, or the symptoms are so mild they dont notice them so they might not even know they have it. When herpes does cause symptoms, the most common one is sores and blisters that show up on the parts of your body where the infection lives. This is called an outbreak.
Cold Sores Kissing And Sex
If you get cold sores, that doesnt mean you should totally avoid intimacy, whether thats dating, kissing or sex. But the American Sexual Health Association advises that you should wait until a cold sore heals and the area looks normal again before performing oral sex or kissing someone directly on the mouth . If you take antiviral medication to deal with cold sores, you should still wait until the area heals.
Because most adults have oral herpes, we do not advise that a person stop giving or receiving affection altogether between outbreaks simply because they have oral herpes, the ASHA says. However, using a barrier or condom when performing oral sex can reduce the risk of contracting genital herpes.
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What Happens If I Dont Receive Treatment
Genital herpes can cause painful genital sores and can be severe in people with suppressed immune systems.
If you touch your sores or fluids from the sores, you may transfer herpes to another body part like your eyes. Do not touch the sores or fluids to avoid spreading herpes to another part of your body. If you do touch the sores or fluids, quickly wash your hands thoroughly to help avoid spreading the infection.
If you are pregnant, there can be problems for you and your unborn fetus, or newborn baby. See Im pregnant. How could genital herpes affect my baby? for information about this.
How To Spot A Cold Sore
A “pimple” on the lip line might actually be the start of a cold sore. Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus, most commonly herpes simplex virus type 1 . It is an extremely common virus, affecting over 65% of the world’s population, although it doesn’t always cause breakouts.
Once you have HSV-1, the virus does not go away and can reactivate at any moment, causing a localized outbreak of blisters and sores.
There are several ways to tell if the bump on your face is a cold sore:
- Cold sores form clusters of blisters. When an HSV-1 reactivates, it causes a sudden outbreak of tightly clustered blisters. The blisters are small but can merge into a larger blister over the course of hours.
- Cold sores most often affect the lip or lip area. Cold sores can also develop between the mouth and nose or just below the lip on the chin.
- Cold sores typically cause pain or discomfort.In the days or hours before a cold sore appears, you may notice a burning or tingling sensation on or around the lip. As the blisters form, there may be stinging, throbbing, or shooting pain.
- Cold sore blisters tend to rupture. Typically, a cold sore blister will burst open and ooze clear fluid. The open sore, called an ulcer, can be extremely painful. The sore will quickly crust over as it begins the process of healing.
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Why You Shouldnt Pop A Cold Sore
Cold sores aren’t simply annoyances. They go through an entire process of development that, from start to finish, could take a couple weeks to go away.
There are eight cold sore stages that make up a life cycle. Initially, a cold sore isnt visible, but can cause a burning or tingling sensation to occur on or around your lips a time period called a prodrome. After usually a day or two, the itching area develops a small sore the earliest visible stage of a cold sore.
Over the course of several days, the cold sore develops into a blister before opening on your lip and releasing viral fluid. The cold sore then develops into a scab and heals over the course of one to two weeks, usually without leaving behind a scar.
Its important to remember that cold sores arent like pimples.
While pimples form when sebum and dead skin cells clog a pore in your skin, cold sores are the result of the HSV-1 virus an infectious virus that can easily spread to other parts of your body, as well as to other people.
When you pop a cold sore, theres a serious chance youll release the infectious viral fluid onto other parts of your skin. Through direct contact, the fluid can spread to your fingers, eyes or genitals, causing a more severe herpes infection to develop.
This definitely isnt something you want. Since popping the cold sore causes the infectious fluid to become exposed to your skin, theres also a higher risk of you spreading the HSV-1 virus to other people.
Should I Talk To A Doctor About It
Now that you have a broad idea of how to differentiate a genital herpes ulcer from other commonly encountered conditions, you should consult your doctor when you suspect genital herpes for the first time. The first episode of herpes can have more noticeable symptoms than recurrences later will and it will be less difficult to ensure that the prognosis is benign and rule out more harmful conditions.
Herpes is still a condition often associated with anxiety, fear, and shame. Your healthcare provider can talk to you about your feelings in that regard and give you support and guidance.
With any genital condition, it is important to have the correct diagnosis made by your doctor, who will use laboratory tests for confirmation to establish a proper management plan.
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Are You Supposed To Pop Cold Sore Blisters
To understand why popping a cold sore is a bad idea, you need to know about each of the five stages of cold sores. You can recover slightly faster if you burst your cold sores, but you can also slow down your recovery if things go wrong.
Listed below is an overview of the complete cold sore lifecycle and what you can expect from each stage:
What Happens If You Squeeze Or Pop A Cold Sore
If youre still thinking of popping a cold sore, its important to remember cold sores arent like pimples. When you pop a pimple you release sebum from a clogged pore in the skin. When you squeeze a cold sore you release infectious viral fluid through an open sore that can easily spread to other parts of the body. Through direct contact with the open sore, the fluid can spread to your fingers, eyes or genitals, causing a serious infection to develop.
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Why Herpes Should Not Be Popped
Herpes blisters is the result of viral infection affecting your immune system. As a result, the blisters occurring across your infected skin are infectious. These blisters are filled with fluid carrying infectious virus. While it might be common to pop acne pimples, popping herpes blisters filled with herpes simplex virus should be avoided.
When herpes blisters are popped, the fluid discharges, spreading another infection on various sections of your skin. This may either result in other fever blisters, which are either red, white or clear, or cause invigorating pain on broken sores. Popping fever blisters is also not recommended as this may pass the disease to other people with weak immune system. The simplex virus continues replicating during each stage of the herpes, which makes it still likely for the others to be infected from the infectious fluid.
The problem will likely be worse when you pop the blisters with unsterile needles or hands. In addition to a viral infection, herpes blisters are also medically considered as an open wound. When you are accessing this wound with any unsterilized devices, you are likely to worsen the infection, as these devices might carry germs that might spread to the infection site. These germs can possibly harm the skin tissues, causing superficial damages resulting in scars, which may stay even after the breakout subsides.
Does Toothpaste Or Hydrogen Peroxide Help
Anecdotal reports suggest that toothpaste may work as a home remedy for cold sores. Some people believe that the sodium lauryl sulfate that toothpaste often contains may dry cold sores out.
However, toothpaste also contains many other ingredients, some of which may irritate the skin and make a cold sore more painful. There is no scientific evidence to support the theory that toothpaste can treat cold sores.
Hydrogen peroxide is an antiseptic that may work to treat cold sores by aiding healing. It may also reduce the risk of other cold sores developing. People can apply a small amount of diluted hydrogen peroxide to a cold sore using a clean cotton swab.
If hydrogen peroxide or any other home remedy causes irritation, it is essential to remove the product from the skin and avoid using it again.
Cold sores typically heal by themselves within 515 days with no medical treatment, and they usually do not leave a scar. The first cold sores that people have may take longer to heal, at up to 3 weeks.
OTC treatments or antiviral medications may help speed up the healing process by 1 day .
Most people do not need to see their doctor for cold sore treatment. However, a person should seek medical help if they:
- have a cold sore close to their eye
- notice signs of an infection spreading to other areas
- have a cold sore for longer than 15 days
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How To Get Rid Of Cold Sores Fast
Cold sores generally clear up on their own within two weeks.
But you probably want to speed the healing process, and several strategies can help. Antiviral medications can shorten healing time. Antiviral drugs prescribed for cold sores include valacyclovir , acyclovir , famciclovir and penciclovir .
If you get frequent cold sore breakouts, your doctor might recommend that you take an antiviral drug regularly to suppress them.
But again dont pop a cold sore. It can prolong, not shorten, healing, and you run the risk of creating a bigger problem than you started with.
How To Heal A Cold Sore
So clearly, popping your cold sore is not advised! What is advised is to touch a cold sore as little as possible, and whenever you do, to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. When left alone, most cold sores go away in about two weeks.
If youre looking to get rid of a cold sore fast, consider Abreva. Abreva cream can help heal a cold sore in two and a half days1 when used at the first sign. Why wait a full two weeks and when you can find relief in only a few days?
1 Median healing time 4.1 days. 25% of users healed in 2.5 days
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What Are The Psychological Impacts Of Cold Sores And Pimples
Like any skin affliction, pimples and cold sores can both wreak havoc on people’s emotional well-being. “Acne and cold sores are notorious for causing anxiety and stress,” says Amy Wechsler, a New York City-based psychodermatologist. “They make people very self-conscious, and sufferers feel like the acne or cold sore is the only thing people see when they look at them.”
That being said, if you battle either ailment, it’s crucial to know you’re far from alone. According to recent reports, 50 million people in the U.S. alone have acne, and 50 to 80 percent of U.S. adults have oral herpes . Though, as Friedman mentioned, only 30 percent of people amass actual clinical cold sores.
All this is to say: Cold sores and pimples are both incredibly common conditions that, while annoying, can be pinpointed and treated accordingly. Talk to your doctor to figure out a treatment solution together.
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Do Natural Remedies Help
There are several options that can be tried to ease the pain. A73612 and Donnor52059 suggest dabbing cornstarch directly on the sores. I cant find any scientific studies that have researched this, but I cant see that it would do any harm.
A73612 also recommends squirting water from a bottle over the sores when you pee. This is a time-honoured method that will help to ease the pain.
Yolandayw mentioned taking a simple painkiller such as paracetamol during an outbreak. Feelbroken advised putting Vaseline on the sores. Lidocaine 5%, a local anaesthetic gel that numbs the area, is another option. Some people find it helpful to put on five minutes before passing urine. You need to get it on prescription and it doesnt suit everyone. Some people develop sensitivity to it which makes the symptoms worse.
Yolandayw also advised using ice as a home remedy. Simply wrap the ice in a tea towel and apply for 5-10 minutes. Never put ice directly on the skin as this can cause ice burn. Drinking plenty of water can also be helpful as it reduces the concentration of urine, making it less painful when you have to pee.
D91907 mentioned putting aloe vera gel on the sores. There is some scientific evidence that aloe vera is useful for both genital and oral herpes.
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How Should I Take Valacyclovir Tablets
- Take valacyclovir tablets exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. Your dose of valacyclovir tablets and length of treatment will depend on the type of herpes infection that you have and any other medical problems that you have.
- Do not stop valacyclovir tablets or change your treatment without talking to your healthcare provider.
- Valacyclovir tablets can be taken with or without food.If you are taking valacyclovir tablets to treat cold sores, chickenpox, shingles or genital herpes, you should start treatment as soon as possible after your symptoms start. Valacyclovir tablets may not help you if you start treatment too late.
- If you miss a dose of valacyclovir tablets, take it as soon as you remember and then take your next dose at its regular time. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, do not take the missed dose. Wait and take the next dose at the regular time.
- Do not take more than the prescribed number of valacyclovir tablets each day. Call your healthcare provider right away if you take too much valacyclovir tablets.
What Are The Best Ways To Get Rid Of A Cold Sore
Unfortunately, theres no cure for cold sores, and it can take between two to four weeks for a cold sore to heal on its own. But, there are things you can do to make them go away faster.
Here are three things that can help soothe a cold sore or make it clear up faster:
1. Try home remedies. When used early, there are several remedies that can help ease the pain and reduce swelling and may even shorten the duration of a cold sore:
- Cold, damp washcloth
- Pain relievers, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen
2. Apply topical creams and ointments. There are a few over-the-counter anesthetic ointments and creams that can help control pain, such as lidocaine or benzocaine. Some products, such as those containing docosanol or benzyl alcohol, may even promote faster healing when used early and in plentiful amounts.
3. Take prescription medications. There are antiviral drugs that can help cold sores heal faster, including acyclovir, valacyclovir, famciclovir and penciclovir. If youre having frequent outbreaks or experiencing some of the serious side effects of having a cold sore, your doctor may consider prescribing antiviral medication.
To get rid of a cold sore quickly, the best thing you can do is start treating it as soon as possible, says Dr. Brown. A burning or tingling sensation on your lips or face can be an early warning sign that a cold sore is developing, and the earlier you start reducing swelling and treating the cold sore, the faster it will heal.
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