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Cold Sore Frequency
If you get cold sores, do they lessen the older you get?
If you are one of the unfortunate, but many people who get cold sores as I do, do they seem to lessen in frequency and intensity the older you get? If you get them earlier in life, is it safe to say you'll have them fewer and fewer as you get older and build more immunity?
I've been getting cold sores for 50 years, and I did not find that they lessened as I got older. What did make them lessen was the prescription medication Valtrex. There is no over-the-counter medication or home remedy that cures cold sores, but Valtrex, which is an anti-viral medication, will make them go away much faster, and as a result of taking this medication you will have far fewer outbreaks of cold sores. It was intended for genital herpes, but cold sores are caused by the same family of viruses, and Valtrex stops colds sores in their tracks. None of the other treatments come close to the effectiveness of Valtrex, not the ointment Zovirax, and certainly not Abreva or anything else. Ask your doctor about it to see if you would be a good candidate for this medication.
Many of us already have the cold sore virus dormant in our bodies, and never have a flare up of cold sores. We contracted it as children, as it is a very common virus, and children pick it up easily as they often share food and drinks, and may be less concerned about hand washing and hygiene. Cold sores can be transmitted even when the person does not have a cold sore, though it is less likely to happen then.
These sites are informative.
http://www.herpes.com/hsv1-2.html
http://www.herpesdiagnosis.com/
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/cold-sores-topic-overview
http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/aches/cold_sores.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/9325.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/std/Herpes/STDFact-Herpes.htm
http://www.ashastd.org/herpes/herpes_overview.cfm
http://chealth.canoe.ca/drug_info_details.asp?brand_name_id=1486&rot=4
Break the Cold Sore Cycle
If you suffer from frequent cold sore outbreaks and want to learn what you can do to reduce their frequency and duration and get back some of the control of your life you've lost to the condition then you'll want to read this article. In it I'll discuss the usual reasons for suffering frequent outbreaks, what you can do to turn the situation around and the future of cold sore treatments. After reading this article, you should be able to make some lifestyle changes that will help your body fight the virus better.
Cold sore are caused by the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-I), which is transmitted directly by contact with a cold sore blister or lesion. It is extremely common, with infection rates estimated to be anywhere between 70 and 90 percent of the adult population, with many of us contracting the virus in childhood.
The big problem with treating HSV is that there is currently no cure and so once infected it remains with us for life. That isn't to say that we will permanently have cold sores; most of the time the virus is in a dormant state in the nerve cells, where it is immune from anti-viral treatments that can attack it when in the infectious state.
Cold sores are often triggered by the presence of another viral infection, such as a cold or flu; high levels of stress; overtiredness; hormonal changes such as those present due to menstruation; and even exposure to sunlight.
While we are not in control of all of these, one long term strategy is to ensure that our lifestyles do not overburden the immune system so that it is better suited to deal with the cold sore virus, so that we suffer fewer outbreaks and those that occur are less severe.
Simple lifestyle changes include quitting smoking and reducing the amount of alcohol we consume. Also, it is important to our immune systems that we eat healthily and take regular exercise. Probably you're used to hearing the advice on diet and exercise, but have you put it into practice?
If not, you should start to act now. Cut down on junk food and processed meals as they contain too much salt, sugar and saturated fats. Instead increase the amount of fruit and vegetables you eat and choose lean cuts of meat and fish whenever possible.
As for exercise, you should aim for a brisk walk for 30 minutes per day. If that doesn't appeal, try joining a gym, take an exercise class, swim, cycle or do yoga. These are all good forms of exercise. A note on this, though; if you haven't exercised for years then see your doctor first.
There has recently been a breakthrough by scientists researching a cold sore sure. They have discovered the mechanism that allows the virus to switch between the dormant state and infectious state and believe that they can design a two-stage treatment that will wake the virus so that it can then be attacked by anti-viral drugs. This may be some way off, but it does offer a hope for the millions of cold sore sufferers around the world.
About the Author
For more information on
cold sore treatment
see the Cold Sore Treatment Guide. Packed with advice on living with cold sores, it can help you deal with the long term effects as well as heal the lesions when they occur. See http://www.coldsoretreatmentguide.com for details.
