what is a cold sore?

Answer 1

A sore caused by the cold.

Actually it is Herpes Type 2. Highly contagious and will be with you for life.

Not as bad as Herpes Type 1 which affects the genital areas though.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

2

Answer 4

Cold sores are my biggest pet hates! coldsores are caused by a type of Herpes Virus, but not the same strain of virus which causes genital herpes.and is someimes known as Mouth Herpes.
The coldsore virus is caused by Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 and genital herpes is type 2.
Coldsores are very common and can appear when your very run down, when your on a period, certain medications can trigger off an outbreak, even your diet can cause an outbreak.
The first warning signs that a cold sore is going to appear is a slight tingling sensation this is known as the Prodromal Symptom and is the warning sign of an outbreak the area where the coldsore is going to appear may become red in colour and itchy.
Coldsores are very contagious and things like kissing and oral sex should Be avoided as the virus can spread like wildfire.
In my dental practice we have a sign in our waiting room informing patients about coldsores as many people don't know just how contagious they really are.
Coldsores can also be spread to other parts of the body if the infected area has been touched and then other parts of the body are touched, hands should be washed asap to avoid the risk of spreading the virus.
To prevent an outbreak the following points are useful, if your out in the sun use a lip balm to protect the lips, and a healthy life style can help keep you immune system ready to fight off any unwanted viruses.
Some people are lucky and even though they may have the herpes virus and get the warning signs they may never actually get a coldsore, however they are still contagious and precautions should still be taken.

Answer 5

Cold sores are caused by a viral infection that attacks the skin and nervous system. Cold sores are small, painful, fluid-filled blisters on the mouth or nose.

You can EASILY never have to deal with another horrible, awful, nasty cold-sore for the rest of your life!!

I got them every winter my whole life until 3 years ago (I'm 36 now) and they were the BANE of my existence...the whole process took weeks to heal and would leave a scar for at least 2 months sometimes!

I was reading a message board on www.curezone.org and discovered the PERFECT remedy for both healing them and preventing them completely:
OLIVE LEAF EXTRACT

So, I buy the liquid tincture by "HerbPharm" and it has not failed me ONCE...Whenever I'm feeling drained, tired, stressed, or get that tingly feeling on my lip, I just load up on this stuff.

This is the one I buy:

http://www.nextag.com/Herb-Pharm-Olive-Leaf-66659849/prices-html

You can also get Olive Leaf at Whole Foods Market, and other natural food stores.

Very cheap.

The first time I tried it, I was actually halfway into a major eruption and I drank a bunch of the extract in some water.
AS I WAS DRINKING the stuff down, I could feel the swelling on my lip shrinking...I was in such shock--I ran to the mirror--it was shrinking before my eyes and within ten minutes my lip had returned to NORMAL...I began kissing the bottle of Olive Leaf...yeah, I really did!!

I had tried everything in the past...I can't begin to tell you what I went through...and it's now been 3 YEARS since I've had one!

I've been in the Alternative Medicine field for some time now, and offer individualized consultations:

http://www.kasamba.com/Wellness-Coach

Answer 6

A a cold sore is an outbreak of the herpes simplex virus (HSV1). It is estimated that over 90% of Americans carry the virus, but only about 30% of those have cold sore outbreaks.

Cold sore treatment options vary widely. There is prescription medication, over-the-counter medication, and home remedies for cold sores - many of which work remarkably well.

Here are some links to a site that helped me with my own cold sore problems. Since I used some of the methods outlined here, I haven't had a problem.

This is a link to the “Ultimate Cold Sore Treatments Guide” that outlines a bunch of cold sore remedies that work, both medicinal and home treatments:

http://www.coldsore911.com/cold-sore-treatment/ultimate-cold-sore-treatments-guide/

This link is an entire glossary listing all of the best cold sore treatments compiled on to one web page:

http://www.coldsore911.com/cold-sore-treatment/you-can-heal-cold-sores-faster/

Finally, this link is to the one medication that is proven to heal cold sores faster than anything else on the market:
http://www.coldsore911.com/medicine-that-heals-existing-cold-sores/use-choraphor-to-get-rid-of-cold-sores-fast/

That site is updated pretty regularly. Hope this helps!

Answer 7

Its a virus - herpes simplex. Stays present but dormant most of the time on someone who has it, then errupts into a 'cold sore' under certain trigger conditions such as stress, or too much sunlight for example.

Best treatment from the chemist is Zovirax.

Answer 8

A lovely little viral infection called herpes, most people have the virus, it lays dormant until either stress, ill health etc make your body feel run down, while your felling low, the little terror strikes and makes you look like the elephant man on a bad day, I ended up with 3 seperate ones after a bout of flu and looked like the phantom of the opera without his mask on. There is also genital herpes, which is exactly the same but a little lower down and twice as painful/irritating, this is caught through sexual contact, use of infected towels, face cloths etc..

Answer 9

It is a form of Herpes..The same kind also causes mouth ulcers..Never had cold sores but had the ulcers,i found Bonjela got rid of them very quickly..It's not just for teething babies !!!!

Answer 10

It is part of the herpes family of viruses called herpes simplex. Usually contracted through contact with someone who already has the virus.