Cold Sore Stages

Cold Sores, Fever Blisters, Oral Herpes

Let's look at the 8 distinct cold sore stages, and what you can do now to lessen the severity, discomfort and length of your cold sore event.

Cold sore stages 2-8 are the active stages and are very contagious for the herpes simplex virus during this time. Usually 3 to 4 weeks is the average life-span of a cold sore. Much depends on your health and choice of cold sore remedies for each of your cold sore stages.

COLD SORE STAGES: #1 - LATENT -

During this stage, the herpes simplex virus, whether type 1 or 2, is hiding and asleep in the nerve ganglia near the back of the jaw on the same side of your face as your cold sore usually appears.

The cold sore virus may "sleep" for weeks or years without incident. Your body's defense "soldiers" keep them in check. When there is stress in another part of your body, your defenses may drop at this location. Then the cold sore virus can escape and travel to the surface to reproduce - beginning the active cold sore stages.

We all have viruses living in our bodies. Flu virus, cold virus, and so on. There is just no escaping it as viruses, in general, are extremely contagious. Part of the reason is because viruses are so small that they can "float" through the air when you sneeze or cough. Yes, you can catch the herpes simplex virus this way - similar to catching a cold or the flu.

If you want to be a hermit, and never come in contact with another human being, you may reduce the number of viruses that you carry, but you will still contract some.

The body normally keeps them in check with our amazing built in defense system.

So, accepting the fact that you are infected with the herpes simplex virus, which 90% of the world population is, then the best situation is to keep the cold sore virus asleep. At least 30% of that 90% will never get a cold sore in their lifetime. These people don't know what a cold sore is and don't think that they are infected. They are infected but their body defenses are doing a great job of keeping the herpes simplex virus asleep.

The key, then, to curing your cold sores, is to keep the cold sore virus asleep for the rest of your life.
There is one way I know of that will do this. Read here about this cold sore cure - probably the best of the cold sore remedies.

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COLD SORES STAGES

Cold Sores, Oral Herpes, Fever Blisters

Beating cold sores depends, as with all diseases, on knowing the "enemy". In the next few posts I'll explain the 8 stages of cold sores.

Cold sores follow a distinct pattern through their entire event structure. Because there is no one quite like you on this earth, your cold sores may perform differently than others - or at least appear to. The basics of your cold sores will be about the same.

The key to managing cold sores is often timing of your applied cold sore remedies. For example, ice is one of the oldest, and still one of the best cold sore remedies - in the early stages of your cold sore.

But we'll get into that soon. Thanks for coming. See you tomorrow.

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COLD SORES HERPES

COLD SORES, ORAL HERPES, FEVER BLISTERS

Cold Sores are a pandemic - a global COLD SORE epidemic. According to the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control, 80% to 90% of the global community is infected with the herpes simplex virus, type 1 or type 2. About 60% of these people will have one or more cold sores in the next year.

Fortunately, cold sores are normally not life threatening. The cold sore virus prefers to do its damage on the surface of your skin rather than internally.

However, cold sores do hurt you in several ways.

Cold sores are quite painful, and often causes several flu like symptoms. Fever and swollen lymph glands are common with cold sores.

Most importantly, cold sores cause considerable embarrassment and, thus, low self esteem in many people. The word "herpes" is a dirty word today, because herpes simplex virus is extremely contagious and much feared. Being labeled a herpes carrier in public today affects how others feel about you and how you feel about yourself.

The best solution is to eliminate oral herpes in your life, or at least reduce their frequency and time to healing using good, proven, cold sore remedies.

Knowing your enemy, the cold sore virus, is the first step. This site cuts through all the cold sore baloney that you read and hear from the drug companies and others who just want to make money on you, the cold sore victim. They have no real desire to eliminate your cold sore misery.

Hopefully you will find this site to be a step up from all the other sites about cold sores.

COLD SORES, COLD SORE, COLD SORE REMEDIES

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Contagious Cold Sores

Cold Sores, Oral Herpes, Fever Blisters

COLD SORES ARE CONTAGIOUS.

Cold sores are normally not life threatening. Yes, they can be quite unpleasant for at least a couple weeks. Cold sores often bring on flu-like symptoms such as general malaise, swollen lymph glands under the jaw bone, and possibly a fever.

Cold sores are very painful for most people because the cold sores are formed on the end of the facial nerves. It's not unlike the dentist hitting a nerve. The herpes simplex virus has an affinity to nerve cells. When a person is infected with the cold sore virus, through a mucus membrane or break in the skin, the herpes simplex virus will seek out the nearest nerve and that nerve fiber becomes its home for the duration of your life.

The cold sore virus does not normally travel within the body, but will stay with the nerve that it originally attached to. That is why your cold sores will usually appear in the same general area every time. For example, if you get a cold sore on your upper right lip area, then any reoccurring cold sores from that herpes simplex virus infestation will always appear in the same area.

If you sometimes get a cold sore in this area, and then sometimes on the other side of the lip, it is quite likely that you spread the herpes simplex virus to the other place when you had the first cold sore. The cold sore virus, once attached to a nerve group will usually stay with it.

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It's not uncommon for a person to spread their cold sores all over their lips. The virus creating cold sores is extremely contagious. The fluid that drains from an open cold sore is absolutely teaming with newly cloned cold sore viruses looking for a new home.

It is so critical with cold sores that you be extremely careful not to touch this fluid and then touch another area on your face - or anywhere else on your body where the cold sore virus can enter through a crack in the skin or "soft tissue" like your eyes or genitals.

COLD SORES

COLD SORES AREN'T JUST FOR LIPS

Cold Sores, Fever Blisters, Oral Herpes

It appears that cold sores aren't just for humans anymore. In reference to my last post, research on cold sores has involved giving cold sores to mice.

Now, I seem to have a very active imagination.

Cold sores on mice. Picture it. Hundreds of mice running around with cold sores. I can't hardly picture mice with cold sores on that pointy little face. That has got to be a hoot. If they get cold sores like I used to, those cold sores would take up half their face.

Fact of the matter is, cold sores, caused by the herpes simplex virus, can be on other locations of the body than the face. The same cold sore remedies will work, no matter where the cold sore appears.

The herpes simplex virus will enter the body anywhere on the body where there is a break in the skin, or no skin. Cold sores can spread to the eyes very easily if you're not careful. These cold sores can take out your eyesight with permanent damage.

I have seen finger cold sores. These are caused by having an open cut and touching your cold sores. The people that I've seen with these finger cold sores say they are much more painful than facial cold sores. And these cold sores are much more dangerous because they can be spread so easily to other parts of your body - such as your genitals - or to faucets, telephones, etc.

As I've always said, cold sores are much more dangerous to our health than most people realize. Cold sores can cost you your eyesight, and your social life.

If you use the cold sores remedy that I recommend on this web site, you will not have to worry about cold sores ever again. Check out this remedy now for your cold sores.
COLD SORES

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COLD SORES VACCINE

Cold Sores, Fever Blisters, Oral Herpes

COLD SORES VACCINE

In answer to Jodi M.: yes scientists are working on a vaccine for cold sores.

Currently there is no vaccine for the Herpes Simplex Virus - herpes simplex type 1 and type 2 - available to the public. Many research labratories, however, are working on this approach to preventing cold sores.

For example, scientists at the "National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research" and the "National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases" have developed an experiental vaccine for cold sores.

In tests on lab mice, the vaccine has prevented the cold sores virus from infecting the animals and establishing itself in the nerves, where the cold sores virus like to hide.

The findings are encouraging, but scientists must complete more animal studies on the safety and effectiveness of this vaccine for cold sores before they are allowed to test it on humans for cold sores.

But don't get your hopes up too much. This cold sores vaccine would only be a preventative not a cure for cold sores (or genital herpes caused by the same virus). It would be useful only for those not already infected with the herpes simplex virus - which there are very few in the world.

Remember, it is estimated, on good authority, that about 90% of the world population is already infected with the herpes simplex virus. For all practical purposes, this means "everybody" is infected with the cold sores virus, whether or not they actually get cold sores.

Also, the use of the cold sores vaccine, should it become a reality, would require a blood test first, to determine if any herpes anti-bodies already exist in the body. If the cold sores virus, or its anti-bodies, are present, this cold sores vaccine would be of no value.

In my humble opinion, this particular vaccine will only be good for preventing cold sores if used as part of the child immunization program. Most children by 9 or 10 are already exposed.

My next post will have to do with those lab mice and cold sores.

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COLD SORES - What Causes Them?

COLD SORES.


Question: Doc, what causes outbreaks of cold sores, oral herpes, and fever blisters?

Answer:

Cold sores, oral herpes and fever blisters are all the same thing. The root cause of these sores, of course, is the herpes simplex virus.

The outbreaks, or lack of outbreaks, are dependent on your level of health. Also, how you handle stress, and the foods you eat all come into play here. What causes cold sores for you? Let's take a look. Perhaps then you will be able to evaluate the cold sore remedies that are available.

1. YOUR HEALTH.
Simply put, the stronger your health, the stronger your immune system. The stronger your body's defense system the less likely your herpes simplex virus will wake up and produce cold sores. If you get cold sores frequently, then upgrading your health level will help prevent cold sores.

Vibrant health is a huge topic about which many books have been written. But you know the basics. High-fiber nutrient-dense foods such as fresh vegetables, low impact exercise, no smoking, limited alcohol consumption, and sleep. Also, today, it's very wise - no matter how good your diet - to take a GOOD vitamin supplement - one that contains a large quantity of B vitamins (considered the anti-stress vitamins) and anti-oxidants to supercharge your immune system.

2. YOUR STRESS.
This includes both physical and mental stress. Keep in mind that mental stress always affects us physically too. Stress is blamed as the No. 1 cause of outbreaks of cold sores. Because the herpes virus lives in the nervous system cells, it's very sensitive to stress changes. You can't avoid all stress in your life, but keeping a high level of health will help you cope with the physical aspects of stress.

Some of the main stress events that studies show wake up the herpes simplex virus are illnesses such as colds (thus the term "cold sores") and fevers (thus the term "fever blisters"). Also physical injuries, dental work, pregnancy, allergies, environmental toxins, medications, or an upcoming event like a wedding or funeral causes cold sores. Weddings are particularly bad for cold sores - according to the ton of mail I get.

3. YOUR DIET.
Besides a good diet to improve your general health, take a look at these two amino acids (protein fractions) - lysine and arginine for your cold sores.

Studies have shown that lysine is a strong deterrent to cold sores. Lysine not only helps keep the cold sores virus latent, but also, if already active, will encourage the virus to go back into hibernation. Foods rich in lysine include eggs, most vegetables, legumes, avocado, chicken, fish, turkey, and ricotta cheese. Additionally, many folks take a lysine supplement. These normally come in a 500 mg. tablet or capsule. During oral herpes events, taking 4-6 pills a day seems to help a lot of people.

Arginine, on the other hand, seems to wake up the herpes simplex virus and encourage it to reproduce. This isn't surprising. Arginine is a little known but very powerful sexual enhancer. Foods that are high in arginine are chocolate, nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts, and walnuts), sunflower and sesame seeds, grains (oat and wheat), peas, most cheeses except ricotta, milk and pork. Don't avoid these foods - just balance them better with the lysine foods. Really - who can avoid chocolate for very long?

I don't avoid chocolate. I just don't make a meal of it. Enjoy chocolate after a meal and you'll be just fine.
And, I wouldn't worry about lysine foods and arganine foods. Just eat a balanced and healthy variety of foods and you should not see an outbreak of cold sores.

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COLD SORES: CURE or NO CURE?

COLD SORES, ORAL HERPES, FEVER BLISTERS

Is there a cure for cold sores - or is it just internet hype?

On one hand, some very respectable web sites claim that cold sores cannot be cured. Yet, many others claim that, in fact, cold sores are cured everyday - and they have the cold sore remedies to sell you.

Who is right?

Fact is - they are both right.

How can this be?

Because they are talking about two different things.

When my good friends at Mayo state that there is no cold sore remedies that will cure oral herpes, they are talking about the root cause of cold sores - the herpes simplex virus that has invaded the body. They are correct. There honestly is no known way to remove this herpes simplex virus once you are infected.

Most of the time the cold sores virus is latent.

The herpes cold sores virus sleeps inside the nerve cells in the nerve ganglia behind the ear. This very resistant, sub-microscopic "parasite" will quite likely be with you for a lifetime. To destroy the cold sores virus, you would have to identify the particular cells they are hiding in and destroy the cell.

Even if there was a way to eliminate this herpes simplex virus, you would just get it again. The World Health Organization estimates that 89% of the world population currently carry this virus. This could be construed as "everybody" carries the herpes simplex virus. Since it is highly contagious, similar to the cold or flu viruses, you would just catch it again anyway.

You can, however, get rid of the symptoms of cold sores. In the medical field, a cure for any disease is defined as being symptom free. For example, take a diabetic. If she eats right, takes the right nutrients and herbs, she could eliminate all symptoms. This often happens. She would be declared "cured" or symptom free.

Her body would still be vulnerable to again getting the disease symptoms back. This just means that as long as she remains symptom free, she does not have diabetes. All diseases are based on the manifestation of the symptoms of that disease.

The same is true with cold sores. The symptoms are the actual cold sores. When you no longer get cold sores, by medical definition, you are cured. You no longer display the symptoms.

Millions of people, although carrying the virus that causes cold sores, are able to keep the herpes simplex virus latent, preventing outbreaks of cold sores. As long as they prevent cold sores, they are cured - by medical definition.

It's easy to be free of cold sores for the rest of your life, but only if you choose to do so.

For more information about an amazing home remedy that has proven to cure cold sores permanently, I highly recommend you visit http://www.be-cold-sore-free.com/. Learn the truth about cold sores and how you can cure your cold sores in as little as three days.

How beautiful would it be to never again have to suffer the pain and embarrassment of cold sores?

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COLD SORES and YOUR SELF-ESTEEM

COLD SORES, FEVER BLISTERS, ORAL HERPES

Cold sores, also called fever blisters and oral herpes, are a most noted for the pain and embarrassment that cold sores cause.

Cold sores embarrassment goes beyond having unsightly cold sores on your lip. Cold sores shout to everyone you meet that you are a herpes carrier. Today, "herpes" is a very bad word. Even though your cold sores do not indicate genital herpes, it puts you in that category. Cold sores are a real dilemma.

Not cold sores, but genital herpes is what most fear. If you have a reputation for being a carrier of the herpes simplex virus, even though it may just be on your lip, you are judged as being a risky sex partner. This judgement is unfair but it's real. This judgement, in light of your cold sores, can have devastating effects on your social life. That's why you really need to find the best cold sore remedies.

Cold sores, in my experience, greatly reduce your self-esteem because of the social judgements people make. Low self-esteem, because of appearing in public with cold sores, will affect most areas of your life in some way. Cold sores can make your job more difficult and your friends more distant.

Cold sores cause many people to avoid going to work, appearing in public, or enjoying a robust social life. Cold sores are fairly harmless, and quite common. Over 100 million people in the US and UK will suffer cold sores in the next year. Further, about 27% of these folks will miss work because of cold sores.

Cold sores can give you flu-like symptoms. Swollen lymph glands are common with cold sores.

Cold sores also can cause fever and general malaise.

Many people have expressed that they would rather get a cold than have cold sores. Quite honestly, when I used to get several cold sores a year, I felt the same way. At least with a cold, although miserable, you didn't have people making a poor judgement of you as with cold sores.

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COLD SORES::Embarrassing

COLD SORES, FEVER BLISTERS, ORAL HERPES

Whatever you call these cold sores, they are painful and embarrassing. And while most people with cold sores experience embarrassment, cold sores are actually quite common.

Nearly 90% of the world population carry the cold sores virus. Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 is the common cold sores virus, although about 20% of those afflicted with the cold sore virus have the herpes simplex virus type 2 variety.

Cold sores caused by type 2, according to the studies I've read, are not as frequent. They will respond equally to cold sore remedies. These cold sores are just as severe as the cold sore caused by type 1. And, although these cold sores look just like the type 1 cold sores, they do tend to last a little longer.

By the way, there are actually now identified 8 herpes simplex viruses. So far only herpes simplex type 1 and type 2 have been identified as causing cold sores.

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COLD SORES - Rome

COLD SORES (fever blisters, oral herpes) in Rome

In America alone, over 100 million people will suffer cold sores.

Cold sores are epidemic world wide - or cold sores pandemic. This has been true since about 500 years before the Roman Empire. Cold sores in Rome were so bad that one emperor, Tiberius, made a decree that there would be no kissing in public ceremonies to avoid further spread of the herpes simplex virus.

The men cheered - the women wept.

It really didn't matter though. Then as today, nearly everyone is already carrying the virus that creates cold sores.

Cold sores, in those days, were treated with herbs - as that was their source of medicine. There weren't any big drug companies then to sell them cold sores remedies that didn't work. Two cold sore remedies that were used were topical cold sore remedies. Aloe Vera and olive leaf extract.

Aloe Vera liquid applied to the cold sores saw rapid healing. This is a great remedy for cold sores today. If you choose to give aloe vera a try on your cold sores, or your family's cold sores, use the liquid from a fresh leaf. Break off about an inch of leaf and the syrup-liquid inside is applied directly to cold sores. Everyone should have an aloe vera plant in their home. Like a cactus, they take little or no attention. I've seen cuts heal in one day when aloe vera is applied. I repeat - use the fresh liquid only for best results on cold sores.
Olive leaf extract was also used for cold sores. This extract remedy for cold sores took a little time to make. The active ingredients were extracted using alcohol and usually done by a physician or chemist of those days. For cold sores and other sores, olive leaf extract is deadly to all forms of virus, bacteria, and fungus. Cold sores healed quite quickly when this extract was applied to the cold sores.

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Cold Sores::Denavir

Cold sores, fever blisters and oral herpes.

Cold sores are definitely big money for the drug companies.

Now in the cold sores business, Barrier Therapeutics recently announced that they were excited to acquire the Canadian distribution rights for Denavir - a peniclovir herpes simplex virus cream. This is just another cold sores "clovir" spin-off. For cold sores, the most commonly known of these has been acyclovir. There are several brand names of this basic cold sores anti-viral cream. They all seem to be at the 1% solution strength for cold sores. According to Barrier Therapeutics cold sores news release, Denavir is the only topical of the cold sore remedies antiviral prescription product approved in Canada for the treatment of cold sores.

For cold sores, this cream is also approved in the US under several different names.
But it doesn't work on cold sores.

You see, there is both an oral cold sores treatment and a topical cold sores treatment. In studies, scientists found that the oral cold sores treatment worked with about 47% success. That is, only 47% of the adults studied got any cold sores benefit at all. The topical cold sores cream for cold sores showed no difference between those who used this on their cold sores and those who used a fake stuff on their cold sores.

In fact, the scientists that were involved in the "clovir" cream for cold sores, flat out admitted it didn't work for cold sores or facial moles for that matter. They stated that the problem was that the active ingredient didn't get absorbed into the cold sores. These scientists felt that if they could find a way to do so, it would work. I believe it might. They could use DMSO but they won't - or they will use it and call it something else.

I've said this earlier. It really makes me mad when drug companies have the studies to show their cold sores treatment doesn't work but they keep selling it to the public. Greed triumphs.

And the general public thinks they wouldn't keep selling it if it didn't work.

They will and they do.

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Cold Sores Treatment

Cold sores, fever blisters, oral herpes.

Millions of people needlessly continue to suffer recurrent bouts of cold sores. Over-the-counter remedies have been the mainstay treatments for cold sores. These standard cold sore remedies generally provide only partial relief of the symptoms. They don't make the cold sore heal any faster or prevent cold sores from happening.

These cold sores salves may contain numbing agents and anti-bacterial ingredients that help sooth the discomfort and prevent bacterial infection of the cold sores. When the cold sores are open, they can be infected with bacteria quite easily which greatly lengthens the cold sores event.

One of the most common cold sore remedies for cold sores has been the application of ice. Ice helps in a number of ways with cold sores. It numbs the cold sores for blessed and immediate relief. It also discourage the herpes simplex virus from continuing its reproductive activity on your lip or nose. Kind of like taking a cold shower.

Often, if applied to cold sores (fever blisters) at the first sign - the tingling and itching stage - the cold sores will not occur at all.

One downside to using ice on cold sores - it drives the blood away from the area. Blood is needed to heal the cold sores. If the cold sores are fully blossomed, the ice will give comfort to the cold sores, but will slow the healing process.

One way you can use "ice" to get relief from your cold sores, and help heal the cold sores at the same time is with a frozen tea bag. Mint is a great killer of herpes simplex virus. Take mint tea bags, soak in water and freeze. Use these instead of ice once the cold sores break open. This will not only give you great relief, but the mint will kill herpes simplex virus and speed healing.

If you have not checked out the "ultimate cold sores treatment" you really should. It's awesome. It not only heals cold sore outbreaks faster than anything I've seen, but prevents future cold sores. It's natural, topical, non invasive, non systemic, no side effects - and simply the best of the cold sore remedies.

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