What causes fever sores?

Fever sores are the pesky little blisters that pop up on our lips and sometimes even the inside of our mouths. They’re irritating, painful to touch, and oh-so unsightly. But what exactly causes these fever sores to appear? Let’s take a closer look.

The Mystery of Fever Sores

Fever sores are actually caused by a virus known as herpes simplex. This particular virus can be passed from person to person through close contact, such as kissing or sharing utensils.

One interesting thing about this common virus is that it can actually lay dormant in your system for years before finally deciding to rear its ugly head and cause those awful fever sores you dread.

Stress: A Major Culprit

Have you ever noticed that you tend to get fever sores during particularly stressful times in your life? Well, there’s a reason for that!

Stress can weaken your immune system, which makes it easier for viruses like herpes simplex to flourish within your body.

In fact, stress is one of the major culprits behind recurring outbreaks of fever sores. So if you want fewer bouts with these pesky blisters, finding ways to manage stress may just be the key.

Other Triggers

Besides stress, there are other triggers associated with occurrences of fever sore outbreaks. These include:

  • Sunburn
  • Hormones (especially during menstrual cycles)
  • Foods high in arginine (such as chocolate or nuts)
  • Fatigue
  • Illnesses
  • colds
  • flu

It’s important always remember that each individual is unique when it comes down their susceptibility towards specific outbreak triggers; what might trigger an outbreak in one person maybe not affect another at all!

Symptoms You Should Be On The Lookout For

If you’ve never had a fever sore, here’s a little bit of what you can expect:

  • Painful bump
  • Tingling or burning sensation before the sore appears
  • Swelling, redness or irritation in the spot where the fever sore will form
  • Formation of small blisters

Another symptom that most people don’t know about is an itchy scalp which may appear just a few days prior to breaking out on their lips or mouth.

Treatment Options for Fever Sores

When these ugly little sores show up uninvited on your lips, chin and sometimes even nostrils, they can be downright painful. Luckily there are different treatment options that may help alleviate both physical pain and emotional stress associated with having them.

There are many different over-the-counter creams available which aim to soothe accompanying pain as well as quicken healing time; applying these products when experiencing fever sore symptoms ,can surely boost one’s recovery process.

Some common types of ointments include :

  1. Denavir® (penciclovir) cream:
    This anti-viral medication reduces virus reproduction rate within individual cells thus leading to faster wound healing.

  2. Abreva® Oinment:
    Abreva typically needs only one application daily until healed.

One thing you must always remember while using any sort of medicated product is ensuring your hands are clean beforehand since germs build-up may slow down natural healing .

Prevention Is Key To Keeping The Uglies Away

Although completely avoiding contact with herpes simplex altogether might not be possible but practicing good healthy hygiene habits could effectively assist in lowering likelihood probability around infection getting transmitted;

Here’s how…

Avoid close-contact situations: Since fever sores normally get passed through skin-to-skin touch, try steering clear from sharing utensils with individuals whom already have coldsores/fever sores .


Hygiene Habits Reason
Frequently washing your hands can help reduce viral infections transmission rates
Avoid touching eyes or nose particularly when someone close by is experiencing a cold sore as the virus can transmit via mucous membranes in one’s eye and nose.

Keep Lips Hydrated

Another important tip to practice, particularly during sun-exposure periods or winters where lips tend to get chapped more frequently.

The idea here would be staying hydrated throughout the day ( we suggest abstaining from sugary drinks) which keeps nutritious plasma circulating around entire body, along with external application of lip balm if necessary .

Conclusion

Dealing with fever sores isn’t pleasant, but knowing what causes them and how best to avoid breakouts sure makes things easier.

Just remember: Keep your immune system healthy through good nutrition, exercise regularly and try steering clear of stressors where possible. By keeping yourself relaxed and following some basic hygienic practices , you’re much less likely going to see those pesky little beasts trying take control over any portion of your life !

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