The winter season is slowly approaching and with that comes cold, flu, and cold sores. That latter can itch, tingle, and generally, they don’t look great. And, unfortunately, you’re more susceptible to getting a cold sore in the winter.
But how do you know when you have a cold sore and how do you treat them?
What are cold sores?
Cold sores are also known as fever blisters and they’re a common viral infection. Small fluid-filled blisters will be on and around your lips. The blisters will form together in patches and the blister will break, then forming a scab that can last for several days.
Cold sores are a type of herpes – both can affect your mouth or genitals. They’re contagious even if the sores aren’t visible.
What causes them and what are the symptoms?
Cold sores are often developed by close skin to skin contact such as kissing someone who has a cold sore. They’re caused by the herpes simplex virus.
Cold weather can trigger a cold sore outbreak. Our lips are often dry and chapped in the winter, resulting in issues with barrier function, this makes it easier for a cold sore to develop.
“The cold sore virus lies dormant a long way away from the lips, in the nerve ganglia up behind the cheekbone. But it is sensitive to changes in the environment of the other, superficial end of [the] nerve,” says specialty doctor and medical journalist Dr Patricia Macnair.
The symptoms according to Mayo Clinic are:
- Tingling and itching - many people feel itching, burning or tingling around the lips for a day or so before a small, hard, painful spot appears and blisters erupt.
- Blisters - small fluid-filled blisters typically erupt along the border of your lips. Sometimes they appear around the nose or cheeks or inside the mouth.
- Oozing and crusting - the small blisters may merge and then burst, leaving shallow open sores that ooze and crust over.
How should you treat them?
- There are several over the counter drugs that can help you relieve your cold sore symptoms.
- Ice can help numb the pain, although don’t put directly on your skin as this could lead to damage
- Aloe vera gel can help heal a cold sore
- Tea tree and peppermint oil are effective when healing the infection.