If you have questions about cold sores, read this short article now. You will quickly see what cold sores are and what damage they can do to you.

WHAT IS A COLD SORE?

Cold sores always seem to appear at the worst time. A cold sore is painful and embarrassing, and it definitely hurts your social life.

Whether you call them cold sores, fever blisters or oral herpes, they are all the same infection. Cold sores can appear anywhere the virus can get through your skin. The lip area is usually the first infection site.

Herpes simplex virus, either type 1 or type 2, produces all cold sores. It is a very damaging virus, as you will see.

When the herpes virus first enters your body, it will claim a nearby nerve fiber as its lifetime home. All cold sores produced by this virus family will be at the surface end of that nerve fiber.

WHAT CAUSES A COLD SORE?

Most of the time this herpes virus will sleep in the root cells of its home nerve. If it becomes active, it will wiggle to the surface through the nerve and drill into your surface nerve cells.

The herpes virus is not able to create new virus by itself. It needs your nerve cells to do the work. When a herpes virus particle enters a cell, it forces the cell to create new virus - as a true parasite.

As the cells fill up they balloon causing visible swelling of the cold sore site. The control virus will destroy the cell when it is full or exhausted. This will spill out hoards of new herpes virus.

When the herpes virus annihilates many cells, you end up with an open wound called a cold sore. Painful they are because you now have exposed nerve endings.

ARE COLD SORES VERY CONTAGIOUS?

The herpes simplex virus is an extremely tiny living particle. It enters the body through soft tissue - like lips - or through cracks in the skin. You are very contagious from the first itching until the final healing redness is gone.

Kissing is the usual way to pass on this virus. Contaminated fingers are also a common culprit. Please use every means to protect yourself and others. Use alcohol soaked tissues to cleanse the sore. Wash your hands afterwards.

With contaminated fingers, you can spread cold sores to any place on your body. People get these sores on fingers, necks and cheeks if the virus can get through a crack or other sore. These are usually more painful.

Be especially careful not to infect your eyes. A cold sore on the cornea will cause serious injury.

The herpes simplex virus infects nearly 90% of the world population because it is so tough and contagious. You usually contract it in your youth. About 70% of those infected will get one or more outbreaks per year.

WHAT CAN I DO TO GET RID OF COLD SORES?

Stress activates the herpes simplex virus. It is probably the number one cold sore trigger. Stress makes your body acid because of hormonal changes. This acid environment encourages herpes virus replication.

Your body needs no help from you to heal oral herpes cold sores. But it is a slow process, often taking up to four weeks. You can cut this healing time in half with a good cold sore treatment.

Natural home cold sore treatment methods are still your best choice. They give much greater success than the prescription drugs and store-bought remedies and will save you money.

Lysine, garlic oil and zinc are three of the top choices in cold sore treatment today. Lysine and zinc are best taken as supplements, but all three can benefit you if put directly on the cold sore too.

Any cold sore care plan should always include continuous cleansing using hydrogen peroxide, alcohol or wine soaked cotton balls or tissues.

No doubt about it - oral herpes cold sores damage your social life as well as your lip. Yes, they are hard to cope with. But now, with the knowledge you have just gained, you are much more prepared for the next battle.

After a little experimenting, you will easily find the best cold sore treatment for your personal success. Then you will be well on your way to freedom from cold sores.