Dr Bryan Betty: What are Cold Sores?

Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

One topic that is very common and can be quite distressing for patients is ‘cold sores’ sometimes referred to as ‘fever blisters’. A very common presentation to the doctor!

What are cold sores?

- Small fluid filled blisters appear on the skin, often in patches.

- Usually on the lips, chin or cheeks, or nostrils.

- Sometimes can occur in the roof of the mouth or gums.

- Often start with tingling or itching. Over 48 hours blisters develop, then burst and ‘crust over’, and dry out.

- Can take 2-3 weeks to heal completely.

- Occasionally you also get a temperature, sore throat, and headache.

What causes them?

- They are caused by a virus – herpes simplex virus 1.

- They can be spread through close contact – kissing, shared utensils, towels.

- More likely to spread when the blisters burst.

- The virus can hide in nerve cells and be triggered by:

- Stress, fatigue, fever, trauma, sun, or wind.

How do you treat them?

- They get better over 2-3 weeks.

- Use sunblock lip balm outside.

- Paracetamol can help the pain.

- Avoid salty food. Also, ice or warm flannels.

- You can be prescribed or buy antiviral cream from a chemist to speed up the healing.

Is there anything else I should think about?

- It’s important to avoid close contact such as kissing, touching, or sharing towels when you have cold sores.

- They can recur and be triggered, so avoid trigger factors if possible – sun, stress.

- There is a natural remedy: kanuka honey-based cream shown to be effective.

- See your GP if it’s not healed within 14 days, occurs near the eye, very large, or you have other issues such having chemotherapy.

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