What is a cold sore? A cold sore is a small blister that is reddish or purple. They are usually on the outer edge of the lip on just one side. Cold sores can appear one at a time or in little bunches and they are sometimes filled with fluid. They usually crust over and form a scab before they go away. They last a week or 2 and usually don't require any special treatment. Although they're called cold sores you don't need to have a cold to get one. Some people call them fever blisters but you don't have to have a fever to have one either. (Cold sores aren't the same as canker sores which are small white sores that are always found inside the mouth).
What Causes Cold Sores? Cold sores are caused by the herpes virus. Herpes is one of the most common viral infections in the world. The medical name for the specific virus that causes cold sores is herpes simplex. There are two types of herpes simplex infection: herpes simplex virus one (HSV1) and herpes simplex virus two (HSV2). Although both can cause cold sores around a person's mouth most are caused by HSV-1. HSV-1 is so common that most Americans get infected with it although many never have any symptoms. People can catch HSV-1 by kissing a person with a cold sore or sharing a drinking glass so it's easy to see why there are so many cold sores around. People who get infected with HSV-1 may get cold sores occasionally for the rest of their lives That's because even after the sores themselves dry up and go away the virus stays in the body waiting around for another time to come out and cause more sores. When a cold sore reappears, it is often in the same place as the previous one.
Ingredients
- Lonicera, flower
- Forsythia, flower
- Scutellaria, root
- Articum, seed
- Mouton Peony, bark
- Bupleurum, root
- Cnidium, root
- Dong Quai, root
- Coptis Root
- Red Peony, root
- Vegetable Capsules