Cold Sore Myth Busters
We've all seen them, and more than seven million of us suffer from them - but few of us know the truth about cold sores-those unsightly, painful and embarrassing sores that always seem to appear at the worst possible times. And with cold season coming on, cold sores will be rearing their ugly faces even more often. Get up to speed on all the facts about cold sores so you can try to avoid getting them or you can speed up the healing process.
Dr. Kucy Pon, a Toronto based dermatologist, breaks down common myths about cold sores.
Myth: Cold sores only come out when you get a cold.
Fact: Though the common cold can bring on a cold sore, there are several triggers which can cause an outbreak. Some of the more common triggers include: fatigue, stress, cold weather, or sun exposure. According to a recent survey by Leger Marketing, as many as 91 per cent of women, for example, don't know menstruation is a trigger of cold sores. It's best to be aware of your personal triggers and avoid or reduce them when possible to lessen the frequency of outbreaks.
Myth: When you get a cold sore, you just have to wait for it to go away.
Fact: The basic life cycle of the cold sore is eight to 10 days, but there are steps you can take to shorten the healing period. Most importantly, you need to target the tingle, or treat the cold sore as soon as you have the tingling feeling that one is about to erupt. You can use an over-the-counter treatment, like Abreva, that contains Docosanol 10% cream, which reduces the duration of pain, burning, and itching by shortening the healing period and helping stop the infection from spreading.
Myth: The only way you can catch a cold sore is if you kiss someone else who has one.
Fact: Cold sores are quite contagious and can be passed on in many different ways. As many as 69 per cent of Canadians don't even know that cold sores are spread through saliva. One of the most obvious methods you can spread the herpes simplex virus is by kissing, but it can also be spread by sharing utensils, razors, towels or other items that come in contact with the skin or saliva.
More information about cold sore management is available online at www.abreva.ca.
Credit: www.newscanada.com
Here is another article from News Canada on Cold Sores
Hello Hot Lips, Goodbye Cold Sores
You picked out your best outfit, you had your hair and nails done and the night of your big date has finally arrived. You're ready to make a great first impression, but your confidence has just vanished. Instead of welcoming your date with a dazzling smile, you feel like wrapping your face in a scarf to hide the awful cold sore which has erupted.
Sound familiar? To more than seven million Canadians, the possibility of this scenario is too close for comfort. And when 40 per cent of Canadians agree that the most attractive feature on a woman's face is her smile, getting rid of a cold sore as soon as possible is key.
According to a recent Canadian survey, not only do Canadians avoid intimacy when they have a cold sore, but 37 per cent would cancel a date if they had one, citing the pain and embarrassment as the worst things about them. In fact, many Canadians would rather deal with a bad hair day or pimples than cold sore outbreaks.
Cold sores, which usually appear around the lips, are caused by the herpes simplex type 1 virus. They are very common and quite contagious, and if left untreated can last from eight to 10 days.
The good news is there are steps that can be taken to shorten healing time and duration of symptoms associated with cold sores.
"Watch for that tingling or burning feeling and begin targeting the tingle with an over-the-counter remedy," says Dr. Kucy Pon, a Toronto based dermatologist. "Effective over-the-counter products include Abreva, which contains Docosanol 10% cream. It can help reduce some of the pain, burning and itching and shorten the healing period."
Don't let a cold sore cool down your social life. The tingling stage is one of the most important periods to treat a cold sore infection with Abreva- right before the outbreak.
