Cold Sores (Herpes Simplex)
Cold sores, caused by herpes simplex infection are often contracted in childhood - usually acquired through the mucous membrane of the mouth, being spread in the saliva of a sufferer who gives the child a kiss - and a present for life, because herpes infections are with us forever. The virus lives in the cells of the spinal cord. For much of the time there are no symptoms, but at times of reduced immune response (when we have a cold, when we’re in the sun, when we’re run down) the virus re-emerges, creeping down the nerve to cause the blister and subsequent ulcer which characterise a cold sore. This is one viral infection for which there is an available treatment aimed specifically at the herpes virus. It is most effective before the blisters of the cold sore are formed, and should therefore be used as promptly as possible.
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