Cold sores | cold sores | Gesundheit-Aktuell.de

Initial infection with herpes simplex virus type 1, responsible for cold sores (syn. cold sores, nasty sores, glacial gangrene), usually occurs without symptoms in early childhood, between the ages of 3 and 5 years. More than 90% of people have dealt with the virus in adulthood. Around 1% of adults regularly suffer from recurring infections, always in the same area on the edge of the lips. The virus originally reached the lips through contact with droplets. Bypassing the immunological defenses of the stratum corneum, the virus is able to penetrate the cell nucleus and reproduce with the help of its DNA. Up to 50,000 new viruses can appear in a cell before it dies. Strangely, the immune system is unable to finally destroy viruses because some of them can remain impregnable in the dorsal root ganglia of affected nerve cells without any symptoms.

Through certain stimuli, such as stress, mechanical stress, UV radiation, feelings of disgust, febrile illnesses or menstrual bleeding, the virus manages to bypass the immune system’s guards and multiply again in the skin cells of the red lip.

Initially, it triggers a slight sensation in the organs, which can be perceived as a feeling of tension, tingling, swelling or even a slight itch. If no treatment is given, clustered water blisters develop on a reddish base in the first two days, which are sometimes painful and oozing. Rarely, additional bacterial infections with staphylococcal bacteria occur, which are noticeable due to the formation of honey-yellow crusts. If the course is simple, the scabs will fall off after about 10 days. The skin remains intact.

Herpes, which is usually mild, can be treated with several topical medications approved for this purpose in Germany. These include, for example: B. Acyclovir, lemon balm extract, zinc sulfate in the form of creams or ointments. In oral form, for severe cases in the first few days, for example: B. acyclovir or valacyclovir can be used.

Various home remedies are also tried, such as piercing, applying toothpaste, tea tree oil, and rubbing with finely ground black pepper. The application of honey, proven to be effective, has a chance of success. But the above-mentioned locally applied and over-the-counter medicines, as well as homeopathic ones, are not always reliable in their therapeutic effect. What works for one person doesn’t work for another. Autologous blood therapy can often strengthen the immune system.

A dermatological examination of cold sores should always be performed to confirm the initial diagnosis. It is not uncommon for blisters around the mouth to be misinterpreted as cold sores for years even though it is a staph bacterial infection. After the skin on your lips recovers, nothing stops the kissing experience.