Cold sores seem to happen at the worst time, Before an important meeting, special date or job interview.
One morning you wake up with a slight redness or swelling and feel some tingling beneath your skin somewhere on your face.
Then it appears on your lip, around your mouth or perhaps on your nose.
The cause is the Herpes Simplex Virus which is spread through infected saliva or other bodily fluids.
Once infected by the virus, it stays in your body forever causing occasional, unwelcome outbreaks.
An outbreak can occur at any time.
These outbreaks appear as small clusters of tiny fluid filled, blisters which will soon turn into a painful, unsightly cold sore.
The outbreaks can last from three to ten days.
The outbreak may be triggered by a number of conditions and events.
Fever, infection, colds, food allergies, menstruation and sun burn can create an outbreak.
Recent trauma, fatigue, stress, dental work, and changes in the immune system can also trigger an outbreak.
Many conditions have been implicated in their development including poor hygiene, lack of sleep, exposure to extreme temperature, and relationship problems.
The cold sore virus will continue to live indefinitely in your body, it can never be cured.
When there is no visible, painful sore the virus is sleeping in your nerves beneath your skin.
Once it occurs in an area of the body, it is likely to reappear at that same site.
Some trigger can be prevented or reduced while other are inevitable such as menstruation orimpossible to control like catching a cold, trauma or the need for a dental procedure.
There are a number of treatments and remedies for cold sore sufferers.
There are prescription medications and a number of over the counter ointments and salves that are available at drug stores or grocery stores.
Limiting dietary intake of certain foods can help in the case of food allergies.
There are many home remedies that have been proven to work as well.