Laser Treatment for Cold Sores

from: http://www.drmarclazare.com/laser-treatments-for-cold-soresherpetic-lesions/

Cold sores, sometimes called fever blisters, are groups of small blisters on the lip and around the mouth that are caused by the herpes simplex virus.

This virus usually enters the body through a break in the skin around or inside the mouth. They can be spread when a person touches a cold sore or contacts the infected fluid from sharing eating utensils or razors, or through kissing or touching that person’s saliva.

A parent who has a cold sore often spreads the infection to his or her child in this way. What are the symptoms of a Cold Sore? The prodromal symptoms (warning signs) of cold sores may include a tingling, itching or pain around your mouth and on your lips, a fever, a sore throat, or swollen glands in your neck or other parts of the body.

After the blisters appear, the cold sores usually break open, leak a clear fluid, and then crust over and disappear after several days to 2 weeks. For some people, cold sores can be very painful.

How are Cold Sores treated?
Cold sores will usually start to heal on their own within a few days and then disappear within a couple of weeks. However, if they cause pain or make you feel self-conscious, they can be treated.

Treatment may include skin creams, ointments, or sometimes pills. This type of treatment may only get rid of the cold sores only 1 to 2 days faster, but it can lessen the uncomfortable symptoms.

A more effective way to treat cold sores is through laser therapy. If you catch the lesion in time with laser treatment, you can prevent the cold sore from breaking out.

As soon as you feel that tingling sensation that warns you of an on-coming sore, schedule an appointment for a laser treatment. If you already have a full blown sore, the laser will take away the discomfort and help it to dry up and heal much faster.

The herpes simplex virus that causes cold sores cannot be cured. After you get infected, the virus stays in your body for the rest of your life. If you get cold sores often, treatment can reduce the number of cold sores you get and how severe they are. It often happens that people will get cold sores that reoccur in the same spot every time.

After being treated with a laser multiple times, there is a good chance that sore won’t appear again in that spot.

What are the benefits of using a laser in treating cold sores?
It is high tech, yet affordable, and often covered by your insurance Laser energy destroys the virus that causes the sore Relief is immediate and profound Help prevent sores if treated once the lip starts tingling Arrests the progression of the lesion after treatment

Faster healing without any further discomfort through photo-biostimulation Treatment takes just a few minutes and without anesthesia After treatment, sores reoccur with less intensity and frequency at the same location

Not Another Cold Sore: Oh the Horror

from: http://www.bakersfield.com/news/columnist/schultz/x1997183852/VALERIE-SCHULTZ...

Here's a brief diary of one of the more horrible cycles of life:

Day One: There's a tingling feeling on my lip that feels vaguely familiar . . . Oh no. Please don't be a cold sore. Maybe I can think it away. Maybe if I ignore it, it won't happen . . .

Day Two: Dang, I knew it. It's a cold sore. It's in early formation, swollen and tender, and I need to face it with dignity and grace.

Day Three: Maybe this one won't be so bad.

Day Four: It's bad. It's very visible, even with makeup. Maybe prayer will help.

Day Five: Don't want to leave the house. There is an alien on my lower lip.

Day Six: A painful alien that cracks open if I smile, talk, or breathe. It's mutating.

Day Seven: On top of being repulsive, it hurts. Why did God create viruses that severely disfigure human faces?

Day Eight: Everywhere I go, people are looking at my goopy, disgusting lip. I'm grossing myself out.

Day Nine: Is it getting bigger, or smaller?

Day Ten: A little smaller. Need a little less makeup today.

Day Eleven: Almost time to think about breaking this new habit of talking with my hand covering my mouth.

Day Twelve: The horror is fading. The cycle is ending. Until the next outbreak. I never want to do this again: I will take every preventive measure this time. I mean it!

Someone who has never had a cold sore may wonder if I am exaggerating the magnitude of its harrowing effects. Anyone who has suffered through the cold sore cycle, however, knows exactly what I'm saying.

Cold sores, also known as fever blisters, are defined by the Mayo Clinic's website as "fluid-filled lesions caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 infection." I know: nasty things. Hope you're not eating breakfast as you read the paper, because any definition starting with the words "fluid-filled lesions" is pretty nauseating.

The word "herpes" is also a red flag in polite conversation. The genital kind of herpes is actually caused by the type 2 virus, although this is scant consolation to someone plagued with a cold sore.

Although 70 percent of the population worldwide is infected with herpes simplex virus type 1, many people never experience the viciousness of a flare-up. Once the virus is present in the body, it can be triggered by fever, stress, fatigue, menstruation or exposure to the sun: in other words, my so-called life.

Over the years, cold sores have appeared on and around my mouth just in time for job interviews, family photos and holiday gatherings. I developed an unsightly bloom the first (and only) time I ever presented a talk at a conference. My most recent lip explosion has coincided with the stressful wait for an expected layoff letter from my employer, which, mercifully, did not come after all. At least, not this time around.

A lot of people must struggle with the affliction of occasional cold sores, because there is actually a website with the inviting name of 'coldsores.com'. It includes definitions, descriptions, graphs, photos (ick), and a detailed critique of available treatments, both prescription and over-the-counter, as well as ineffective home remedies. I was amazed by how many treatments I had actually tried over the years: topical tea tree oil. Lysine supplements. Ice packs. Anti-viral medication. Every ointment ever marketed. Unfortunately, once a cold sore decides to erupt, there is no instant relief, no magic bullet, no miracle elixir of happiness. It has to run its poisonous course.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health have helpfully named the five stages of the cold sore cycle. They are the Tingling Stage, the Blister Stage, the Weeping Stage, the Scabbing Stage, and the Healing Stage. Just the names induce misery. They are pretty much as described above. But the official stages fail to capture the way a cold sore takes over your life.

Even though you try to reassure yourself that other people aren't really looking at you that closely, that the makeup you spent 20 minutes applying is truly covering the oozing mess, that your life is about far more than the superficial, there is always that one co-worker, family member, or friend who just has to point out the obvious: "Geez. That's some cold sore you got there." And right then, you cancel your evening plans. It's better not to be seen in this state of ugliness. You feel like a Superfund toxic cleanup site. Such is the tyranny of the cold sore.

In the long run, it's a silly vanity: Lord knows, it's not like a cold sore is my lone physical imperfection. But I only have this sense of perspective because I've made it once again to the Healing Stage. I am trying to eat better, get enough sleep, slather my lips with high-SPF lip balm against the sun, de-stress with thoughts of serenity, peace, love and light. My lip is patching itself back together. Repairing my self-esteem may take a few days longer.

These are the opinions of Valerie Schultz, not necessarily those of The Californian. Email her at vschultz22@gmail.com.