When Is A Cold Sore No Longer Contagious?
When are Cold Sores no longer contagious, is the question on everyone's lips, when
they are around people suffering with an outbreak of cold sores.
And if you are the one with the cold sore affliction, the last thing you want to
do, is pass them on to someone close to you that you love.
Appearing on the lips, your nostril flares and surrounding your mouth area, the
unpleasant fever blisters and red swelling you sometimes get in winter are commonly
known as cold sores.
A viral infection is the cause of the small painful blisters and fluid filled
protrusions under your skin.
To prevent cold sores from occurring, for most people, they have enough
antibodies, to prevent an outbreak, and contain the virus.
However, during optimum conditions, the virus will replicate and propagate,
resulting in the outbreak of cold sores. The herpes simplex HSV- 1 virus at the
root of the problem, is present in nearly everyone, mostly lying harmless and
dormant.
The virus may however find optimum conditions to "wake up" when the carrier, is
in a drained body resource state, or has an infection. An insufficiency of
antibodies occurs in 20 to 25% of people at some stage in their life, causing the
virus to attack.
Since the cold sores are very infectious, mixing with other people, can quickly
precipitate an attack, so it is important to know when is a cold sore no longer
contagious. As a rule of thumb, any contact with a dry cold sore, is much less
likely to result in a transfer of the infection, than a moist contact.
Although the fever blisters and cold sores are quite uncomfortable and ugly,
they are not usually in themselves dangerous. Being in surroundings which are
favorable to encourage further virus activity, or leaving the issue untreated, may
however lead to a more serious condition.
Left to its own devices, a cold sores outbreak, should normally disappear in a
few weeks, unless re infected. Using some effective home remedies, and over the counter
medications, healing can often be accelerated
Should there however be a formation of a type of yellowish pus, one should seek
medical help. The yellow indicates a formation of other bacteria, which may lead to
complications and permanent damage, if not treated correctly. If additionally you
start to suffer from a fever during this time, this is an indication that
there are more issues than merely cold sores, that need to addressed by the proper
medical professionals. Under these circumstances things should not be left to just
run their natural course.
Any eye irritation in particular, is a reason for concern, as an infection of
the eyes can lead to permanent visual damage if not timeously addressed.
So it is important to know when a Cold Sore is no longer contagious, as other
symptoms when combined with cold sores could result in a much more severe
condition, and should never be ignored under any circumstance.
Apart from an unsightly ugly appearance and discomfort, the outbreak of cold
sores can be the start of something more dangerous.
To be totally certain and have the least chance of complications, when are Cold
Sore no longer contagious should be regarded as at least as long as the
manifestation is visible, and definitely while there is any fluid present.
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