Is there a cure for frigid wounds?

Q: I get frigid wounds several times a year. Is there a way to stop them from returning?

It usually starts with tingling on the edge of the lip. Painful, fluid -filled unevenness appear. Then they jump, they are sabers and ultimately heal. Every few months this cycle repeats.

Cool wounds, also known as fever blisters, can develop after infection with herpes virus. (They are commonly caused by a virus version called a virus of common type 1 or HSV-1, which differs from a version that usually causes genital herpes).

For many, the changes are “unsightly and painful,” said Dr. Christine Johnston, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She added that they are also common: about half of the people in the United States have HSV-1.

Here’s how to treat frigid wounds and can you prevent them.

What causes frigid wounds?

The herpes virus is “very contagious,” said Dr. Dean Blumberg, head of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Health. You can pick it up through close contact with someone who is infected, for example by kissing or sharing food or drinks.

Dr. Blmberg said it is not always effortless to say if someone is contagious. People can transmit oral herpes without perceptible frigid pain.

If you are infected, you can immediately develop frigid pain, and even not at all, added Dr. Blumberg. Dr. Johnston said that it might take years before you have an explosion, or maybe you’ll never get it.

However, when you start conquering frigid wounds, the virus can cause epidemics throughout your life. Dr. Johnston said that the frequency varies depending on the person; Some people have one frigid sore a year, others get them many times a year.

What is the best way to treat frigid wounds?

Dr. Blmberg said that most of the frigid wounds would be resolved in about a week.

But doctors usually recommend that patients take oral prescription antiviral drugs, such as acyclovir, valentacyclovir or famcyclovir. Dr. Blmberg said that antiviral drugs are very effective. And taking them as soon as possible – for example, at the first signs of tingling or sensitivity around the mouth – it can shorten the pain and shorten the treatment time, added Dr. Johnston. Sometimes, she said, it may prevent a nodule from the formation.

If you get six or more wounds for the winter a year, your doctor can recommend something called Suppressive antiviral therapyWhat consists of taking antiviral drugs to reduce the number, severity and length of explosions. This therapy can also reduce your chances of spreading the virus on others.

Many without a prescription of local treatments-as many as those containing an dynamic ingredient Docosanol (Abreva) – claim that it is quickly treated frigid, sometimes in just 2.5 days. But the doctors we talked to do not recommend them.

Local drugs are less effective than oral antiviral drugs because they Does not penetrate into nerve cells Where the virus lives, so they cannot “deal with the original cause” of the explosions, stopping herpes virus from repetition, said Dr. Cindy Wassef, a dermatologist from the University Hospital Robert Wood Johnson in Somerset, Nj

Dr. Johnston added that local drugs also do not treat wounds as quickly as oral antiviral drugs.

But some over -the -counter products can support reduce pain while frigid wounds are treated. Dr. Wassef said that they include steroid and numb creams, and painkillers such as acetaminofen and aspirin, added Dr. Blumerg.

Dr. Blmberg said that it is also helpful to avoid eating anything acidic, such as citrus or vinegar, which can make frigid gaps sting. On the other hand, frigid drinks, ice POPS and ice cream can support relieve pain.

Can you cure frigid wounds?

While individual painful episodes will heal, there is no way to throw the virus out of your body, so you will always be exposed to future explosions, said Dr. Wassef.

“HSV-1 is a chronic infection,” Dr. Johnston added. “There is no cure at the moment.”

However, if you know that your epidemics are asked by some triggers, such as exposure to ultraviolet airy, for example, this trigger could be avoided, for example, wearing sunscreen or lip balm from SPF at least 30, said Dr. Blumberg.

Scientists worked on Herpes vaccineWhat Dr. Johnston said is still early in the research and testing phase. She explained that most of the work was carried out on genital herpes, more often caused by a virus of a common type 2, but “I hope that when we get a breakthrough there, we could study it in frigid wounds.”

Scientists also analyze therapies that change the virus bottoms in your body. IN study 2024Researchers injected molecules editing the gen. The authors came to the conclusion that the gene edition can potentially contribute to medicine for oral herpes and genitals, but further research is needed.

For now, the only way to prevent wounds is to avoid infection of herpes virus – but this is practically impossible for many people, said Dr. Johnston. “It’s a very ubiquitous virus.”