{"id":12788,"date":"2016-09-08T14:08:33","date_gmt":"2013-09-08T21:08:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.accessrx.com\/blog\/?p=12788"},"modified":"2013-09-08T14:08:33","modified_gmt":"2013-09-08T21:08:33","slug":"the-truth-about-cold-sores-and-how-to-get-rid-of-them-m0830","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/std-sexually-transmitted-diseases-treatments\/the-truth-about-cold-sores-and-how-to-get-rid-of-them-m0830\/","title":{"rendered":"The Truth About Cold Sores (and How to Get Rid of Them)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"If
If you get cold sores, you are not alone. Some 50 million Americans get cold sores each year.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cold sores are caused by two strains of the herpes simplex virus (HSV): HSV-1 and HSV-2.<\/p>\n

While cold sores on the mouth are usually caused by HSV-1, and genital herpes are usually caused by HSV-2, either virus can cause either type of sore. A 2006 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association,<\/i> based on data from 1999-2004, reported that HSV-1 affected 57.7% of Americans<\/a>. By age 50, some 80 to 90% of adults<\/a> have the virus, and in the US, an estimated 50 million adults develop cold sores each year. Though there is great variation in the number of attacks people have after being exposed to the virus, most people with HSV-1 or HSV-2 experience one to three attacks per year, though the severity and the frequency of outbreaks tends to diminish over time.<\/p>\n

What Causes Cold Sores?<\/strong><\/p>\n

People catch the herpes virus infection from others who have active lesions. Herpes can be transmitted through shared towels, eating utensils, razors, and through kissing. Oral sex can spread the virus as well. Up to 20 days after exposure to the virus, a person may develop cold sores. When the virus enters your body, it emerges near the original site of entry. <\/p>\n

Before an outbreak of cold sores, many people experience tingling, itching, or sensitivity at the site where the cold sore emerges. After the initial herpes infection, the virus goes dormant in the nerve cells of the skin.<\/p>\n

Why Cold Sores Come and Go<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cold sore outbreaks tend to emerge occasionally as an active infection at or near the original site. It\u2019s not always easy to predict what will trigger a new outbreak, but some of the more common triggers include:<\/p>\n