If you are a cold sore sufferer, the chances are you dread the itching or tingling sensation that warns of an imminent appearance.
What are cold sores?
Cold sores are blisters on the face, which typically last for 7-10 days if left untreated. They can be painful and they are infectious so care needs to be taken when applying treatment or touching them. The World Health Organisation estimates that more than two-thirds (3.7 billion people) of the world’s population under the age of 50 have the cold sore causing herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1).
What causes cold sores?
Cold sores are caused by the type 1 herpes simplex virus. Commonly, the virus is caught by close facial contact with someone who has an active facial sore. It is only passed through skin-to-skin contact and not through sharing cutlery, cups or linen.
When do cold sores appear?
Sufferers will tell you that cold sores tend to come up when they are run down, or sometimes when they have a fever, or before menstruation.
Changes in the weather (into Autumn/Winter) and sunbathing have also been associated with a flare-up. The first time someone catches cold sores they may well get flu-like symptoms and have ulcers appear in their mouth and in their throat.
What can you do to prevent them?
Sufferers have traditionally had to use creams or patches to limit the effects after an outbreak and many describe the blisters or sores as highly embarrassing and confidence crushing.
At The London Holistic Dental Centre we are one of the first dental surgeries in the UK to offer a minimally invasive treatment using a diode laser.
Call us when you feel the first tingle!
Call us when you first feel the tingle and we’ll carry out the relatively painless procedure which will not only prevent the cold sore from breaking through but may also prevent it recurring for a number of years.
To read a recent case study from a patient who successfully underwent this treatment at our practice please click here.
For more information on the diode laser treatment for cold sores, please call us on 020 7487 5221 or email info@londonholisticdental.com to book an appointment.
