Latest blog by Andrea Donsky, co-founder of NaturallySavvy.com. Read more...

Canker and Cold Sores


  • Are Cold Sores Contagious?

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    Yes. Don?t kiss anyone when you have an outbreak. Avoid sharing eating utensils, toothbrushes, razors and towels.

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  • What Happens the First Time You Get a Cold Sore?

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    Generally, people first get it when they are infants or children. Interestingly enough, only about 20% of those carrying the virus ever get symptoms ? that is, break out in actual cold sores. The sores can appear within days or weeks or even years following that first exposure to the virus. The first time symptoms appear they are usually more intense that subsequent outbreaks. For example some ...

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  • What Are Cold Sores?

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    Cold sores are small blisters that form around the mouth that are clear and filled with fluid. Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus which lives inside nerve tissue. It is estimated that 80% of the population carry the virus and 60 million people have outbreaks once or more per year. Cold sores are also known as fever blisters or Herpes Simplex or HSV1 This is not the same as genita...

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  • Healing Canker Sores

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    The standard over-the-counter (OTC) treatments for canker sores are benzocaine and lidocaine. These drugs are esters - which means they are compounds made from an acid - better known as - PABA (para amino benzoic acid) and the alcohol ethanol. Dentists use a related ester - procaine, also called Novocain - as a topical anesthetic during dental work. Benzocaine and lidocaine are chemically s...

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  • How to Prevent Canker Sores

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    Recurrent canker sores may be the result of nutritional deficiencies. A patient who has regular problems with canker sores should have blood tests to determine possible vitamin deficiencies, and to determine potential problems with food allergies. It may be helpful to keep a food diary to determine potential allergies or food irritants. Other preventive tactics include: - Avoiding toot...

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  • Canker Sore Causes

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    Exactly how canker sores form is unclear. However, it appears that they are caused by a persons own immune response. Canker sores form when a persons immune system responds to unidentified chemicals. Lymphocytes (a variety of white blood cell) rush to attack the unidentified invader. The canker sore is the result of our own antibodies ravaging the tender tissues of the gums and cheeks. Seve...

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  • What are Canker Sores?

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    Canker sores are shallow, painful sores on the inside of the lips, the inside of the cheeks, or on the gums. They begin as small, reddish swellings. Then they burst, and the ruptured sores are covered with a white or yellow membrane. The edges of the sores are still red, and look like a painful red halo. Without treatment, canker sores (medically: aphthous ulcers) heal in 2 to 3 weeks. Cank...

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  • Cold Sore Symptoms Occur in Stages

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    The first cold sore symptoms a person typically notices are tingling or itching sensations in the area from which the blister will eventually emerge--this is referred to as the prodrome, or tingling stage. Left untreated, the blister will usually form on the second or third day. There may only be one fluid-filled blister, or there could be a cluster of smaller blisters that are raw and painful....

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  • Cold Sore Symptoms

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    A cold sore is a blister. Its symptoms are extremely trying, especially when the cold sore is located in a sensitive area, such as the corner of your mouth or right under your nose. Often, a cold sore accompanies a cold or the flu, which means that when the blister is located around the nose area, it is constantly being aggravated every time the person blows their nose. The pain of a cold sore ...

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