Cold sore myth busters

(NC)—We've all seen them, and more than seven million of us suffer from them – but few of us know the truth about cold sores–those unsightly, painful and embarrassing sores that always seem to appear at the worst possible times. And with cold season coming on, cold sores will be rearing their ugly faces even more often. Get up to speed on all the facts about cold sores so you can try to avoid getting them or you can speed up the healing process. Dr. Kucy Pon, a Toronto based dermatologist, breaks down common myths about cold sores.

Myth: Cold sores only come out when you get a cold.

Fact: Though the common cold can bring on a cold sore, there are several triggers which can cause an outbreak. Some of the more common triggers include: fatigue, stress, cold weather, or sun exposure. According to a recent survey by Leger Marketing, as many as 91 per cent of women, for example, don't know menstruation is a trigger of cold sores. It's best to be aware of your personal triggers and avoid or reduce them when possible to lessen the frequency of outbreaks.

Myth: When you get a cold sore, you just have to wait for it to go away.

Fact: The basic life cycle of the cold sore is eight to 10 days, but there are steps you can take to shorten the healing period. Most importantly, you need to target the tingle, or treat the cold sore as soon as you have the tingling feeling that one is about to erupt. You can use an over-the-counter treatment, like Abreva, that contains Docosanol 10% cream, which reduces the duration of pain, burning, and itching by shortening the healing period and helping stop the infection from spreading.

Myth: The only way you can catch a cold sore is if you kiss someone else who has one.

Fact: Cold sores are quite contagious and can be passed on in many different ways. As many as 69 per cent of Canadians don't even know that cold sores are spread through saliva. One of the most obvious methods you can spread the herpes simplex virus is by kissing, but it can also be spread by sharing utensils, razors, towels or other items that come in contact with the skin or saliva.

More information about cold sore management is available online at www.abreva.ca.

- News Canada