LIPIVIR® Protect – Preventive lip gel

OK, so what is cold sores? Just like the common cold, cold sores are a virus caused by herpes simplex. Once you have the virus, it stays in your body for life and sometimes causes a cold sore. There are two types of this virus, HSV-1 and HSV-2. Both types can cause cold sores, with HSV-1 being responsible for the majority of outbreaks.

Most people are exposed to the virus at a young age through close contact (e.g. kissing) with a person who has a cold sore. For most, however, it does not cause symptoms until they are older. Often you don't even know you have the virus until you get a cold sore.

The virus settles in the nerve cells in your head. There it remains inactive, and in some people it never breaks out. However, there are some triggers that can reactivate the virus and cause an outbreak of cold sores, such as hot sun, a cold or strong winds that irritate your skin. Hormonal changes or even stress can also be the cause. While most cold sores heal within a few days, some take 12 to 15 days.

A cold sore usually appears as small, fluid-filled blisters or bubbles on or around the lips. Depending on the stage of a cold sore, the appearance can vary from person to person and can reappear due to triggers such as stress, sun exposure or a weakened immune system.

Most cold sores are caused by a common virus called herpes simplex (HSV-1). This common virus can affect the skin around the mouth and especially the lips. Cold sores are transmitted through close skin contact, but generally not through sexual contact.

What causes cold sores?

Cold sores are caused by a virus called herpes simplex. Once you have been infected with this virus, it can stay with you for the rest of your life. A German study has shown that 90% of the population are carriers of the virus. Sometimes external factors can cause cold sores to become a regular irritation.

To prevent further outbreaks of cold sores, even if you are not infected with the herpes simplex virus, you should not have skin contact with anyone who has a cold sore.

The simple answer is no. Cold sores are not hereditary.

You cannot get cold sores or have cold sore outbreaks just because your close relatives or parents might suffer from them. You can only become infected through direct skin contact with someone who has cold sores.

So how do you actually transmit cold sores? Cold sores can be transmitted through saliva, bodily fluids and sharing intimate objects such as toothbrushes and cutlery.

Although cold sores are not hereditary, there is research to suggest that cold sores can be inherited from parents. Just as eye and hair color is inherited, the virus can also be passed on to children. It is suspected that one in 116 newborns has inherited the virus from their parents.

The simple answer is yes, cold sores are contagious. You can both pass a cold sore on to another person and get a cold sore from another person.Cold sores are contagious at all major stages, from the onset to the crusting to the natural healing process. From the first tingling of the area (or the usual signs that indicate a developing cold sore) to the natural healing process, they are contagious and can be passed on to others. However, as long as the virus is inactive (you do not have a cold sore), it is not contagious. If you have a cold sore, you can prevent it from spreading by doing the following:

- Avoid kissing or oral sex until the blister has completely healed,

- Do not share objects that have come into contact with your mouth, such as towels, lipstick, toothbrushes or cutlery,

- avoid close contact with children with burns or eczema,

- Do not touch or scratch your cold sore,

- avoid close physical contact with babies or people with a weaker immune system, such as the elderly.

Yes. Microbiologists believe that the virus cannot survive outside the human body for long, but it can survive for a short time.

And what about other objects? HSV-1 (the virus that causes cold sores) can live on other objects that a person with cold sores uses. Items such as towels, glasses, cutlery and toothbrushes can harbor the virus. HSV-1 also survives longer in a warm or humid environment.

During the life cycle of a cold sore, it goes through eight different stages, each with unique symptoms and characteristics.

The early stage of a cold sore, called the prodromal stage, is characterized by subtle signs before visible blisters form. Common signs of the early stages of cold sores include tingling, itching, or burning in the area of the lips or mouth. Some individuals may also experience redness or swelling in the affected area. If you notice these symptoms, you may LIPIVIR® Protect help reduce the likelihood of an outbreak. Early intervention can help treat cold sores effectively.

Most cold sores have eight stages. During the crusting stage (when the cold sore starts to scab over), the cold sore may break open and bleed. It is perfectly normal for your cold sore to bleed at this stage.

It is when the cold sore breaks open or bleeds that it is most contagious. It's best to stay away from kissing others or sharing food and drink.

As long as the virus is active (from the moment you feel a tingling sensation to the point when your cold sore has healed), you should not kiss anyone. The reason for this is that HSV-1 (the virus that causes cold sores) is transmitted through bodily fluids. This means that you should wait until your cold sore is completely healed before kissing anyone or having oral sex. The longer you wait after an outbreak, the lower the risk of spreading your cold sore to another person.

Once you have contracted HSV-1 (the virus that causes cold sores), there is no way to get rid of the virus. However, there are things you can do to alleviate the symptoms and cure your cold sore.

Firstly, early intervention is the best way to treat the cold sore. A treatment like lipivir® is a preventative product that stops cold sores before they develop. You should treat or try to treat your cold sore as early as possible. The first signs you should look out for are itching, burning or tingling around the lips for a day or so before a small, hard, painful patch appears. If it's your first outbreak, you may also experience the following symptoms
- Fever

- painful gums

- Sore throat

- Muscle pain

- swollen glands

If you haven't treated your cold sore early, there are other ways to speed up the healing of a cold sore. They are not medically proven, but many people find that a cold compress or ice can reduce inflammation. You can also take ibuprofen.

The best treatment is early intervention. If you find that your infection is getting worse or is severe, your GP may be able to offer you an antiviral medication or injection to relieve the discomfort.

The duration of cold sores can vary from person to person
and depends on various factors. Generally, cold sores take between 7 and 10 days from the first appearance of symptoms to complete healing.
However, in some cases, the healing process may extend beyond this time frame.

Early intervention with fever blister treatments such as LIPIVIR® Protect - a lip balm gel to prevent cold sores - can help reduce the likelihood of cold sores
Reduce outbreaks. In addition, good lip hygiene and avoiding triggers such as stress, sun exposure, or a weakened immune system can also help speed up the healing process. If cold sores recur frequently or persist for a long period of time
or for a longer period of time, it is recommended to consult a doctor in order to
for further examinations and individual treatment.

When a cold sore is healed enough to kiss depends on the individual and the stage of healing. In general, it is best to avoid kissing or any direct contact with the cold sore until it is completely healed. This means waiting until the scab has completely dried and fallen off and the skin underneath has returned to its normal appearance.

If you kiss or come into contact with a cold sore before it has completely healed, you run the risk of spreading the virus to other people or to other parts of your body, which can lead to further outbreaks. It is important to be patient and wait until the cold sore has fully healed before resuming intimate contact.

For a definitive statement on when it is safe to kiss again, it is best to consult a doctor who can assess the condition and recommend appropriate precautions.

The best way to treat cold sores is to intervene early. Start treating a cold sore as soon as you feel the telltale tingling sensation. A preparation such as LIPIVIR® Protect is designed to fight a cold sore before it develops. When the herpes virus is dormant, it settles on the nerve tissue around your ganglion. During this time, it sends out scouts to explore the condition of your lip cells. When conditions are favorable and ready for infection, the particles send signals back to the virus in the nerve tissue. LIPIVIR® Protect This is where it comes in and interrupts the signal transmission between the spotting particles and the virus. If you apply the product to the affected area, the virus will not be able to start infecting the new area, which will prevent the invasion of new virus particles and thus stop the outbreak of cold sores on the spot. LIPIVIR® Protect essentially forms a barrier. This will prevent a recurrence of cold sores and keep you free of cold sores.

How can you prevent cold sores?

Preventing cold sores is simple. As soon as you feel the telltale tingling, you need to replace the cold sore with LIPIVIR® Protect treat. If left untreated, a cold sore disappears within two weeks in people with a healthy immune system.