Cold sores are those awful eruptions that are caused by the herpes virus. They always appear at just the least opportune moment, most often during times of stress or illness. Cold sores are also called fever blisters, and they first make their impending appearance known by tingling and a hard area under the skin, which is soon followed by an eruption of small blisters or fluid filled vesicles.
In fact, the Roman emperor Tiberius once banned public kissing because of an outbreak of cold sores in the Roman capitol.
Until science develops a vaccine for the herpes virus, the medical treatment of cold sores will continue to consist of ointments that numb the blisters, anti-viral drugs, antibiotics that control secondary bacterial infections, and ointments that soften the crusts of the sores.
Although there is no cure for cold sores, new medical research found that a single dose of the prescription antiviral Famvir® (famciclovir tablets), given to patients with recurrent cold sores at the first sign of symptoms (within the first hour), resulted in significant improvements in healing time and resolution of pain and tenderness. This study is the first of its kind to show the benefit of a full course of antiviral therapy in a single dose when the virus is most active.
Learn more about how to deal with the symptoms of fever blisters.
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