Whether they show symptoms or not, statistics show that the majority of people in the United States are infected with Herpes Simplex Virus I, or HSV-1 for short, the virus that causes cold sores. Many of these will suffer a single outbreak or none at all, while perhaps a quarter will suffer at least one major outbreak every year.

People who don't suffer from cold sores often underestimate their impact on the sufferer, forgetting that the impact is psychological as well as physical. However, while cold sores are a relatively common condition it is easy to overlook the dread they instil, particularly in younger people. They are of an age when looks are of paramount importance, and the appearance of an ugly cold sore that will last for some ten days before healing completely can happen at the most inconvenient of times - like just before a big date or a job interview.

Stress in undoubtedly a factor in a new cold sore outbreak occurring, but in the severely affected it can even be triggered by menstruation. Once the sore appears there are a choice of treatment options, both medicinal and natural, that will help it heal faster as well as reducing the pain and swelling.

However, the best approach is to try and prevent cold sore outbreaks from occurring at all.

The key to keeping your cold sores under control lies in the body's own natural defence mechanism, the immune system. The problem with HSV-1 is that it inhabits the nerve cells, below the surface of the skin and most of the time lies in a dormant state.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=JoBeth_Levina