What causes a recurrence of cold sores (fever blisters)?
Several factors weaken the body’s defenses and trigger an outbreak of the herpes simplex virus. These include emotional stress, fever, illness, injury and exposure to sunlight. Many women have recurrences only during menstruation. One study indicates that susceptibility to cold sores and fever blisters recurrences is inherited. Research is under way to discover exactly how the triggering factors interact with the immune system and the virus to prompt a recurrence of cold sores (fever blisters). What are the treatments for fever blisters? Currently there is no cure for cold sores and fever blisters. Some medications can relieve some of the pain and discomfort associated with the sores, however. These include ointments that numb the blisters, antibiotics that control secondary bacterial infections, and ointments that soften the crusts of the sores. Is there a vaccine for cold sores and fever blisters?Currently there is no vaccine for herpes simplex virus available to the public. Many res
