You may have suffered from a fever blister or someone close to you. This infection is also known as cold sore.
It can be quite embarrassing at times as it affects the facial area and cannot be hidden.
Fever blister is caused by Herpes Simplex virus type I. This virus enters your body through the mucous membrane and remains in a dormant state. When you wear loose dentures, loose orthodontic wires or a sharp edge from a broken tooth could break the mucous membrane allowing the virus a passage.
A blister forms and when the water ruptures, an open yellowish or whitish would with a red border is left. This then heals slowly leaving no scar.
You may mistake a fever blister with a canker sore. While a canker sore takes longer to heal, a fever blister heals within 14 days.
A fever blister infects the lips, nostrils and the outer facial area and is highly contagious.It is VERY contagious. Canker sores on the other hand infects only the inside of the mouth and is not contagious.
You can consult your doctor or dentist to determine exactly which infection you have.
You should avoid oral sex when you have a this infection. This is because you can actually infect your partner with the herpes virus. He or she will in turn get infected with genital herpes.
It is also advisable that you eat a diet high in lysine and low in arginine. The foods rich in lysine include brewer's yeast, legumes, fish, meat, dairy products and wheat germ. While those low in arginine are: chocolates, peanuts, almonds etc
This way, the herpes virus which lies dormant in your nerve cell will not be triggered.
Avoid kissing, sharing lip balm, facial towels and sharing utensils to contain the infection.
