Are Cold Sores Contagious?
Are Cold Sores Contagious? Cold sores are very contagious. They can easily be spread from person to person with something as simple as a handshake or as personal as a kiss. Cold sores are often spread by people touching their cold sores and forgetting to wash their hands.
To avoid spreading your existing cold sore to other people or to other areas of your body you should be sure to wash your hands frequently with antibacterial soap. Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus. Tons of people are diagnosed with this virus every year. Most people contract it as children and are unaware of it. Some folks are lucky enough to never even experience cold sore outbreaks, but for those who do there are several ways to treat your cold sore at home.
- Licorice Tea or Licorice Supplements – Licorice has been used for many centuries as a healing tool. Take advantage of all of its healing benefits.
- Ice Pack – Apply an ice pack to reduce the swelling.
- Abreva – Abreva is an over the counter treatment for cold sores that helps reduce the amount of time that you have a cold sore.
How to Prevent Cold Sores
You can easily prevent yourself from getting cold sores by getting in the habit of washing your hands thoroughly and often. You can also prevent cold sores by taking a multivitamin or nutritional supplement each day to provide your body with the strength that it needs to fight against cold sores and other viruses.
View more information on cold sore prevention.