How Common Are Cold Sores?
According to the World Health Organization, 3.7 billion people under 50 years of age have HSV-1, the virus that causes cold sores. That is 67% of the worldwide population within that age bracket. Many people are asymptomatic, and therefore unaware they have the virus. Some may have one cold sore and never have another, while others have frequently occurring cold sores. Although over 50% of people in the United States have been infected with HSV-1, many never develop symptoms. Approximately 20% to 40% of people infected with the virus will have recurrent cold sores.
Cold sores typically are visible on the lips and the outside of the mouth, but may also break out on your cheeks, nose, fingertips, eyes, genitals, and other areas of skin. According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 90% of adults have been exposed to the HSV-1 virus by age 50. With 50% to 80% of United States adults having oral herpes, the chance of developing a cold sore on the lips is over 50%. So, within the population of persons affected with the HSV-1 virus, cold sores are quite common.
While people of all ages can become infected with the HSV-1 virus, many are exposed during childhood. Exposure can happen in many ways, such as sharing food or drink; and it is possible to develop a cold sore at any age. The University of Edinburgh found a mutation in a gene in people affected by cold sores, resulting in their immune systems being unable to prevent cold sore development. The chance of a cold sore outbreak decreases after the age of 35.
Once infected, a person has the herpes simplex virus for their entire lifetime. When inactive, it lies dormant in a group of nerve cells. When active, cold sores may erupt on the body, commonly on the edges of the lips, causing painful, fluid-filled blisters which leak and become sores. These are highly contagious, and commonly take four to six days to crust over and begin to heal.
Factors that can contribute to breakouts include recent surgery, physical injury, fever, as well as stress, hormonal changes, and prolonged exposure to sunlight. Outbreaks tend to lessen as the body builds antibodies to the virus, but they can happen at any time, and with no apparent trigger. People are most at risk if they have a weakened immune system from illnesses or their treatments.
Cold sores are very common, rarely serious, and typically go away on their own in one to two weeks. They are typically contagious for up to 15 days, and the blistering and scabbing can be painful and can cause embarrassment. Most people are not happy with their current cold sore treatment, and the sores can be difficult to hide over the time they require to heal. The scientific studies show that the median effect of the leading treatments is to reduce a typical 5 to 6 day cold sore outbreak by only a half a day to one day compared to placebo.
NextLeap Cold Sore Care is a revolutionary new cosmetic product designed to address cold sores using the brightening powers of tranexamic acid, formulated to address the skin discoloration caused by cold sores. NextLeap is not a cover-up type of cosmetic. It helps you return rapidly to normal appearance, typically within 24-48 hours if used at first sign of an outbreak. NextLeap works well alone, but you may get even better results if you use it with one of the common cold sore treatments, since they work in different ways.
