If you’re not suffering from any disease, having a cold sore isn’t really something that you should be extremely worried about. It’s fairly common. And cold sores usually clear up on their own after several days even without treatment.

However, there are instances when cold sores may pose serious health risks for you, especially if you develop other complications. Learn more about the possible complications of cold sores.

How Is It Spread?

Cold sores are considered highly contagious because the virus that causes them, which is the herpes simplex virus, can be easily transmitted. Contact with body fluids containing the virus such as saliva and genital secretions, as well as direct skin contact with the affected area, can easily cause the virus to spread.

On top of that, the herpes virus can also be passed on through asymptomatic viral shedding. Your body may still transmit the herpes virus even when you yourself are not experiencing any symptoms like fever, muscle aches, or herpes blisters.

However, among the different ways through which the herpes virus is transmitted, direct skin contact is the most common. In fact, it’s possible that the herpes virus may spread from your cold sores and grow in other parts of your body.

This can happen if you touch a cold sore and then touch another part of your body without washing your hands first. This is what usually causes herpes blisters to grow on your fingers and in your eyes.

Possible Complications of Oral Herpes

Herpetic Whitlow

When you find herpes lesions growing on the fleshy part of your fingers or toes, that condition is called herpetic whitlow. When you have herpetic whitlow, you will experience symptoms similar to oral herpes or genital herpes even when the fluid-filled blisters are growing just on your fingers.

Just like with cold sores, you may experience a burning or itching sensation on your fingers. As the herpes blisters start to develop on your fingers, you may begin to feel pain.

Your fingers may also become inflamed. Within two days after you initially felt that tingling sensation, the blisters will appear. Characteristically, the herpes blisters will then become filled with clear fluid or pus.

Ocular Herpes

When the herpes simplex virus affects your eyes, that condition is referred to as ocular herpes or eye herpes. This can happen if you rub your eyes after touching a cold sore. It’s also possible that the dormant herpes virus hiding inside your nerve cells will travel on its own toward your eyes.

Symptoms of ocular herpes may include sensitivity to light, redness, tearing, headaches, and you may feel as if something is inside your eye. If the herpes blisters formed on your eyelid or outside your eyes, you may experience only a little pain.

However, if the herpes blisters grew on or inside your cornea, you would experience a lot of troubles with your vision. Your vision may become blurry. In severe cases, ocular herpes may lead to loss of vision.

Herpetic Encephalitis

Either herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) or type 2 (HSV-2) can cause herpetic encephalitis. When the virus infects you, it enters your body through your sensory nerves, after which it travels to a ganglion or a cluster of nerve cells.

The herpes virus may stay dormant as it hides inside your ganglia. In rare cases, however, the virus may spread to the brain where it becomes active. This results in inflammation and it can cause severe damage such as confusion, nausea, and seizures.

Who are at Risk the Most?

Herpes can infect just about anyone, from newborn infants to elderly adults. That’s because you don’t really need to have sexual contact to acquire the virus. A simple touch or kiss is usually enough to cause the herpes virus to spread.

Infants

For healthy adults, cold sores don’t really pose much of a problem. However, for infants, especially newborns, acquiring herpes can pose great dangers.

Herpes poses a serious health risk for newborn infants because their immune system isn’t fully developed yet. So when a newborn is infected with a virus like the herpes simplex virus, the baby’s body isn’t really fully equipped yet to fight off the virus well.

It doesn’t happen all the time, but when a newborn baby acquires herpes, it’s possible for the virus to travel to the baby’s brain. When the infection spreads to the brain, it can cause inflammation resulting in herpetic encephalitis.

If it’s not treated right away, herpetic encephalitis may lead to various complications such as neurological damage. The baby may also experience seizures. And in severe cases, herpetic encephalitis may even lead to death.

People with Compromised Immune System

If you’re suffering from HIV or you have a chronic disease such as atopic dermatitis, your immune system becomes compromised. Thus, when you acquire herpes, it can cause more severe symptoms or it may take longer for your cold sores to heal.

When your immune system is weakened, the herpes virus may become active more often since your body isn’t able to effectively suppress the virus. This means that you may experience more frequent cold sore outbreaks.

While cold sores may just be an inconvenience to other people, for those whose immune system is weakened, the herpes virus may cause worse complications. The virus may be able to spread to other organs, and the infection can become widespread. If this happens, it can be life-threatening.

Do You Have to Abstain from Sex?

If you have genital herpes, it would be a really good idea if you refrained from having sex whenever you’re suffering from an outbreak. If you have oral herpes, on the other hand, you may still engage in sexual activities as long as you’re careful that your cold sores don’t touch your partner’s skin.

Since the herpes virus may also be transmitted through genital secretions, you should also make sure that you wear protection during sex. And to ensure that your sexual performance doesn’t suffer, always take Male UltraCore. Effective and safe, Male UltraCore will help you deliver your best in bed even when you’re suffering from cold sores.

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