Cold sores are a common and often frustrating skin issue. While they may look like harmless blisters, cold sores are actually caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV).

What Causes Cold Sores?

Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV), which comes in two types: HSV-1 and HSV-2.

HSV-1 is the primary cause of cold sores, usually appearing around the mouth.

HSV-2 generally causes genital herpes but can also lead to cold sores.

While the appearance of cold sores caused by both HSV-1 and HSV-2 can look similar, their locations tend to differ. However, it is possible for HSV-1 to cause sores on the genitals and for HSV-2 to appear on the mouth.

How Do Cold Sores Spread?

Cold sores are highly contagious and can spread easily. The virus can be passed on through:

• Kissing or skin contact
• Sharing food, drinks, or cosmetics (such as lip balm)
• Oral sex, which can spread both cold sores and genital herpes

Even when a cold sore isn’t visible, the virus can still be spread through close contact. This makes prevention and management key to reducing outbreaks and the risk of infecting others.

Once someone contracts HSV, it stays in the body for life. While the virus remains dormant most of the time, it can reactivate and cause new sores, especially during periods of:

• Stress
• Illness
• A weakened immune system

Unfortunately, there’s no cure for the herpes virus, but the symptoms can be managed.

Symptoms of Cold Sores

Cold sores don’t just appear out of nowhere. Before the sore is visible, you may notice a tingling or burning sensation around the lips or face, which can occur several days before the sore forms. This is the best time to begin treatment to shorten the outbreak.

When a cold sore does appear, it often looks like a red, raised blister filled with fluid. The blister can be painful to touch, and there may be more than one. Cold sores usually last around two weeks and are contagious until they crust over and heal.

The Five Stages of a Cold Sore

Cold sores go through distinct stages as they develop and heal:

• Tingling and itching: You may feel these symptoms about 24 hours before the blister appears.
• Blisters: Small, fluid-filled blisters form, typically around the mouth.
• Bursting: The blisters burst and form painful sores.
• Scabbing: The sores dry out, scab over, and may itch or crack.
• Healing: The scab falls off, and the cold sore heals.

Risk Factors for Cold Sores

Certain factors can trigger the reactivation of HSV, leading to cold sores. These include:

• Infection, fever, or cold
• Sun exposure
• Stress
• Menstruation
• Dental work or injury
• Weakened immune system due to conditions like HIV/AIDS, eczema, or chemotherapy

Managing and Treating Cold Sores

There’s no cure for cold sores, but several treatments can ease the symptoms and help manage outbreaks.

Topical Ointments and Creams

Over-the-counter antiviral creams like docosanol (Abreva) or prescription ointments like penciclovir (Denavir) can help reduce the duration of an outbreak, especially if applied at the first sign of a cold sore.

Oral Medications

Prescription antiviral medications like acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir can also help, particularly for people who have frequent or severe outbreaks. Your doctor may recommend taking these medications regularly to prevent future outbreaks.

Home Remedies

There are also some home remedies that may provide relief, such as:

• Applying ice or a cold washcloth to the sore
• Using aloe vera gel or lemon balm lip balms
• Applying petroleum jelly to ease discomfort

Canker Sores vs. Cold Sores: What's the Difference?

While cold sores and canker sores may seem similar, they are quite different:

Cold sores are caused by the herpes virus, appear around the mouth, and are contagious.

Canker sores are not contagious and appear as ulcers inside the mouth or throat.

Preventing the Spread of Cold Sores

To avoid spreading cold sores:

• Wash your hands frequently
• Avoid close contact with others during an outbreak
• Don’t share food, drinks, or personal items like lip balm

Cold sores can be a persistent issue, but with proper care and management, you can reduce the frequency of outbreaks and prevent spreading the virus to others.

While it is commonly known that drinking alcohol heavily can lead to multiple chronic conditions, a new global study suggests that moderately drinking wine can decrease your risk dying from cardiovascular disease by 21 percent.

A group of Chinese researchers who analyzed 340,924 adults in the UK between 2006 and 2022 classified a 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine or a 1.5-ounce shot of liquor each contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol.

Those who consumed less than 20 grams per week, about 1.5 standard drinks, were classified as never or occasional drinkers. The low alcohol consumption group included men who drank more than 20 grams per week but no more than 20 grams per day, and women who drank between 10 grams per day and 20 grams per week.

They found those with high alcohol consumption were 24 percent more likely to die from any cause, 36 percent more likely to die from cancer and 14 percent more likely to die from heart disease.

Additionally, even low intake of spirits such as beer or cider was associated with a nine percent higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared with drinking never or occasionally.

Dr Zhangling Chen, a professor at the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University in China and the study’s senior author said: “These findings can help refine guidance, emphasizing that the health risks of alcohol depend not only on the amount of alcohol consumed, but also on the type of beverage."

Talking about how wine could lower death risk, the scientists noted that several factors may account for the differences by alcohol type.

Certain compounds present in red wine, such as polyphenols and antioxidants, may have benefits for cardiovascular health. Wine is also more likely to be consumed with meals and by people who have higher-quality diets and healthier behaviors in general, while spirits, beer and cider are more likely to be consumed outside of meals and were associated with lower overall diet quality and other lifestyle risk factors.

"Taken together, these factors suggest that the type of alcohol, how it is consumed and the associated lifestyle behaviors all contribute to the observed differences in mortality risk," Dr Chen said.

Coronary Artery Disease: The Silent Killer

Despite being as a common heart disease, coronary artery disease (CAD) develops over years and has no clear signs and symptoms apart from a heart attack. The illness begins due to a buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances known as plaque in and on the artery walls.

Over time, this can cause narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries and block the supply of oxygen-rich blood to heart which can lead chest pain (angina), shortness of breath and ultimately, heart attacks.

Typically, those above the age of 45, having a biological family member with heart disease, lack of sleep, smoking, consuming saturated fats along with other autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis can increase the risk of developing CAD.

Treatment options may include medicines and surgery. Eating a nutritious diet, getting regular exercise and not smoking can help also prevent CAD and the conditions that can cause it.

Nearly one in 10 Indian adults suffer from CAD and about two million people die from the disease annually. Apart from this, about 18 to 20 million American adults aged 20 and older are also affected about the disease.

Strokes: A Rising Crisis In India

Additionally, heart strokes are also one of the leading global health burdens, causing significant deaths and disability worldwide, including in India. Compared to Western countries, stroke also tends to occur at a younger age and is associated with a higher case fatality rate in the country.

One in seven stroke patients in India are young adults aged below 45 years, with hypertension leading as the major risk factor, according to a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 identified hypertension, air pollution, tobacco smoking, high cholesterol, increased salt intake, and diabetes as the leading risk factors of stroke.

Incidence of stroke is increasing significantly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), especially in India, due to population growth, aging, and greater exposure to risk factors.

If you think that injections of botulinum toxin -- commonly known as Botox -- are only used to make skin wrinkle-free, you may be mistaken.

A new study led by US researchers has shown that Botox injections can act as a “rescue therapy” to treat conditions such as finger ulcers, digital ischemia, and gangrene that are difficult to manage with standard therapies.

Finger ulcers (or digital ulcers) are painful open sores, while acute digital ischemia causes the fingers to become extremely painful, cold, and sometimes pale or bluish in color. Gangrene is the dangerous death of body tissue (necrosis), often turning skin black, green, or purple.

These debilitating complications, often associated with conditions like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, or bacterial infections, are caused by reduced blood flow to the fingers and heal poorly.

Botox injections, which work by reducing blood vessel constriction and improving circulation, may help achieve complete healing of lesions in more than 85 percent of such patients, according to a study recently published in JAMA Dermatology.

“These new findings are particularly important because therapeutic options remain limited for the cutaneous and vascular manifestations of systemic sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases,” said Dr. Netchiporouk, a scientist in the Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center.

Netchiporouk noted that the available vasodilator and immunosuppressive treatments are generally administered intravenously.

In contrast to Botox injections, these are also costly, minimally effective, and associated with significant adverse effects.

Also read: Botox Helped Her Burp: How Injectables Changed A 25-Year-Old's Life

The study also described the case of a 50-year-old man with a rare autoimmune disease that caused joint pain and digital necrosis (gangrene).

While traditional medications helped reduce his pain, he was forced to stop working, and the condition severely impacted his quality of life.

However, after receiving botulinum toxin injections, his pain was relieved, and sensation improved within 24 hours, and the necrosis began to improve within two weeks.

“This treatment has become an important tool, especially for patients with autoimmune vascular diseases that result in serious health consequences and for which there are few therapeutic options,” Netchiporouk said.

Also read: Why Regulatory Clarity Is Important for Safe Aesthetic Procedures in India

Botox: Safe, With Minimal Adverse Effects

The study, based on a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis of 30 published studies and one unpublished case involving 119 patients, found that only a few patients experienced adverse effects.

These were generally mild and short-lived, most commonly temporary muscle weakness or pain at the injection site.

“Our results show that botulinum toxin can improve blood circulation in the fingers and treat serious complications such as ulcers or gangrene, offering a safe and easy-to-administer alternative,” said Dr. Catherine Zhu, a dermatology resident at the McGill University Health Center.

Zhu added that the injections can be easily administered by rheumatologists and dermatologists in outpatient settings, reducing reliance on intravenous therapies that require hospitalization and increasing overall healthcare costs.

Importantly, in most cases, a single injection session was sufficient to achieve the desired response.

“Botulinum toxin can offer significant benefits with a favorable safety profile. It deserves further study to develop standardized protocols and optimize outcomes,” said Dr. Netchiporouk.

New Delhi: In a world where many are struggling with stress, work pressure, competition at school, and more, it does not come as a shocker that infertility has become too common. Couples often struggle to become parents, and that not only causes emotional stress but also takes a toll on relationships. But thanks to medical advancements, there are procedures like in vitro fertilisation (IVF) that make parenthood possible despite the many curveballs that infertility throws in the way. And with the precision that AI brings to the table, doctors have upped IVF success rates. But in some cases, even vitamin D deficiency can come in the way of a successful IVF treatment.

Read more: The Overlooked Role of Men in IVF: Why Their Silent Strength Is Key to Fertility Success

What is vitamin D deficiency?

Vitamin D, or the sunshine vitamin, is one of the most important nutrients that one needs for a healthy life. It influences mental health, bone and teeth strength, and, as it turns out, fertility as well. An extremely common occurrence in India, it is often seen in women of reproductive age. But can it also affect IVF success rates? Let's find out.

Dr. Kirti Singh, MBBS, MD, DNB (Obs & Gyn), Fellowship in Reproductive Medicine, Clinical Consultant, Aksigen IVF, interacted with Times Now Digital and explained how vitamin D affects women's health.

"Vitamin D is well known for maintaining calcium metabolism and bone health. Apart from that, emerging scientific evidence suggests that vitamin D may influence several pathways relevant to fertility, including ovarian function, endometrial receptivity, hormone regulation, and immune balance within the uterus. Vitamin D receptors (VDRs) are expressed in female reproductive tissues, including the ovaries, uterus, and placenta, hence having a significant impact on female fertility. Vitamin D supplementation has also been shown to have a positive effect on AMH expression. There are studies showing a positive correlation between follicular fluid (vitamin D levels) and fertilization rate. It is also known to regulate the expression of the HOXA10 gene, which helps in implantation," said Dr. Singh.

How does vitamin D deficiency affect fertility in women?

Dr. Nidhi Saluja, Centre Clinical Director, Indira IVF Hospital Limited, Gurugram, said, "Vitamin D deficiency is increasingly being recognised as an important consideration in female reproductive health, including in the context of assisted reproduction. Emerging clinical evidence suggests that low vitamin D is not merely an associated finding in infertility but a factor that may influence how ovaries function, how embryos implant, and how pregnancies progress. Since vitamin D receptors are present in reproductive tissues such as the ovaries, endometrium, and placenta, its role appears to extend beyond bone health into key aspects of fertility and reproductive support."

Read more: What Makes The IVF Journey So Hard On The Mind?

The expert went on to say that this becomes particularly relevant for women undergoing IVF, where factors such as ovarian function, embryo implantation, and endometrial receptivity are all important to treatment outcomes. Evidence suggests that women with sufficient vitamin D levels tend to show better implantation rates, improved embryo quality, and healthier endometrial receptivity. In clinical practice, low vitamin D is also often seen alongside diminished ovarian reserve and suboptimal ovarian response, especially in women already managing hormonal or metabolic challenges.

"Vitamin D status deserves greater attention as part of a comprehensive fertility assessment. While it should not be viewed as the sole determinant of IVF success, it may represent a potentially modifiable factor within broader fertility care. Identifying and addressing deficiency before conception or IVF can therefore help support a more informed and holistic treatment approach, particularly in women facing declining ovarian reserve or complex endocrine profiles," Dr. Saluja added.

What are the best sources of vitamin D?

Our main source of vitamin D, a fat-soluble steroid hormone, is sunlight. Only a small amount is obtained from our diet. In food, it is obtained from natural sources like eggs, fish, mushrooms, cod liver oil, green vegetables, yogurt, and milk. While vitamin D deficiency alone may not be the sole determinant of IVF success, studies increasingly indicate that correcting metabolic and nutritional imbalances can contribute to a healthier reproductive environment.