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.

Living in more intensely developed neighborhoods may actually protect you against a stroke, a new University of Michigan study suggests.

Researchers tracked more than 25,000 adults across the US for over a decade and have now found that residents in areas with higher levels of development with more buildings, sidewalks and infrastructure, had a 2.5 percent lower risk of suffering a first-time stroke compared to residents in less developed areas.

Cathy Antonakos, research specialist senior in the U-M School of Kinesiology and first author explained: ""High-intensity development typically includes greater housing density and more commercial/retail outlets.

"These areas are more likely to feature compact land uses with access to health care, food stores, public transport and physical activity infrastructure like sidewalks, bike facilities and parks."

However, the study did not examine these environmental features, but there are some practical applications, Antonakos noted.

"For physicians, the study suggests that neighborhood-level factors may influence first-time stroke risk, in addition to individual-level factors," she said. "For planners, the findings suggest that enhancing environments with features that support cardiovascular health and physical activity may help lower the risk of first-time stroke."

Strokes: A Rising Crisis In India

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.

Wine Reduces Your Risk Of Strokes

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.

Researchers at the University of California Riverside have developed a low-cost fake drug detector that can detect fake medicines by studying how pills dissolve in water.

Tested on 30+ medicines, the detector identified drugs with about 90 percent accuracy and could even distinguish between brand-name and generic versions.

William Grover, associate bioengineering professor at the University of California, Riverside explained: "Watered-down or illicit versions of drugs like Botox or popular GLP-1 inhibitors have caused serious injuries or death.

"The theory here is that if it's a legitimate medicine, the manufacturer made every pill identical enough that they'll all behave roughly the same way when they dissolve.

"So if you test a suspect pill, and it dissolves at a different rate than the real thing, this suggests the suspect pill is counterfeit."

Talking about the success of the device, Grover said: "We took Bayer aspirin pills and drug-store-brand aspirin - these are basically identical medicines with the same active ingredient and very similar inactive ingredients but when ran through our tests, we could easily tell the difference between the two products."

Costing as little as $5–$30, the device could help tackle the global issue of fake medicines, which the World Health Organization estimates affect 1 in 10 drugs worldwide.

How Does It Work?

The fake drug detector is essentially a low-cost infrared sensor made for use in toy robots able to follow lines drawn on paper. The researchers repurposed the sensors to instead track the rate at which pills dissolve in water.

All pills of a given drug dissolve or ideally should dissolve at roughly the same rate. Legitimate medications don't necessarily dissolve any faster or slower than counterfeit ones however since, the are made by different people at different facilities and with different ingredients, each drug's dissolution rates form a "fingerprint" that makes them identifiable and different from that of a fake drug.

What Else Can The Fake Drug Detector Be Used For?

Grover notes that he would like to use this method to detect fake antimalarial drugs as they are a major cause of death in many tropical regions. Malaria is treatable with the right medications.

"Unfortunately, bad actors know they can make money preying on the need for antimalarials. They sell pills that have the same packaging as authentic antimalarials, but don't contain the active ingredients. If someone gives these pills to their child, they won't cure their infection."

The expert also hopes to get his tool into the hands of those who can use it to fight fake antimalarials and other fake drugs.

"I can't imagine a more despicable person than someone who would sell fake medicine to a child. I hope our work makes those criminals' lives a little harder."

While multiple studies and experts sound the alarm over the dangers of bad lifestyle habits on heart and brain health, doctors are also warning against these secret habits that may be causing serious damage to your kidneys.

Dr Sridhar Shetty, MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DNB (Urology), MNAMS (Urology), FRTS, FIMS, Apollo Spectra Hospital, Bengaluru exclusively tells Healthandme: "Kidneys have many different functions including filtering out approximately 150-180 liters of blood each day in a healthy adult; removing waste from the body; balancing fluids; regulating blood pressure; and maintaining minerals including sodium, potassium, and calcium.

"Unfortunately, many people don't realize they have kidney issues until substantial damage has occurred. There is now a growing body of evidence that indicates many common habits put unnecessary strain on kidneys over time."

Dr Vikas Agarwal, Director & HOD, Robotic Urology, Aakash Healthcare also added: "Poorly managed high blood pressure and diabetes are among the largest causes of kidney damage and are strictly related to everyday lifestyle, including diet and physical activity, stress levels, the presence or absence of medication taking.

"Not every person is aware that seemingly insignificant lifestyle habits may dramatically predispose an individual to chronic kidney disease in the long-term."

Chronic Dehydration and Kidney Stress

According to Dr Shetty: "One of the biggest impacts on overall kidney health is dehydration due to not drinking enough water every day. Not getting enough fluid requires the kidneys to work much harder by producing concentrated urine to save water within the body; therefore, over time this may contribute to kidney stones or the inability of the kidneys to filter properly.

"Concentrated urine also causes more mineral crystallization which could be a greater risk for developing stones."

The US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine suggest about 3.7 liters (approx. 15.5 cups) for men and 2.7 liters (approx. 11.5 cups) for women daily.

However, if you exercise or live in a hot climate, you should increase your intake. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends adding 12 ounces of water for every 30 minutes of exercise.

Dr Agarwal recommends: "Regular medical check-ups, blood pressure, and blood sugar tests, and urine examination is hence very important in detection of early kidney stress. Early diagnosis enables timely interventions which can be used to slack down or avoid further deterioration."

Excessive Salt Consumption

Speaking about how consuming excessive salt can increase heart strain and end up affecting the kidneys, Dr Agarwal said: "Hypertension or high blood pressure is a condition that causes major damage in the kidney across the world. The kidneys have a system of small blood vessels known as glomeruli that removes wastes in the blood.

"In the event that blood pressure is always high then the pressure exerted on these fragile vessels may cause them to narrow, weaken or even to scar. With time, such damage impairs the effectiveness of the kidneys in the filtration process of blood, causing the gradual accumulation of poison and water in the body.

"Some of the daily habits like consuming too much salt, high processed foods, chronic stress, insufficient sleep and sedentary lifestyle may aggravate hypertension and hasten kidney damage. People who eat packed snacks, fast food, and salty food regularly are not aware that they are putting an extra burden on their kidneys."

As a result, Dr Shetty warns: "Processed foods, instant meals, packaged snacks, and entrees sold in restaurants are generally the primary sources of hidden sodium in most people's daily food intake."

Overuse of Painkillers

Dr Shetty explains: "The regular consumption of everyday pain relievers, like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), can negatively impact the kidneys without any visible signs. NSAIDs inhibit the production of prostaglandins, which are chemicals required for proper blood flow in the kidneys.

"Therefore, excessive consumption can lead to a decrease in blood supply to the kidneys, resulting in analgesic nephropathy or damage to the kidneys."

To maintain kidney health, he recommends: "People can protect their kidneys through basic yet regular health practices which include

drinking enough water, eating less sodium, using their prescribed medications correctly, and doing regular tests to check their blood pressure and blood sugar and kidney health.

"Daily knowledge about these habits enables people to minimize their chances of experiencing permanent kidney damage."

Dr Agarwal added: "Eating a balanced diet with minimal amounts of excessive salt and refined sugars is useful in controlling the blood pressure and blood glucose levels. Exercise aids in normal metabolism and enhances the work of the heart, saving the kidneys. Kidney protection can also be achieved through proper hydration, stress avoidance, and healthy body weight maintenance.

"Moreover, patients with hypertension or diabetes are also required to take medications regularly and according to the recommendations of the doctors with references to changes in the diet and style of life."