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.

Colorectal Cancer is not only one of the most common and deadly cancers, but is also one of the most preventable ones.

Unlike many other cancers, patients have a clear window of opportunity to stop it before it even begins. Almost always, these cancers start as small growths called polyps or precancerous lesions on the inner lining of the colon or rectum.

There is a long interval of time before polyps develop into cancer. During this time, they can be removed if they are identified. If a doctor removes a precancerous polyp during a routine screening, they would not only have nipped the cancer in the bud, but would have also prevented it from occurring.

However, there is a persistent taboo surrounding discussing bowel movements and other risk factors, and public understanding of its symptoms and crucial screening procedures frequently lags.

Dr Jeremy Clark, a consultant general surgeon specializing in colorectal diseases at Nuffield Health in Brighton, has underscored five critical warning signs the public must recognize, The Independent reported.

1. Blood in stool

“Passing blood when you go to the toilet is a worrying feature that you should flag to your GP,” Clark said, adding that the color can vary from bright red to almost black.

“If you see blood in the stools, particularly darker-colored blood or blood that’s actually mixed in with the stools, just once, and it’s significant, that should be reported to your doctor straight away. Don’t wait for that to keep on happening,” he added.

2. Changes in Bowel Habits

Dr. Clark stated that although more constipation may not be a risk factor, any sudden changes in bowel movements that last for a couple of weeks and do not go back to normal must be checked.

“If your bowels go from working once a day like clockwork, and then suddenly you’re going two or three times a day, and the bowels are a bit looser, that’s something that needs to be looked into,” the expert added.

3. Abdominal pain

Dr Clark highlighted that bowel cancers can cause abdominal pain, even in the initial days.

4. Bloatedness

The feeling of being 'quite often’ bloated may also indicate that something is going wrong in the bowel, Dr. Clark said.

5. Unexplained weight loss

Bowel cancers can impact digestion and cause weight loss

Dr Clark said that as these symptoms are common with other conditions, such as hemorrhoids or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), people often ignore or easily dismiss these symptoms. He urged patients not to ignore and visit their doctor if they notice any of these symptoms.

Also read: US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Stalls 600M Global Vaccine Aid For Poor Nations: Report

What Is Colorectal Cancer?

The American Cancer Society notes that colorectal cancer is a cancer that starts in the colon or the rectum. Colorectal cancer impacts around 1.9 million people every year, noted the World Health Organization (WHO) as per its 2022 data.

It is a disease of the large bowel and a type of cancer that originates from the rectum or colon. A person's colon, cecum, rectum, and anus make up the large intestine.

According to experts, if you are above 45 years of age or have high-risk factors, you need to take the initiative to be screened.

The FIT (Fecal Immunochemical Test) is a simple, non-invasive at-home stool test kit that can collect a small sample of your feces, which can then be tested.

“If it comes back as positive, that means there is blood in your stools which needs to be investigated,” Clark said, adding that the next step is typically the Colonoscopy – the gold standard.

Summer can be difficult for the eyes, often in ways people do not immediately notice. Most of the attention during this season goes to drinking enough water, avoiding heat, and protecting the skin. Eye care usually comes much later, often only after discomfort begins. Long hours in the sun, dry surroundings, heat, and outdoor exposure can all leave the eyes feeling uneasy, especially over repeated days.

“During the summer season, we commonly see an increase in patients presenting with ocular surface discomfort, including dryness, itching, redness, burning sensation, and watering. Prolonged exposure to heat, ultraviolet radiation, dust, and air-conditioned environments can disturb the normal tear film and aggravate underlying allergic or dry eye conditions. In some cases, repeated eye rubbing and poor hygiene may also increase the risk of secondary irritation or infection. Timely preventive care and early attention to persistent symptoms are important to avoid worsening of these seasonal eye concerns,” says Dr Niteen Dedhia, Medical Director, Ojas Maxivision Super Specialty Eye Hospitals.

When heat and dehydration begin to show in your eyes

A common experience during summer is that the eyes simply do not feel as comfortable as they usually do. There may be a slight burning sensation, or the eyes may feel tired much earlier in the day, especially after being outdoors or spending hours in cooled indoor spaces. With the body losing fluids more quickly in hot weather, the eyes can also feel the effects. Many people do not immediately connect this discomfort to dehydration, but it plays a bigger role than expected. Added screen time indoors only makes this more noticeable.

Dust, sweat, and allergies adding to irritation

During summer, the eyes are exposed to many small everyday irritants. Dust on the roads, dry wind, pollution, and even sweat can all add to the discomfort. In some people, this shows up as itching, mild redness, or watering that keeps returning. Rubbing the eyes may feel like the easiest response, but it often makes the irritation worse. If this continues for days, even a minor problem can start feeling quite troublesome.

Sunlight and its hidden impact on eye comfort

Spending time in strong sunlight can be more exhausting for the eyes than most people realise. It is not just the brightness — by the end of the day, the eyes may feel heavy, watery, or unusually sensitive to light. Many people wear sunglasses, but not every pair is suitable for eye protection. Dark lenses may reduce glare, but that does not always mean they are blocking harmful rays. This is one reason discomfort can continue even when someone feels they have protected their eyes properly.

Small habits that make a noticeable difference

Managing summer eye discomfort does not require anything complicated. Staying well hydrated throughout the day helps more than most people expect. Using good-quality sunglasses, limiting time in the harsh afternoon sun, and simply rinsing the eyes after coming back from outside can ease a lot of irritation. Clean habits also matter in day-to-day care. Using your own towel, avoiding frequent hand contact with the eyes, and stepping away from screens occasionally can all help reduce strain and irritation.

Most people treat heartburn the way they treat a bad day: they reach for an antacid and move on. But for some patients, that familiar burning sensation is not just a digestive nuisance. It can be an early sign of something far more serious. A type of cancer called gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma develops quietly at the point where the food pipe meets the stomach, and it is frequently mistaken for routine acidity—until it is not.

Dr Ankit Jain, Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology, at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, in an interaction with Health and Me, spoke about the difference between cancer and heartburn symptoms.

What Is the Gastroesophageal Junction, and Why Does It Matter?

The gastroesophageal junction is simply the meeting point between the oesophagus and the stomach. When stomach acid repeatedly irritates this area over months or years, the lining can begin to change at a cellular level. This change, known as Barrett’s oesophagus, is a precancerous condition that often develops silently in people with chronic acid reflux. If left undetected, it can progress to GEJ adenocarcinoma. The tricky part is that this cancer does not behave exactly like oesophageal cancer or stomach cancer. It sits between the two, and that makes both diagnosis and treatment more nuanced.

Signs That Go Beyond Ordinary Heartburn

Heartburn is common across India, yet certain symptoms should not be brushed aside as routine acidity. If any of the following are present, a doctor’s visit should not be delayed:

1. Difficulty swallowing that starts with solid foods and gradually worsens
2. Unintended weight loss with no clear explanation
3. Chest or upper abdominal pain that does not improve with antacids
4. Unusual fatigue or anaemia, especially without another known cause
5. Blood in vomit or black, tarry stools

These are not panic triggers; they are signals worth investigating promptly.

The Case for Timely Screening

For patients over 40 with long-standing reflux, obesity, a smoking history, or a family history of upper digestive cancers, a baseline endoscopy is a reasonable and potentially life-saving step. GEJ adenocarcinoma caught early is far more treatable than the same cancer found at an advanced stage. The window for early detection exists, but it requires action before symptoms become severe. Persistent reflux deserves more than a repeat prescription. Sometimes, it deserves a closer look.