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.

Breast cancer patients who chose to undergo complementary and alternative medicine treatments have the lowest survival rates, a JAMA Oncology study shows.

This form of cancer continues to be the most common cancer among women worldwide, and predicted that the number of new cases of the deadly disease will reach more than 3.5 million globally in 2050 -- rising by a third from 2.3 million in 2023.

The Global Burden of Disease analysis with data from 204 countries revealed that despite advancements in breast cancer treatments, yearly deaths from the disease will rise by 44 percent, from 764,000 to 1.4 million.

About 1.9 lakh Indian women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually, meaning that a new case is diagnosed every four minutes. On average, a woman in India dies of breast cancer every eight minutes, highlighting how urgently the country needs stronger awareness, early diagnosis and sustained care.

One factor that sets India apart is the age at which women are affected. Almost half of all breast cancer patients in the country are younger than 45. This is a much higher proportion than seen in many Western nations, where the disease is usually detected later in life.

Despite multiple advancements in therapies to cure breast cancer, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, endocrine therapy, and immunotherapy, a subset of patients continues to choose complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

However, researchers from Yale University School of Medicine have now found that those who undergo CAM have over three times higher risk of death than those who receive standard therapy.

CAM consists of healthcare practices, products and therapies not generally considered part of conventional Western medicine such as herbal products, vitamins, minerals, meditation, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, tai chi, Reiki and guided imagery.

Using CAM alongside standard treatment was linked to a 45 percent higher risk of death compared with using standard treatment alone, the study noted.

Additionally, women who combined CAM with standard treatment were also less likely to receive key therapies such as hormone therapy or radiation, which worsened their chances of survival and recovery.

What Leads To Breast Cancer?

In 2023, 28 percent of the global breast cancer burden (6.8 million years of healthy life lost to disability, illness, and early death) was linked to six potentially modifiable risk factors. These include:

• High red meat consumption -- linked to nearly 11 percent of all healthy life lost
• tobacco use (including second-hand smoke; 8 percent),
• high blood sugar (6 percent),
• high body mass index (4 percent),
• high alcohol use and low physical activity (both 2 percent)

Substantial progress has been made in reducing the global breast cancer burden linked to high alcohol use and tobacco between 1990 and 2023, which declined by 47 percent and 28 percent, respectively.

Can AI Help With Earlier Detection?

Using artificial intelligence (AI) in breast cancer screening can reduce the number of cancers diagnosed in late stages by 12 percent, according to a major new study from Sweden.

The study found that fewer women in the AI group were diagnosed with breast cancer in the years after screening. There were 1.55 cancers per 1,000 women in the AI-supported group, compared with 1.76 per 1,000 in the standard screening group.

According to lead author Dr Kristina Lang of Lund University in Sweden, this indicates better early identification of clinically relevant cancers. She said of the results: “Our findings show that AI-supported screening improves the early detection of breast cancers that are more likely to become aggressive or advanced.

“This results in fewer serious cancers being diagnosed in the interval between screenings.”

She added that wider adoption of AI-supported mammography could ease workforce pressures on radiologists while improving early detection, including of aggressive cancer subtypes.

As cervical cancer screenings ramp up across the world, a new JAMA study shows that a majority of women prefer clinic-based testing over at-home self-sampling tests in the US.

Researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston studied 2,300 women with an average age of 45.5 years. Most were married or living with a partner (58.2 percent), had health insurance (91.9 percent), and had at least some college education (61.6 percent).

Out of those analyzed, over 60 percent preferred clinic-based testing, 20 percent preferred at-home self-sampling tests and over 18 percent were unsure. However, women who had experienced prejudice or discrimination in healthcare were nearly twice as likely to prefer at-home testing.

The study noted that out of the women who preferred at-home testing, nearly 55 percent said it was due to greater privacy, over 35 percent said it was because of a lack of time and over 33 percent noted it was due to fear of embarrassment.

Marginalized women, individuals with low income and individuals who do not trust the health care system were also more likely to prefer at-home self-sampling for cervical cancer screening or not know which option to choose.

To increase screening uptake, the researchers suggested that US officials should incorporate home-based self-sampling as an alternative to clinic-based testing, women’s education and empowerment should be enhanced and tailored interventions focusing on high-risk groups are needed to increase awareness and self-confidence in performing home-based self-sampling.

What Is Cervical Cancer?

Cervical cancer develops in a women's cervix (uterus opening) due to abnormal cell growth, primarily caused by persistent HPV infection, a common infection that's passed through sexual contact.

When exposed to HPV, the body's immune system typically prevents the virus from causing damage however, in a small percentage of people, the virus can survive for years and pave the way for some cervical cells to become cancerous.

Treatment involves surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, with early detection significantly improving outcomes, though it remains a major cancer in low-income countries Cervical cancer can also be prevented through vaccination and regular screening (Pap/HPV tests).

Symptoms Of Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer has no symptoms in the early days and therefore, is hard to detect until it has spread. However, the early-stage symptoms include:

• Vaginal bleeding after sex
• Vaginal bleeding post-menopause
• Vaginal bleeding between periods or unusually heavy/long periods
• Watery vaginal discharge with a strong odour or containing blood
• Pelvic pain or pain during intercourse
• Advanced Cervical Cancer Symptoms (when cancer has spread beyond the cervix)
• Painful or difficult bowel movements or rectal bleeding
• Painful or difficult urination or blood in the urine
• Persistent dull backache
• Swelling of the legs
• Pain in the pelvis or lower abdomen

Cervical Cancer: A Growing Crisis In India

As per the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, about 42,000 new cases of cervical cancer is reported annually in India. This underscores the need for preventive measures such as vaccination and early screening. The country loses one women every eight minutes to cervical cancer.

The WHO Global Strategy to eliminate cervical cancer includes the 90-70-90 targets by 2030 -- vaccinating 90 per cent of girls against HPV, screening 70 percent of women, and ensuring treatment for 90 percent of those diagnosed with cervical disease.

In line with the global strategy to fight cervical cancer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently also launched a free HPV vaccination drive that will target health and well-being of adolescent girls in the country.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda has also announced that cervical cancer screenings using Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) will now be available at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and other health facilities for women between 30 and 65 years of age.

"Screening for cervical cancer is now available at 1,81,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, also known as Health and Wellness Centers, across the country as a part of population based screening for early detection and treatment," said Nadda, while addressing a press briefing at the World Health Organization virtually.

Using VIA, a low-cost, point-of-care method, trained health workers will screen women for cervical cancer. Those who test positive will then be referred to higher centers for diagnostic confirmation and further evaluation.

Viagra, a popular erectile dysfunction medication, may be the world's only existing treatment against Alzheimer's disease, according to over 20 experts.

A panel of 21 experts recently combed through anonymous nominations, clinical evidence and found that out of 80 existing medications that show potential in treating the neurodegenerative disorder.

Out of those, Sildenafil (Viagra) ranked first, with Zostavax (a shingles vaccine) and Riluzole (a drug used to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) coming in second and third.

"Each of the priority candidates has evidence supporting relevant underlying mechanisms of action, non-clinical studies, and clinical evidence from epidemiological studies and/or preliminary clinical trials," the researchers wrote in their paper.

"The tolerability of each of these compounds is also suitable for administration to a frailer population of older individuals as part of a well-monitored clinical trial program. We therefore recommend each of these therapeutic approaches as a high priority for clinical trials for the treatment or prevention of Alzheimer's disease."

The researchers found that Viagra may support brain health in several ways. Studies suggest it can promote the growth of nerve extensions (neurites) and reduce abnormal tau protein activity as well as improve blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain.

Previous research also shows that the compound can reduce levels of amyloid-beta (Aβ42) in the hippocampus and lower markers of brain inflammation. Additionally, it can also protect neurons from amyloid-beta damage.

Scientists are yet to determine the exact mechanism behind how Viagra can help protect the brain from Alzheimer's-related damage.

What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common forms of dementia and mostly affects adults over the age of 65.

About 8.8 million Indians aged 60 and above are estimated to be living with Alzheimer's disease. Over seven million people in the US 65 and older live with the condition and over 100,00 die from it annually.

Alzheimer's disease is believed to be caused by the development of toxic amyloid and beta proteins in the brain, which can accumulate in the brain and damage cells responsible for memory.

Amyloid protein molecules stick together in brain cells, forming clumps called plaques. At the same time, tau proteins twist together in fiber-like strands called tangles. The plaques and tangles block the brain's neurons from sending electrical and chemical signals back and forth.

Over time, this disruption causes permanent damage in the brain that leads to Alzheimer's disease and dementia, causing patients to lose their ability to speak, care for themselves or even respond to the world around them.

While there is no clear cause of Alzheimer's disease, experts believe it can develop due to genetic mutations and lifestyle choices, such as physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and social isolation.

Early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include forgetting recent events or conversations. Over time, Alzheimer's disease leads to serious memory loss and affects a person's ability to do everyday tasks.

There is no cure for this progressive brain disorder and in advanced stages, loss of brain function can cause dehydration, poor nutrition or infection. These complications can result in death.

Can You Detect Alzheimer's Early On?

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of a blood test which can help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease in adults aged 55 and above.

The blood test, known as Lumipulse, can detect amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease and has proven to be a “less invasive option” that “reduces reliance on PET scans and increases diagnosis accessibility.”

FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary said of the landmark decision, "Alzheimer’s disease impacts too many people, more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.

"Knowing that 10 percent of people aged 65 and older have Alzheimer's, and that by 2050 that number is expected to double, I am hopeful that new medical products such as this one will help patients."

It remains unclear when this test will be available for commercial use across the world.