Herpes on the lips is a very common disease, the causes of which are varied and numerous. This ailment is capable of spoiling the entire appearance for a certain time. In the common people it is called "a cold on the lips", and many do not take it seriously. But not everything is as harmless as it seems at first glance. If a person has contracted this disease, then it is safe to say that he will remain its carrier for life. So why does herpes often appear on the lips, and how to treat it? Let's try to figure it out.
The causes of herpes
Many people who have a “cold on the lips”, the question arises: how did it happen and from what? Herpes on the lips appears for various reasons, but most often infection occurs due to penetration into the body Once on the mucous membranes in the mouth, nose or eyes, it begins to actively affect the epithelial cells, and after a week or two, characteristic symptoms of the disease appear. But this happens if the body does not have immunity to the virus.
After suffering an infectious disease for the first time, the body already develops a stable lifelong immunity to this virus, but it cannot be completely removed from the body, because its DNA is firmly fixed in the nuclei of nerve cells. Theoretically, it is quite possible to completely get rid of herpes if the affected cells are replaced, but it is practically impossible to do this, and it does not make any sense.
Subsequently, the virus manifests itself as a recurrent infection, the symptoms of which are not as severe as those of the primary one. Relapses occur due to weakened immunity, as a result of which new tissues are exposed to the virus.
The following reasons contribute to the weakening of immunity:
- lack of vitamins;
- strict diet;
- poisoning;
- overheating or hypothermia of the body;
- menstruation;
- prolonged allergic reaction;
- physical exhaustion and stress;
- past illnesses.
This is a list of the reasons why cold sores appear on the lips. The most common of them are considered to be a lack of vitamins in the body and a weakening of immunity due to diseases. This mainly happens in early spring or winter, when an outbreak of viral infections occurs, and when there is a lack of fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet.
Symptoms of the disease
After finding out the reasons why herpes appears on the lips, you should deal with its symptoms. Most often, this ailment occurs suddenly, since the virus acts very quickly. At first, a slight pain begins to be felt on the lip, increasing over time and turning into itching or burning. If at this time treatment with special ointments and gels is started, the disease can be prevented, since the virus is not yet sufficiently strong.
If untreated, the lip begins to swell after a few hours and redness appears, which indicates the development of an inflammatory process. After a while, painful sores appear. It is they who will cause the aesthetic defect, while they begin to hurt and itch a lot. In no case should you touch them, as you will want to scratch them even more. After a while, these symptoms subside.
Possible complications
To many, this disease seems completely harmless, and the question does not even arise why herpes appears on the lips. But everything turns out to be much more serious, and other ailments provoked by the virus often begin to arise.
These can be the following diseases:
- ophthalmic herpes;
- myocarditis;
- herpes eczema;
- stomatitis;
- respiratory tract diseases: tonsillitis, sinusitis, sinusitis, bronchitis.
Most often, patients do not associate these diseases with herpes on the lips, since they get used to it so much that they stop noticing it. If you identify the disease in a timely manner and treat it in time, you can avoid the occurrence of complications.
Herpes treatment
If a person consulted a doctor about this ailment and received an answer to the question of why herpes appears on the lips, then he proceeds to treat it. But since the virus is embedded in DNA, it is almost impossible to get rid of it, you can only reduce the manifestation of its symptoms and eliminate the next stage of exacerbation.
The most effective drugs used to treat the disease are:
- "Acyclovir";
- Zovirax;
- "Acyclovir-Acri";
- Valacyclovir.
The last remedy is considered the most powerful and is dispensed in pharmacies only with a doctor's prescription. In addition to these drugs, an oil solution of vitamin E is used. It helps the sores to heal faster and relieves pain well. Salicylic-zinc paste dries the wounds remarkably.
If cold sores appear too often on the lips, it is best to contact a herpes center. There the patient undergoes all the necessary examinations, after which the doctor prescribes antiviral drugs taken by mouth. And as a prophylaxis, interferons, which suppress viruses, should be taken.
Prevention of herpes on the lips
Knowing what causes herpes on the lips to appear, it is easy to figure out how to avoid its appearance. It must be remembered that the virus is found in the body of almost every person, and it is very difficult to avoid primary infection. Many carriers do not manifest themselves in any way, therefore, even avoiding contact with people who have a cold on their lips, it is not always possible to avoid infection.
But a person who has once had this disease will always develop the corresponding antibodies, and he will no longer be able to get infected again.
It is very important to maintain your immunity in the future in order to avoid a relapse of the disease. For this, the following preventive measures are taken:
- more to be in the fresh air;
- move a lot;
- include fresh vegetables, fruits, berries, herbs, nuts in your diet;
- hardening;
- do not start and do not let them go into a chronic form;
- get more rest;
- avoid stressful situations.
Also, you should not stay in direct sunlight for a long time, you do not need to overheat and overcool.
Output
Many people ask themselves: what to do if herpes appears on the lip? Some people think that it is not worth treating it, as it gradually goes away on its own. But still, it is better to make your life easier and relieve the symptoms of the manifestation of the disease with the help of various antiviral ointments, gels and tablets. Before that, you should definitely visit a doctor who will prescribe a specific drug, taking into account the individual characteristics of the body.