argh, coldsore

mumslave

I wondered if there was anyone out there in cyber space whom has the same issue as me. Whenever I get a cold, without fail, I get a cold sore in the exact same spot....in my nose. Only place i ever get it I remember the second time it appeared, I didnt know what it was, so i went to the doctor only to be told you cant get cold sores in my nose. A test showed thats what it was though so to him. I have since found out i probably got the virus (dont make me say the name lol) from my grandma, the only other person whom ever got them in her nose apparently.

Anyways, fast forward 4 years since, I have had it around another 6 times and its starting to leave a dent in my nose when it heals. I suppose my question is, whats to be done? Should i go bother the doctor for the sake of a cold sore and a dent?! Will he laugh me out of his office? When i say in my nose, its noticable from the outside, but only if you were up close. Get what I mean? Any advice would be welcome so I dont have to save for a nosejob by the time I am 30 :P

ailuro2

I get coldsores in and around my nose too - they are disgusting and vicious. I hate them, didn't get them till my mid twenties.:mad:

I have been taking L-Lysine for the past few years to head them off at the pass / minimise them. Google it and you'll see what I mean.

I also use compeed patches now, if I suspect anything around my nose might be a coldsore and not a spot.

mumslave

oh you star, thank you for replying, i know it probably seems trivial to most, but its really been worrying me. I will google the L-Lysine now, thanks again

BitterAndTwisted

The H virus eventually retreats up the nerves so the blisters will stop coming eventually. The blisters/lesions appear in the original site of the infection so your granny may not be to blame at all. Cold-sores are hateful aren't they? If you're dead lucky you won't ever experience shingles. Now that's painful

mazza111

Have just experienced my first cold sore up the nose, and bl00dy hell it's a painful thing. Have suffered from them for years but nothing like this. Have no idea how to treat it other than some savlon antiseptic cream up my nose, zovirax isn't hitting it and doc recommended the savlon.

So if any of u have nice ideas (NICE) about what I can stick up my nose to heal this I would greatly appreciate it.

Toothsmith

Most of the population has been infected with the herpes simplex virus that causes 'cold sores'.

Every time you develop a cold sore, you're absolutely teeming with the virus, and you will be leaving it on practically everything you touch, where it will remain active and infective for a good week or more. So - You could have caught it virtually anywhere from virtually anybody. (Although a doting relative with a crusty spot leaning over you in a cot is a pime suspect.

For most people,the first contact with the virus will come in very early life. The initial infection can range from absolutely no symptoms, to mildly 'off colour' which might even be blamed on 'teething' right through to quite a nasty Primary Herpetic Gingivostomatitis - where the mouth gets very ulcerated and sore and eating and drinking can be very uncomfortable for the child for several days.

Once the initial infection has passed, the virus takes up residence in a nerve root - usually one of the branches of the trigeminal nerve, which supplies feeling to most of the face. Here it stays. Only a small percentage of those infected will go on to suffer cold sores

In some people, it becomes active every now and again, and produces the 'cold sore' at the site where the nerve it lives in supplies. This is commonly the lip, but can be anywhere around the face, including, in some very unlucky people, the eyes.

People with cold sores can infect other people in later life too, but that usually involves the virus getting int breaks in the skin. Such things as 'scrum pox' where stubbly rugby players rub against each other, or dentists commonly get 'herpetic whitlows' on their fingers.

One of the nastiest ones is where the virus gets into someones eye. Again, this happens to dentists occasionally where the watery mist from the drill can get into dental staff eyes. That is why some dental practices will ask patients with active cold sores not to come.

Treatment is patchy. Zovirax (Acyclovir cream) is pretty effective if you can catch it at the 'tingly' prodromal phase before the spot has appeared. It isn't that good if you miss that stage. Fenestril (Pencyclovir) is dearer, but slightly better - It's certainly more effective if you miss the tingle.

Just make sure you're careful around very small children when you have one, and have good hand hygiene.

Complications from cold sores aren't common - but happen more often than people realise. If people get lesions around their eyes, then corneal scarring can occur, which would require a corneal transplant to fix. In people with immune problems (HIV or post Chemotherapy) quite severe complications can result.

ailuro2

Look up L-Lysine, and google using tea bags to help cold sores, it's something about the tannin helping to soothe the nerve. I tried it when I got one on the side of my nostril the week before a big wedding, it didn't help, I was nearly in tears. Whoever said they were hateful is right - they are awful.

There's an alternative available that's not Zovirax (aciclovir, iirc) so it's worth a trip to the chemist to ask them.

Remember to take the balaclava off before you enter the shop though.;)

eta, cross posted with toothsmith - that's the stuff I was talking about.

mumslave

Thanks folks, I have a one year old, my youngest, but am trying my hardest to resist his baby snogs, he does love to give em he actually headbutted me earlier (accidently) right on my nose, gad it was painful. Its really come out this morning, so I am going to find a nice paper bag for the next week. Thanks for all the advice, I really appreciate it.

ailuro2

owww, that brought a lump to my throat - toddlers and cold sores don't mix! Ouch!

The good thing about the Compeed patches are you can put make up on over them, so if there's anywhere you need to go where you want to look a bit better, stick on a compeed patch and then add a bit of foundation over it.

It has to stay on for a couple of days till it falls off by itself though, so you need to decide if it's the right way to go..;)