What Causes Cold Sores?
Article Sources
- 1. Tan, J. (2017, August 18). Is stress causing your cold sores? Www.Avogel.co.uk. https://www.avogel.co.uk/health/immune-system/cold-sores/is-stress-causing-your-cold-sores/
- 2. World. (2020, January 5). Herpes simplex virus. Who.Int; World Health Organization: WHO. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/herpes-simplex-virus
- 3. Hall, O. J., Klein, S. L. (2017). Progesterone-based compounds affect immune responses and susceptibility to infections at diverse mucosal sites. Mucosal Immunology, 10(5), 1097–1107. Nature Research. https://doi.org/10.1038/mi.2017.35
- 4. Cold Sore Triggers: Do Certain Foods Cause Outbreaks? (2020, January 27). Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-sore-triggers
2. Sickness
Coming down with the flu or the common cold also weakens a person’s immune system, which allows cold sores to make a recurrence. For people who have never had herpes previously, already being sick and having a weakened immune system can make them more susceptible to contracting the virus.
Additionally, people with chronic conditions or autoimmune disorders are more likely to get recurrent cold sores as the body is not well-equipped to fight off herpes. For instance, undergoing cancer treatment, living with HIV/AIDS, and being on anti-rejection drugs following an organ transplant can all trigger cold sores.
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