Cold Sore Horrors

I get cold sores a lot and I’ve got a rather fine specimen growing on me right now. I’ve always kind of just put up with the things my whole life, but lately I’ve gotten to thinking that these little buggers can be dangerous and it’s creeping me out a bit.

Some questions come to mind.

First, just how contagious are these bastards? I of course avoid kissing while I have them, but how great is the risk of transmission? Should I avoid touching other people all together when I have a flare up? I’ve heard they can be transmitted to the genitals. Is this the same as Herpes Simplex II? Should I get a new towel after every shower? I guess I should wash my hands before every trip to the potty. Should I avoid touching my baby? I’ve heard Herpes is a leading cause of blindness. How likely is the virus to be spread to the eyes?

I can’t help you with the specifics about herpes transmission, but I can tell you that you can absolutely treat cold sores. I used to get them all the time too, but have since discovered the wonder of Denavir (which is a penciclovir anti-viral cream – similar to Zovirax which is used to treat genital herpes, and which is also very effective for cold sores). Between the Denavir and liberal application of sunscreen on my lips, I haven’t had an “erupting” cold sore in years now. Your doctor or dentist should be willing to prescribe these to you (for some reason it is not available over the counter – is it possible to OD on cold sore cream?!).