Cold sores are those awful eruptions that are caused by the herpes virus. They always appear at just the least opportune moment, most often during times of stress or illness. Cold sores are also called fever blisters and they first make their impending appearance known by tingling and a hard area under the skin which is soon followed by an eruption of small blisters or fluid filled vesicles. There is no fast way to get rid of a cold sore and no way to cover it up until it heals. You are just stuck with it. However, it is possible hasten the process by applying various topical applications for treatment of cold sores, or by taking a prescription anti-viral medication.

Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus and they usually appear on the lips but can erupt on the nostrils or fingers as well. Once exposure to the virus has occurred it may take up to twenty days for symptoms to appear. After the vesicles appear they will soon pop and the fluid will form a yellow crust which will slough off as the lesion heals. This process usually takes from seven to ten days during which you can’t really cover it up. Once the cold sore has healed the virus lies dormant in the nerve cells under the skin and then reoccur with exposure to the sun, illness, stress or menstruation. For people that get cold sores frequently, oral anti-viral medications are the best defense against repeated outbreaks. Drugs such as acyclovir are very effective in lessening the severity of the cold sore and speeding up healing time. This medication is taken as soon as cold sore symptoms appear and is continued through at the least five days. By this time the cold sore is almost gone and topical ointments can also be used to dry it up quicker.

If you are someone who gets cold sores frequently, there are a few steps you can take so that you don’t get them as frequently. Keep your hands clean and keep them off your face. If you feel a cold sore coming on don’t touch it, especially if the blisters have opened. This can spread the virus to other areas or to others by touch or by sharing eating utensils or kissing. The virus is most contagious while the cold sore is weeping and can remain so even after the area has healed. Be sure to wear sunscreen when outdoors, limit exposure to the sun and get plenty of rest to prevent an new outbreak. The herpes virus that causes cold sores can also cause genital herpes so oral sex is out of the question with an active lesion. If you need more information on cold sores and the herpes virus, visit the Mayo Clinic at www.mayoclinic.com.

A hangover can be one of the most debilitating feelings you ever experience. If you’re badly hungover you don’t want to move, you don’t want to eat, you don’t want to drink and you really don’t want to go to work. It’s painful and you want it to stop as soon as possible. “Make it go away,” you mutter, groaning from your bed, “just make it stop.”

As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The best way to deal with a hangover is often not to get one in the first place which really isn’t too difficult. Of course, you could avoid getting a hangover by not drinking alcohol at all but many people don’t really see the fun in that. If you do plan on consuming alcohol, take some preventative measures. First of all don’t go drinking on an empty stomach. If you have food in your stomach it’ll help you absorb the alcohol more slowly, which is generally a good thing if you don’t want to feel terrible the next morning. Also, make sure you’re hydrated since the majority of the symptoms of a hangover come from merely being dehydrated.

Once you’re out on the town choose your alcohol carefully. Drinks with high sugar content or sulfites like wine will probably make you hurt more the next morning. Also it helps if you stick to one drink the entire night, your stomach won’t be as upset and you’ll probably end up drinking less. Drink water while you’re out too in order to try and stave off dehydration.

When you make it back home, drink a big glass of water or two, this is one of the most important prevention steps. Stay away from Tylenol since it’s hard on your stomach and liver if you take it with alcohol but a multivitamin will probably do you some good.

When you wake up in the morning hopefully you’ve avoided the worst of a hangover. If you’re still hurting stay away from the coffee and the Tylenol. Take a couple of aspirin and drink more water and if you’re still feeling nauseous don’t go to work. Lie if you have to, say you have the stomach flu since your body is filled with toxins and will take some time to recover. When you can finally eat pick something full of vitamins. Some people have a lot of luck with fattier foods like hamburgers to help replace nutrients and settle the stomach.