Lifestyle advice
Preventing cold sores
Identifying individual trigger factors and avoiding them is an important step towards preventing cold sores. You can also advise customers that avoiding stress and known allergens will reduce cold sore attacks. Other key advice to pass on includes taking steps to protect and avoid damage to the lips, particularly in strong winds and sunlight.[1,7]
Managing an attack
There are plenty of tips you can pass on to help ease patients’ discomfort and prevent the virus from spreading to other people during an attack. To minimise irritation, salty, spicy or acidic food and drinks should be avoided.[1] Opting for soft foods, such as soup, may help limit the pain by reducing the need to chew and move the mouth.[1] Sufferers should also drink plenty of fluids to keep hydrated.[1]
A person suffering from a cold sore should avoid kissing, particularly young babies, and should try to avoid anyone coming into skin contact with their sore, for example oral sex.[1,3] As a precautionary measure, you should advise patients with an active cold sore not to share cups, towels, lipsticks, etc. with uninfected people.[1,3] For sufferers themselves, washing hands after touching the sore or the lips can help prevent the virus from spreading to other areas on the face or mouth.[1] Special care should be taken to avoid transferring the virus to the eyes, e.g. when dealing with contact lenses or applying makeup. Picking the sore can encourage infection and make it spread more easily, so encourage patients not to do this.[1]
What lifestyle advice would you give to a customer about preventing a cold sore?
What advice would you give to a person who is suffering from a cold sore?
Identifying individual trigger factors and avoiding them is an important step towards preventing cold sores. You can also advise customers that avoiding stress and known allergens will reduce cold sore attacks. Other key advice to pass on includes taking steps to protect and avoid damage to the lips, particularly in strong winds and sunlight.[1,7]
Managing an attack
There are plenty of tips you can pass on to help ease patients’ discomfort and prevent the virus from spreading to other people during an attack. To minimise irritation, salty, spicy or acidic food and drinks should be avoided.[1] Opting for soft foods, such as soup, may help limit the pain by reducing the need to chew and move the mouth.[1] Sufferers should also drink plenty of fluids to keep hydrated.[1]
A person suffering from a cold sore should avoid kissing, particularly young babies, and should try to avoid anyone coming into skin contact with their sore, for example oral sex.[1,3] As a precautionary measure, you should advise patients with an active cold sore not to share cups, towels, lipsticks, etc. with uninfected people.[1,3] For sufferers themselves, washing hands after touching the sore or the lips can help prevent the virus from spreading to other areas on the face or mouth.[1] Special care should be taken to avoid transferring the virus to the eyes, e.g. when dealing with contact lenses or applying makeup. Picking the sore can encourage infection and make it spread more easily, so encourage patients not to do this.[1]
<PRACTICE POINT>
What lifestyle advice would you give to a customer about preventing a cold sore?
What advice would you give to a person who is suffering from a cold sore?