I’ve been having back to back cold sore attacks since April 17. That’s more than a month now. I have no idea what keeps on triggering the attack because I am trying my best to avoid chocolates (sigh !), nuts, sun exposure, extreme cold temperature, stress (!!) etc. I have been religiously popping multivitamins, vitamin B & C tablets, and making sure I don’t skip meals.

How can I not be stressed when I have these ugly sores on my lips that people keep staring at and asking me about, and I haven’t been able to kiss my daughter for so long ! Self esteem = ZERO.

Either there’s a trigger factor that I have been missing out on, or that my immune system has gone haywire. My boss (a doctor) told me that it could be due to the fact that my body is under a lot of physical stress because I haven’t been getting enough rest/sleep, have a baby to take care of and have to travel quite a distance to work every day.

SIGH !

For those of you who don’t know what cold sores are, Google can help.

In a gist, cold sores (herpes labialis) are small, painful, fluid-filled blisters or sores that appear on the lips, mouth, or nose that are caused by the herpes simplex virus. It is transmitted through oral secretions or sores on the skin.Unlike most viral infections, this virus is not completely eliminated as they reside quietly in a dormant/latent stage in nerve sheaths until something triggers its active stage which causes blisters on the lips known as cold sores. There is no cure !
Cold sore attacks can be brought on by the following conditions:

  • General illness or changes in the immune system (from mild illnesses to serious conditions)
  • Ultraviolet radiation 
  • Fatigue
  • Physical or emotional stress
  • Immunosuppression due to AIDS or such medications as chemotherapy or steroids
  • Trauma to the affected area – my first attack this year (in February) was because Khayla bumped her head on my lips !
  • Menstruation (hormonal changes)

Cold sores are actually very common. About six in ten people in the UK carry the virus, no data for Malaysia though. However, not all of them have outbreaks. So far I have only seen one UiTM student with cold sores, and when she came to the pharmacy to get her medications, I felt like giving her a hug. Drama, much ?

Annisa and I with my cold sores on my lips. :'(

I don’t remember exactly when I had my first cold sore attack, but I know it was years ago, while I was doing my degree. My first outbreak was terrible because the doctor I went to see thought it was a bacterial infection and kept peeling my scab off, only to make it spread even worse ! After that, I have had one to three recurrences a year, but nothing like what I am experiencing now. :'(

Abu Hurairah R.A narrates Rasulullulah PBUH said,

“For every misfortune, illness, anxiety, grief, or hurt that afflicts a Muslim -even the hurt caused by the pricking of a thorn – Allah removes some of his sins.”

and

“There is no disease that Allah has created, except that He also has created its treatment.”

So many people out there are suffering from far worse, so I need to stay positive !
I can do this.

xoxo

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5 Comments on cold sores galore.

  1. owww u poor thing Melissa. dun worry insyaAllah with patience n in time, ur cold sores will be gone in no time. i too had suffered a serious case of eczema when i was in uni. it was bad. altho eczema only affected covered areas of my body i.e. legs n feet, it did affect my self esteem. i always had this fear dat my then boyfriend wud nvr want to marry me bcos of my ugly skin. but alhamdulillah, after years of medication, controlled diet i managed to beat eczema! =) so dun worry dear… all d best! cheers!!!

  2. i’m no pharmacist, clearly, but have u tried taking honey, habbatusawda, n such..? u know makanan sunnah… who knows that might help. I dont know if such foods can cure cold sores, but it might help u with your tired body.. and frm what i read, seems like theres a hadis saying tht habatussawda can cure all illnessess except death. perhaps u can give it a try? i have a colleague who sells that honey thingy with black seeds. but you can choose many other brands available in d market. a lot of ‘islamic stuff’ is sold in this small grocery shop called “usrah halal market”, sek 3 blkg mcd..u cn go there n ask the man there for suggestions.

  3. Dina: Oh really ? Wow, good for you ! I actually have eczema too, and it’s still bugging me especially the area behind my knees. I have accepted the fact that I might have to live with eczema for the rest of my life. Sobs. Thanks for your kind prayers, dear. 🙂

    Azrin: Yes Azrin, as a matter of fact, I have just ordered a bottle of honey with habbatusawda.I am going to give it a try lah. I need all the help I can get, and hopefully relying on foods that are mentioned in the Qur’an will help. Ameen. Thanks so much, dear !!

  4. Hi Melissa, has your cold sores cure? Did you find the solution? I had my coldsores too. Mine attack me every months on the first day of my menses. Its been 3-4 years like that and it stop when I pregnant and now after 28months no attack, now it come back again :((((((
    I am just wondering what can I do to prevent it to attack again

    • Hi Shirley.
      I still get attacks but they are less frequent than before.
      I have changed my diet & added Shaklee supplements that I believe is helping in reducing flare ups. 🙂

      You can email me at melissaraffur@gmail.com 🙂

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