*Welcome to the OutUK series looking at gay men and their health brought to you in association with the NHS* website.**
	Each week we'll tackle a different topic in our A to Z of Gay Health. We'll have features and advice on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. You can follow any of links provided below for more information direct from the NHS website, or view any of our Previous A to Z Features.

You should also know that OutUK has produced a special report about: Coronavirus Covid-19.

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This Week - C : Cold Sores

Check if it's a cold sore

A cold sore usually starts with a tingling, itching or burning feeling.

Over the next 48 hours one or more painful blisters will appear on your face.

Cold sores should start to heal within 10 days, but are contagious and may be irritating or painful while they heal.

Certain things may trigger a cold sore, such as illness, sunshine or being on your period.

How long cold sores are contagious

Cold sores are contagious from the moment you first feel tingling or other signs of a cold sore coming on to when the cold sore has completely healed.

They can easily spread to other people and other parts of your body.

To help stop cold sores spreading:

wash your hands with soap and water whenever you touch your cold sore
do not kiss anyone while you have a cold sore
do not have oral sex until your cold sore completely heals as you could give your partner genital herpes

Important

Kissing a baby if you have a cold sore can lead to neonatal herpes, which is very dangerous to newborn babies.

A pharmacist can help with cold sores

A pharmacist can recommend:

creams to ease pain and irritation
antiviral creams to speed up healing time
cold sore patches to protect the skin while it heals

You can buy electronic devices from pharmacies that treat cold sores with light or lasers.

You may find these helpful, but there's not much evidence to confirm they work.

If you regularly get cold sores, use antiviral creams as soon as you recognise the early tingling feeling. They do not always work after blisters appear.

Find a pharmacy

Things you can do yourself to help with cold sores

There are things you can do to help ease cold sores while they heal and to avoid triggering a cold sore.

Do

avoid anything that triggers your cold sores, such as sunbeds
use sunblock lip balm (SPF 15 or above) if you're outside in the sun
take paracetamol or ibuprofen to ease pain and swelling (liquid paracetamol is available for children) - do not give aspirin to children under 16
drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration

Don't

do not touch your cold sore (apart from applying antiviral cream) - and if you do wash your hands before and after
do not rub cream into the cold sore - dab it on instead
do not eat acidic or salty food if it makes your cold sore feel worse

See a GP if:

a cold sore has not started to heal within 10 days
you're worried about a cold sore or think it's something else
the cold sore is very large or painful
you have swollen, painful gums and sores in the mouth (gingivostomatitis)
you have a weakened immune system - for example, because of chemotherapy or diabetes

Treatment for cold sores from a GP

A GP may prescribe antiviral tablets if your cold sores are very large, painful or keep coming back.

People with a weakened immune system may be referred to hospital for advice or treatment.

Why cold sores come back

Cold sores are caused by a virus called herpes simplex.

Most people are exposed to the virus when they're children after close skin to skin contact, such as kissing, with someone who has a cold sore.

Once you have the virus, it stays in your skin for the rest of your life. Sometimes it causes a cold sore.

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We'll have more information and advice next week on another topic in our A to Z of Gay Health. We have covered many subjects in this series and you can catch up with all of our Previous A to Z Features. If you want to find out more about this week's subject you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic.
Photos: LightFieldStudios and one of VladOrlov, Stockcube, darak77, ajr_images or rawpixel.com.