Guide To The Causes And Risk Factors For Cold Sores

Severe Burns

Severe burns may cause cold sores to develop and the herpes virus to become active in the body. At the same time, the consequences of this viral activity may be more severe. One study was done to determine if herpes viruses played a significant role in the mortality rates in burn victims. The author analyzed fifty different texts and included eighteen in the final review since they included subjects that met the criteria. The conclusion from the review was that there was no direct evidence linking herpes infection with increased mortality in burn patients. There also isn't any evidence suggesting there's a significantly higher risk of complications if patients have severe burns. However, active infections were shown to have impaired the healing process. While this didn't increase the mortality rates, it did mean individuals with the cold sore virus and other herpes viruses had a longer recovery period. Antiviral medications may have some helpful effects in speeding healing time in these cases.

Keep reading for more information on the risk factors linked to cold sores now.

Anti-Rejection Drugs

Anti-rejection drugs can have serious interactions with the virus after patients have an organ transplant. Studies indicate individuals with any herpes virus have a much larger rate of mortality and other medical complications following transplants. In fact, more recipients may have issues due to cold sore viruses than nearly any other condition. When a patient has an organ transplant, they will begin taking immunosuppressant drugs. These reduce the risk of the patient's immune system rejecting the organ, a complication that's nearly always fatal. But the side effect is their immune system is then impaired. It can't fight the virus in their body, which may cause flare-ups of cold sores. In the past several years, this complication has been mitigated slightly by improving diagnostic techniques to recognize herpes. There has also been research done on how antiviral drugs might help with treating herpes infections in organ transplant patients. Infections do often pose challenges to transplant recipients regardless, though. In addition to the virus that causes cold sores, eight other herpes viruses that can cause issues.