ANTIVIRALS FOR HERPES ULCERS AND COLD SORES
Ulcers in the mouth caused by the Herpes virus look similar to apthous ulcers but are found on the attached tissue, that is, the hard palate (roof of the mouth) and attached gum (the gum that sits right below the teeth and is not movable.) The primary case of Herpes in the mouth usually occurs in children and when they have it they are sick and miserable and have multiple ulcers. Later in life will come the secondary occurrences, in which people get one or a few here or there. The virus lives dormant in the spinal cord. When activated, it travels along the cranial nerve to the skin where it creates the ulcer.
Cold Sores are also caused by the Herpes virus but they occur on the border of the lip. These Herpes problems need not be tolerated today as there are prescription antiviral medications (your dentist or physician can prescribe) that can afford relief. There is an antiviral ointment (e.g., Zovirax / Acyclovir or Denavir) that can be applied at the first tingle of a cold sore so it does not bloom into an unsightly and uncomfortable mess. Call your physician or dentist if you get these frequently and keep the drugs on hand. This drug can be used in oral / pill form in severe cases. If you are looking for something that really works for your cold sore, these antiviral drugs are the answer.
Note: Herpes in the mouth is usually caused by a different variety of Herpes virus than the variety that causes genital Herpes. A substantial portion of the population carries the oral Herpes virus.
(It would be remiss to not mention Oral Cancer in a discussion of mouth sores, even though it is certainly a lot less common than Herpetic or apthous ulcers, especially in children. If an ulcer does not heal within a couple weeks have a dentist or oral surgeon evaluate to be sure. Another possibility, if the ulcer is near a tooth root, is a dental abscess that is draining.)
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