Shrug Them Off, or Seek Help?
Cold sores, aka fever blisters, are known to medical professionals as outbreaks of the herpes simplex virus. Most of us have experienced them at one time or another, on the lips or inside the mouth. They can be spread by kissing or by sharing spoons, cups, or razors with an infected person. Once you get it, the virus remains for the rest of your life. So if you have it, be careful not to spread it.
Cold sores usually start to heal on their own within a few days, but they can be treated with skin creams or sometimes pills.
Cold sores are unsightly but only a slight risk to your health. See your doctor if:
- Your immune system is compromised.
- Your cold sores don’t heal within two weeks.
- Your symptoms are severe or you get cold sores often.
- You experience irritation in your eyes or nose.
About Yuri Kaneda, DDS
Dr. Yuri Kaneda was born in Japan and immigrated to the US when she was 4 years old with her family. She lived in Ohio, Nebraska, and Illinois before finally settling in the San Diego area. A graduate of Bonita Vista High School, she went on to the University of California Berkeley where she obtained her Bachelors in Microbiology and Immunology. After working for 2 years in growth plate research at University of California San Diego, she went to the University of California San Francisco Dental School for her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. Upon graduation, she returned to San Diego where she worked as an associate in the practice of Drs. Morimoto and Yaryan, her childhood dentist. She then started her own practice in 1995 and has been at her present location since 1999 which happens to be across the street from her high school!
