Cold Sore Causes (Cont.)

What Causes Cold Sores to Return?

Many factors appear to weaken the body's defenses and trigger an outbreak of herpes. This includes such things as:
 
  • Fever
  • Illness, such as the common cold or flu
  • Emotional stress
  • Injury to the mouth
  • Exposure to sunlight or UV light
  • Exposure to cold weather or wind
  • Pregnancy or other hormonal changes, such as menstruation
  • Fatigue.
     
One study indicates that susceptibility to herpes recurrences is inherited. Herpes research is currently under way to discover exactly how these triggers interact with the immune system and the virus to prompt a recurrence of cold sores.

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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD