El máximo tribunal de justicia de Argentina dijo el martes que la interrupción de un embarazo causado por una violación no es punible, indicando que los magistrados no pueden obstaculizar su práctica ni los médicos que lo asistan estar expuestos a penas.
New remedies can ease the pain of cold sores.(VARIETY)(YOUR HEALTH)
Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) December 31, 2002 | Burcum, Jill Byline: Jill Burcum; Staff Writer Cold sore sufferers know the routine all too well.
First, there’s a tingling or burning sensation on the lips. In 24 to 48 hours, a red, painful sore erupts – one that weeps a clear fluid until it’s sealed off by a brownish crust that defies any attempt to cover it with makeupf. Three to five days later, the blemish finally disappears.
While cold sores aren’t usually a serious problem for healthy people, doctors don’t dismiss the embarrassment and pain they cause. One in five American adults is infected with the virus that causes these painful sores to erupt periodically, studies show. Sores can make eating and drinking difficult. Those with cold sores often feel embarrassed about the unsightly spots.
“It runs its course, but for those who have cold sores, it can seem like a big problem,” said Dr. Nelson Rhodus, professor of oral medicine at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry in Minneapolis.
There is good news for cold sore sufferers, however. While there’s still no cure, several new treatments are available, both prescription and over-the-counter drugs. And, as doctors learn more about the cold sore virus, some practical strategies for preventing cold sores are emerging. The brand of toothpaste you use could make a difference.
Confusion abounds Rhodus said that even among doctors, there’s confusion about cold sores and what to do about them.
One common misperception: that cold sores are the same thing as canker sores. Not true, Rhodus said. Cold sores are caused by a herpes virus – usually a different strain than the type responsible for genital herpes. While they sometimes occur inside the mouth, cold sores typically erupt on or around the lips.
Canker sores occur only inside the mouth. No one knows what causes them, Rhodus said, but it’s not believed that a virus is involved. Nor are canker sores considered infectious.
Cold sores are, said Dr. Timothy Schacker, a University of Minnesota herpes expert. go to web site cold sore remedies
Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), is the strain of virus responsible for most cold sores. HSV-2, a related virus, causes genital herpes, though it can also cause sores around the mouth. Similarly, HSV-1 is also capable of causing cold sore-like lesions elsewhere on the body.
HSV-1 can be shed from cold sore blisters. Or it can be in the saliva of those infected even before a cold sore appears.
Close contact, such as kissing, allows the virus to move easily from person to person, Schacker said. Viral particles also can get on the hands of those infected and be transmitted to others through touching – one reason the virus moves quickly through day care centers and other places where people are in close contact.
For these reasons, it’s important to minimize contact with someone who has a cold sore. Washing hands thoroughly also helps. Still, Schacker said, containing the virus is difficult, which is why many adults and children become infected.
Once the HSV-1 virus enters the body, it cannot be eradicated, Schacker said. Initially, the virus can cause a sore where it entered the body. Then it might not cause problems for months or years as it hides out in the brain.
It’s not clear why the virus migrates along nerve networks from time to time, Schacker said. But when it does, sores often erupt where a nerve pathway ends near the skin. HSV-1 sores typically appear around the mouth because the virus tends to move through the trigeminal nerve, which fans out across the cheeks, with branches ending around the mouth. coldsoreremediesnow.net cold sore remedies
Treating cold sores Prescription antiviral medications such as Valtrex and creams such as Denavir can speed healing by about a day if they are used immediately, when the tingling that signals a cold sore begins, said Dr. Alberto Ricart, an infectious-disease specialist at Unity Hospital in Fridley and at Andover Park Clinic.
But Ricart said physicians are concerned that the virus could become resistant to these products if they are overused. Because of that, he and other physicians say the antivirals are appropriate only for severe cases – in those who suffer multiple cold sores at one time or can’t eat because of them.
People with weakened immune systems are especially at risk for having this happen, he said.
“I am not going to recommend them if you have a cold sore that lasts for three days and you get them four to five times a year,” he said.
Drugstores are filled with cold-sore remedies that don’t require prescriptions. Although doctors stop short of endorsing their use, many said that some are worth a try.
On the shelves are topical ointments and patches placed over cold sores. Both can help ease the pain, said Dr. Bruce Bart, a dermatologist at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
L-lysine, a dietary supplement said to heal and prevent cold sores, is also available. Bart said there’s some merit to claims that the supplement interferes with the virus’ ability to replicate. Whether that translates to prevention and faster healing is unclear, he said.
One of the newest products is the antiviral cream Abreva, sold by by GlaxoSmithKline. Abreva is the only federally approved nonprescription medicine that shortens healing time and duration of cold-sore symptoms.
A study published in August 2001 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that cold sores healed about 18 hours faster among those who used the cream compared to those who got a placebo. Abreva, which contains the drug docosanol, sells for $15 to $17.
Some things that cost nothing can help prevent cold sores or speed their healing. Because ultraviolet light is a common trigger of cold sores, Bart said, minimizing exposure during the summer or on winter vacations to warm destinations can reduce the chance of one developing, he said.
Rhodus said citrus foods and chocolate can cause changes in lip tissue that trigger or prolong cold sores. Avoiding these foods can help sufferers.
Using the right toothpaste also can make a difference, he said. Sodium lauryl sulfate is a common chemical used as a detergent in toothpastes. Unfortunately, it’s also thought to cause changes in lip tissue that result in cold sores.
While scanning toothpaste labels to avoid this ingredient, also look for sodium benzoate or phosphate fluoride, Rhodus said. Both can have the same result as sodium lauryl sulfate.
Look for toothpastes that contain neutral fluorides, Rhodus said. If it’s unclear what kind of fluoride a toothpaste contains, ask a dentist or a physician. Two brands that Rhodus recommends to patients with cold sores are Rembrandt and Biotene.
– Jill Burcum is at jburcum@startribune.com.
Lurking virus breaks out One in five American adults is infected with the virus that causes cold sores. The virus may not cause problems for months or years as it hides in the brain. Then, for reasons that are unclear, the virus migrates along nerves and erupts on the skin.
Burcum, Jill
