Cold Sore Treatment With Light

Cold sores, sometimes called fever blisters, are small fluid filled blisters, which develop on the lip or around the mouth. Caused by type 1 herpes simplex virus, there is no cure for this affliction at present, although experimental therapy using light is showing promise.

Triggers

• One of the triggers to a cold sore outbreak is exposure to the ultra violet light present in sunlight. One experimental type of light therapy counteracts UV light by exposing tissue to infrared light.

Infrared Light

• When infrared light penetrates the tissue, it strengthens cells and thus makes them more resistant to the virus. It also enhances the immune system, aiding the body in healing.

Effects

• In studies conducted in the UK, infrared light therapy has cut the duration of an outbreak by 50 percent. If applied during prodrome, the phase before the sore has erupted, it can sometimes abort an outbreak entirely.

Application

• Light is applied through the use of a hand held device, which emits non-thermal infrared light. It is held against the skin for a three minute treatment cycle, with treatment repeated 12 hours later.

Other Research

• In other research into light therapy for cold sores, photo-active dye is injected into the lesions. The dye reacts with the genetic material of the virus, making it light-sensitive. When exposed to light, the DNA strands are broken, killing the virus.