Cold Sore Incubation Period

There is a lot of information available on the Internet concerning oral herpes, what we commonly know as fever blisters or cold sores. The little explored part of it however is its incubation period, which actually happens to be the most dangerous and contagious part of the condition.

What is commonly known as the cold sore incubation period is noted as being the first half of an eight stage cycle that the herpes simplex virus goes through. For most people this incubation period ranges between two to twelve days upon initial infection before a full-fledged outbreak occurs. However, there are a few individuals who may never get an outbreak all their lives even after having been infected with the virus. These are rare cases but are an important reminder on how the herpes simplex virus works and how you can keep the cold sore under control.

How it works

The herpes simplex virus works by invading the sensory nerves of the victim and laying dormant as life-long, latent virus. This is the time that is considered as the cold sore incubation period where the virus simply “hides” in the sensory ganglion or nerve fibers of your body waiting for a trigger to cause an outbreak. From incubation, the latent virus is then triggered and activated which begins the viral cycle.

The incubation period is characterized as the most peaceful stage of the herpes simplex viral cycle and is usually the best time to take preemptive measures and preventive therapy. These could include taking antiviral pills in concert with topical antiviral creams when you sense on oncoming outbreak to doing something as simple as boosting your immune system.

Healthy and Active Immune System Helps to Keep Outbreaks at bay

Keep in mind that there’s no cure yet for the virus, it’s important to note that for some people, the objective is to keep the cold sore in the incubation period and never allow it to turn into an outbreak. The only sure fire way to do this however, is to keep a healthy and active immune system.

Since the herpes simplex virus is predominantly always in its latent or incubation stage, it’s important to remember that the only real thing keeping it in check is your body’s immune system. The virus often remains in its incubation period because it is never given a chance to escape as it is kept in line by a healthy immune system.

This is the primary explanation why some people never get an outbreak all their lives even if they’ve been infected. So far, it seems that keeping a healthy immune system is the best way to keep the cold sore in its incubation period.

All in all, the cold sore incubation period is the most manageable part of the condition and armed with the right information, you should be able to keep the condition in check and under control.