Children and Cold Sores-Part 2

Why do children get cold sores? If you're a parent, this may be question that you are asking yourself. Sure, you've probably dealt with a cold sore before, but you may be wondering why your child is dealing with them. Well, it's actually fairly easy for kids to get cold sores. In fact, usually most people have contact with the herpes simplex virus type 1 when they are children rather than as adults. So, if you notice your child getting a cold sore, don't freak out. There are many reasons that they may be getting one.

Sharing Towels or Cups with Others

One reason that kids often come in contact with cold sores is because they share towels or cups with others. If you have a breakout and you share a cup with your child, then you may be the one passing it on to them. However, many kids pick this up in school. Kids often don't think about germs and they may share drinks, silverware, or even towels at school or day care, which can lead to cold sores breaking out when they contract the virus from someone else.

Exposure to the Herpes Virus

Why do children get cold sores? Well, exposure to the herpes virus is the main reason. They have to come in contact with this virus in some way in order to end up getting a cold sore. They may come in contact with the virus from you or from someone at school. Kissing your kids when you have a cold sore can spread it to them, or they may come in close contact with someone at school that has it and then they get it too. So, it's really a problem that is very contagious and easily spread around.

They Get a Cold

If your child has already contracted the virus, when they get a cold, they may end up getting a cold sore as well. In fact, sometimes you may notice that your child gets a cold sore right before or right after getting a cold. Although the herpes virus is often sitting their dormant, the cold can trigger it and your child can end up with a nasty cold sore.

Stress Can Cause It

Wondering why do children get cold sores? Well, often if they've already been exposed to the herpes simplex virus, some stress can end up leading to a breakout of these sores. Stress can cause a breakout in both kids and adults alike, and kids do deal with stress in their lives. If they go through a particularly stressful situation, you may notice that a breakout is not far behind. So, make sure that you watch your child carefully when they go through stress. If a breakout seems to be coming, make sure that you treat the problem as soon as you can.