COLD SORE DIAGNOSIS |
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Because oral herpes is so common, it is
diagnosed primarily by symptoms. It can be diagnosed and treated by
the family doctor, dermatologists (doctors who specialize in skin
diseases) and infectious disease specialists. Laboratory tests may
be performed to look for the virus. Because healing sores do not
shed much virus, a sample from an open sore would be taken for viral
culture. A sterile cotton swab would be wiped over open sores and
the sample used to infect human cells in culture. Cells which are
killed by herpes virus have a certain appearance under microscopic
examination. The results of this test are available within two to
ten days.
Oral herpes may resemble a bacterial infection called "impetigo."
This skin infection is most commonly seen in children and causes
herpes-like blisters around the mouth and nose. Also, because oral
herpes can occur inside the mouth, the blisters could be mistaken
for common canker sores. Therefore, the doctor would need to
determine whether the blisters are oral herpes, canker sores, or
impetigo. The diagnosis and treatment of herpes infections should be
covered by most insurance providers. |
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| COLD SORE RELATED ITEMS |
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