My 13 month old son has already had numerous cold sores in his life....why?!! He has one right now and he doesn't even have a cold. Counting this one, he has had 4 in the last 2 months. I do not know much about them because I have never had them however my husband gets one once in a great while. Why does my son get them so often? He is teething and I thought maybe the stress and pain from that cause them. How can I treat them and prevent them from spreading? I hate how people look at him and then remark on the sore like I haven't already noticed it....makes me feel like I am not taking care of him properly. Any replies are appreciated.

Thanks
Angela

Wow sorry to hear your little one gets cold sores. I get them too. And Stress does bring them on, so does citrus. I had one a few weeks ago, and was terrified of getting anywhere near DS face.

After suffering from them since I was a kid I finally got mine under control....I still get them but they used to last like a week and a half, and now only a few days since I started using Campho-Phenique, during the day, and Abreva at night. Abreva is over-the-counter but you have to ask the pharmacist for it. Ice compress helps with pain and swelling. Like I said i've had them for years, I have read EVERYTHING about them and have tried EVERY product available.

Now.....I have no idea if these things can be used on a 13 month old....The tubes say under the age of 2 ask a doctor. So check with the Doctor, or Pharmacist before you try them. I would say you could probably only put anything on him at night, so he doesn't keep touching it, and causing it to spread.

Now I would also tell the doctor that he keeps getting them. But in the mean time......Cold sores are contagious before the sore appears, so it's very important that as soon as your husband feels the tingly feeling, he NOT kiss the baby, touch his mouth, or food or bottles/cups. As soon as one of your sons sores clears up toothbrushes must be thrown out or boiled, and any toys that go into his mouth must be disinfected. I'm sure this will not be easy, but he could be reinfecting himself.

Ignore people's commets. coldsores have nothing to do with how you take care of your son, as they are certainty not caused by poor hygiene. I hope this helps. If you have anymore questions don't hesitate to ask...I think of myself as a "Coldsores expert" lol :wave:

Check with the Dr. You son could have Impetigo (not sure of the spelling). It quite often is mistaken for cold sores. It's very common in kids and can be stubborn and not easily gotten rid of. You can search online if you'd like, but please know, you'll see a lot of extreme cases, so don't freak yourself out, it ranges from very mild (cold sore like lesions ever now and then) to extreme (one big giant sore around the mouth and up under the nose).

I have suffered from cold sores for a long time. It's a strand of Herpes. It has to run it's course and then it's gone. There is no cure for them, you can maybe sometimes get them to heal quicker, but none of the meds have ever worked on me. They are very contagious, so no kisses and if he touches it be sure to wash his hands immediately. Dehydration, sun exposure and stress are major factors in getting a cold sore. You don't have to have a cold to get one, infact it has nothing to do with that.

I'm sorry that he is having to deal with them already, they suck and I hate them. You should talk to his doc soon and see what they say.