Managing Cold Sore during Pregnancy & Periods
Wouldn’t you just know it: the hormones a woman’s body produces as part of the menstrual cycle can also trigger a cold sore? Here’s what you can do to help prevent a cold sore during your period.
By now, most women know what symptoms to expect from their period. So it may not come as a surprise to add another symptom to the PMS party: cold sores! But you can actively fight back to keep cold sores from showing up uninvited.
The first step starts with understanding why you’re prone to cold sores during this time. In a word: hormones. The hormones present in your body during certain times in the menstrual cycle can not only trigger stress, but a cold sore outbreak.
While the ups and downs of periods are a fact of life, we can change the way we handle stress and fatigue, so that we’re putting up our strongest front to meet those challenges.
Make sure you’re well rested during these times and that you have a tool kit of relaxation and stress relieving activities, such as exercise, healthy eating and down time. Learning to meditate or practicing yoga can be a wonderful resource to help manage stress. It may also be worth visiting your GP if you experience a lot of discomfort or pain during your period.
As with all the other triggers, a calm mind and a healthy, rested body is going to be your best defence.