Abstract
Cold sores are nasolabial blisters caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections. Novel therapies demonstrating simultaneously antiviral activity and improved wound healing are warranted. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of medical-grade honey (MGH) for treating HSV-induced cold sores. A crossover trial was performed in patients with recurrent cold sores (n = 29). The majority (65.6%) of these patients experience four or more episodes per year, thus forming a valid self-control group. In this study, patients applied an MGH-based formulation (L-Mesitran Soft) on their cold sore at the onset of symptoms (62.1%) or appearing of blister (37.9%) and compared it to their conventional treatments. After complete healing, patients filled in a questionnaire evaluating healing, pain, and itching. The average absolute healing time was 72.4% slower with conventional treatment (10.0 days) compared to MGH (5.8 days). After MGH treatment, 86.2% of all patients experienced faster objective healing (6.9% similar and 6.9% slower) and the subjective healing score was higher in 79.3% of the patients (20.7% similar). If the patients normally experience pain and itching during their cold sores, these levels were lower with MGH therapy compared to conventional treatment in 72.7% and 71.4% of the patients, respectively. Moreover, 100% of the patients prefer MGH treatment over conventional treatment and will use it again on future cold sores. MGH is a promising alternative treatment for cold sores, likely by combining both increased antiviral and wound healing activities while alleviating pain and itching.
Highlights
Introduction iationsCold sores are nasolabial blisters caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections.Approximately two-thirds of the global population between 0 and 49 years of age have HSV1 infection, accounting for an estimated 3.7 billion people [1,2]
Healing Time Is Lower with medical-grade honey (MGH) Compared to Conventional Treatment
Patients were asked via a questionnaire how long it normally takes for the cold sores to completely heal following conventional treatment, and how long it took with MGH
Summary
Cold sores are nasolabial blisters caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections. Two-thirds of the global population between 0 and 49 years of age have HSV1 infection, accounting for an estimated 3.7 billion people [1,2]. Most of these infections are oral, while 122 to 192 million people are estimated to have genital HSV-1 infection [1]. HSV-2 causes genital infections which are less prevalent (11% globally) [3]. The incidence of cold sores is considerably lower than the infection rates, as the infection is often present in a latent form. Most individuals with recurrent cold sores have up to two episodes in an entire year, 5–10% has at least six recurrences per annum [7,8]
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