Zirus Blackheart
1 post
Jan 21, 2010
7:10 AM
|
Hay all :-)
Firstly, Adam, thank you so so much for your youtube vids, they're truely golden man. I've been playing only since xmass and your vids have created my entire sound, i can't thank you enough and i'm only up to no9 (thats a tough one! heheh)
Ok, my qustion.
Has anyone here had insecant cold sore(the corner of the mouth thing) probs?
I'm pretty sure a cold sore should only last for about 3 days but i've had mine now for over 2 weeks. It seems to start to go then jsut comes right on back :-/
I have cleaned the harmonica with warm water and soap b4 but since the cold sore has came i've been thinking that cleaning it would be a waste of time as I would just put the cold sore virus straight back on it....
Anyone had this prob and know of a fix?
P.S. PLZ add the option to subscribe to a topic you start on these forums so ya get an email when you have a reply, it's gonna be very annoying haveing to keep checking back here to see if I have a reply when I check my email all the time anyway. cheers :-)
Sign:- -Z-
|
MrVerylongusername
844 posts
Jan 21, 2010
7:13 AM
|
Welcome to the forum Z!
One of our regulars (Greg) posted useful advice on canker sores in another thread. I think that would apply to cold sores too.
I think you need to get used to the bare bones aspects of this forum, it is pretty basic compared to others - certainly subscribing to thread updates isn't (and I think can't) be an option. Personally I think it's part of the charm of this place!
|
Greg Heumann
233 posts
Jan 21, 2010
9:40 AM
|
Canker sores and cold sores are caused by very different things. I have no experience with cold sores, sorry. I do know there are some prescription meds (Acyclovir/Zovirax) for cold sores.....
----------
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
BlueState - my band
Bluestate on iTunes
|
barbequebob
350 posts
Jan 21, 2010
9:47 AM
|
Some of those sores can be caused by a build up of layers of salva and/or dead skin, which will scratch the hell out of you and one easy way to prevent that is to keep it clean and get some isoporopyl alcohol on a lint free paper towel and wipe them off periodically. Once you start doing this on a regular basis, many of the sores won't appear.
----------
Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
|
nacoran
846 posts
Jan 21, 2010
10:21 AM
|
Keeping the harp clean and smooth is important. It's also important to keep it wet while your playing. If my lips are catching I'll lick the harmonica to get things going. I'm also a big believer in never sharing a harmonica with someone you're not kissing anyway, to prevent getting any sorts of sores from other people.
I prefer plastic combed harps like the Lee Oskars and Special 20's because they are easier on my lips. Some people also have a problem with a nickel allergy on some of the cheaper harps. My lips were pretty torn up at first, but it got better as time went by.
What kind of harp are you playing?
|
harpcrab
40 posts
Jan 21, 2010
10:50 AM
|
"canker sore" = apthous ulcer- shows up on mucus membrane (i/s your mouth, i/s lip, tounge, etc.)- looks like a white pot hole sometimes with a red center- thought to be auto-immune, often triggered by specific foods (citrus, spicey), stress,..and who knows?
"cold sore" = herpes simplex virus- a virus that lives permenantly (if you are infected with it) in the nerve ganglion of non mucosal skin (outside the mouth- usually on the lips but sometimes other areas as well). If "appears" every chance it gets, especially when you're immune system is lowered- stress, other illness.- can often be triggered by sun exposure or proximal injury.
If your lesion is at the very corner of your mouth, it could be angular chelitis- a yeast infection triggered by excess moisture at the commisure of the lips... see it a lot in denture wearers.
really no "one size fits all" treatment. Different things work for different people. The ulcers- pretty much palliative treatment only(make it feel better). Treat it and it goes away in about a week, don't treat it and it goes away in about 7 days. Try Peridex (Rx) chlorhexidine rinse for some relief.
Herpes simplex- if caught really early, when you first get the twitching feeling, Zovirax (Rx) usually knocks them out in a day or two. If it fully developes it will take a week or more no matter what you do. If you are more prone to them, say, in the summer, take the zovirax dailey as a preventive- it's what I do. Some say Lysine helps- doesn't do it for me.
Angular Chelitis- an antifungal ointment (Rx) for a few days should clear it up.
Again, everyone is different, YMMV. See your dentist or MD for diagnosis and Rx.
edit- Bob is right- you can have an infectious yeast colony living on your harps- clean them.
----------
Bluesharp- If you don't blow you suck...
Last Edited by on Jan 21, 2010 10:53 AM
|
Aussiesucker
508 posts
Jan 21, 2010
11:58 AM
|
I suffered what I believed were cold sores only to discover that I had a nickel allergy. This was a long time ago when all harps contained nickel in the cover plates. I virtually gave away touching a harp for close to 50 years. I still believed until 3-4 years ago that my problem was due to cold sores.
An encounter with a cheap Asian copy watch that set my wrist on fire with the same lesions that I used to get on my lips/mouth was diagnosed as the allergy. It is a common problem for ca 10% of the population but usually it is women who get it from jewellery.
Its no longer a problem as most harps now have stainless covers. Hohner confirmed that they are nickel free in their 10 hole diatonics now for over 10 years. I don't have problems with Suzuki Bluesmaster, Harpmaster, Hohner Sp20 or Lee Oskars. There are harps that do contain nickel & if in contact with saliva will cause problems for anyone with the allergy. A lot of reed plates contain nickel and unless recessed in plastic combs they might cause a problem?
What harps are you using?
Incidentally I do not suffer from cold sores and never have. The nickel allergy though is horrible.
|
Stickman
116 posts
Jan 21, 2010
12:31 PM
|
"P.S. PLZ add the option to subscribe to a topic you start on these forums so you get an email when you have a reply"
I'd rather have a bad case of FLAMIN' LIP HERPES than have my mailbox blown up every time somebody posts on a tread I have participated in. Between that and facebook I'd never find my important e-mails and spend most of my time deleting junk rather than reading the highly intellectual threads here on this forum
----------
The Art Teacher Formally Known As scstrickland
|
MrVerylongusername
845 posts
Jan 21, 2010
2:45 PM
|
@Greg - yeah, I know they're different, but I mentioned it because I've heard Lysine helps cold sores too
|
Aussiesucker
509 posts
Jan 21, 2010
3:38 PM
|
Further to what I mentioned above in reference to the nickel allergy ie I always was of the belief that I had cold sores.
I always kept my harps in a drawer in my bedside table. They were an old Hohner Comet, Hohner Echo /Tremolo , Hohner Super Chronomica. All were ca 50 years old. Only the Chrom is still playable having replaced the mouthpiece/slide assembly with a newer version. All were wooden bodied except the Comet.
I would only have to noodle on them for minutes and within hours my lips were tingling and I would break out in what I really believed were cold sores. But I never suffered cold sores unless I tried to play those damn harps!I thought that it was the wooden combs + the exposed reed plates that were giving rise to my problems.
It wasn't until my retirement and spending time on the net and discovering some of the newer harps and seeing they were plastic bodied with recessed reed plates led me back to trying them. Voila no problems. My encounter with the copy watch gave rise to the correct diagnosis that it was a nickel allergy.
Correspondence I have had from Hohner confirms they no longer have exposure to nickel in their diatonics. I have not had any responses from other manufacturers but trial without error has confirmed that the ones I am now using are ok.
I had a scare ca 6 weeks ago with a Harpmaster. I am fastidious about cleaning and use denture tablets on them. The Harpmaster had given over 12 months of daily use but the covers were becoming tarnished. I experienced the tingling so I stopped playing for a few days until the sores (which were minor) went. I tried again - same thing! I pensioned the Harpmaster off and broke out a new one and all is ok.
I suspect that nickel is present in most harps to some degree but safely enclosed although with wear and tear some leaching might result?
|
nacoran
849 posts
Jan 21, 2010
4:26 PM
|
Aussie- GH was saying we need a database of harp statistics. Nickel content would be another good piece of info (along with what covers and combs and reed plates fit together, recessed or exposed plates, and other data like that.)
|
Aussiesucker
510 posts
Jan 21, 2010
5:02 PM
|
nacoran> I agree.
I do not know how much cooperation you will get from the manufacturers to disclose such things regarding nickel?
Would imagine that manufacturers who still produce Harmonicas that contain nickel in direct contact with the skin could be leaving themselves wide open to litigation were it not disclosed.
I suspect that many of the pre war Marine Bands that the enthusiasts rave about could be loaded with nickel? It probably has some great properties that add to the sound ?
Not everyone suffers the allergy ie ca 10% which is a fair slice of the population. It's not dangerous/ life threatening ie just horrible. It can take years of gradual build up to acquire the allergy and once you have it there is no cure other than to not have contact.
I read that nickel is a product that is also used in replacement body parts ie it has properties that make it's use essential. The companies that manufacture such parts have invested heavily in ways to enclose & prevent the nickel from leaching out.
Really I can only confirm my own experiences and the research I have done on the net + the correspondence I have had from one manufacturer. Manufacturers need to come forward to confirm or deny.
I read on a retail site that the Suzuki Manji has nickel reed plates? This has not been confirmed or denied. The Manji reedplates are in direct contact with the mouth as they are not recessed. Personally I have a Manji, have played it a little, and have not yet experienced a problem. I am however cautious & would like some confirmation ie does it contain nickel and is it likely to cause any problems to allergy sufferers?
|
Zirus Blackheart
2 posts
Jan 21, 2010
7:08 PM
|
Oh wow this forums busy! excellent :-D
Thx for imense amount of replys, i'll start with which harmonicas I have which is the Hohner Blues harmonica set of 7 diatonics with BluesBand engraved on each cover, plastic combs and the plates are chrome if im right :-)
I do get chapped lips if I pla alot, but thats jsut from the friction I would say and no biggy really, just lick the plates as
nacoran said although one thing I did try was covering my lips in lypsil which worked superbly, the harmonica slid so well and played really nice too but I really wouldn't reccomend it as it leaves the oil/lypsil in the holes and wayer won't remove it so its ear cleaner and soap time heh, won;t be doing it again in a hurry which is a shame. Is there anything out there like that that ya can cover the plates in which turns them to silk? ala that Fret Fast stuff for the neck of ya guitar.
barbequebob, cheers for that, there is a lil build up in the gap between where the plate ends and the comb ends so i'l pick up some alcohol tommorow from the chemist and see if that helps :-)
nacoran what you said about your lips getting chapped and after time, and use of the harmonica ya lips stopped getting chapped if im correct? Perhaps this is a similar situation to ya finger tips hurting like crazy when you first start playing the guitar and then ya fingers build up calluses?
harpcrab, what you say about cold sores being on the lips and the yeast infection angular chelitis being at the sides and doubly that it would be caused by the moisture build on the harmonica causing would mean it would keep comming back/not going fully if ya keep playng as mine is.
The only thing against that perhaps is that i've had this b4 from the cold and pushbikes, maybe that was the moisture too since ya breath makes ya lips wet when ya in the cold n riding. Who knows but i'll ask my doc about it i think coz if it aint a cold sore then I don't have to worry bout licking the rose of a girl shall i say hehehe :-)
Aussiesucker, im pretty sure its nothing to do with nikle since i've had them b4 and my combs are plastic and as you said, Hohner havn't had nikle in 10 years on the harmonicas :-)
Thx again guys, i'm glad ive found such an active harmonica forum and one that doesn't require a membership :-)
I'll try giving it another good clean, get some isoporopyl alcohol too for cleaning :-)
Take it eas :-)
----------
Sign:- - Z -
All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet.
|
nacoran
852 posts
Jan 21, 2010
7:09 PM
|
I think the pre-wars may have lead.
http://www.harp-l.org/pipermail/harp-l/2007-June/msg00679.html
|
Zirus Blackheart
3 posts
Jan 21, 2010
7:11 PM
|
Oh yeah and Stickman, the subscribe I mean would be something ya click when you make a post of click on a thread ya wanna keep an eye on and the best ones only send 1 email when thers a new reply, not an email ever single damned time theres a reply. I'm with you on the spam annoyances hehe Facebooks awefull for it heheh
----------
Sign:- - Z -
All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet.
|
Zirus Blackheart
4 posts
Jan 21, 2010
7:15 PM
|
hahah bloody hell lead lol, that stuff makes you dumb
----------
Sign:- - Z -
All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet.
|
Greg Heumann
236 posts
Jan 21, 2010
8:15 PM
|
@harpcrab: "The ulcers- pretty much palliative treatment only(make it feel better). Treat it and it goes away in about a week, don't treat it and it goes away in about 7 days. "
Yeah, this is what I was told too. I believed it for way too long. BUT IT IS NOT TRUE.
Read my post on Lysine. you don't have to take my word on it. Google "lysine and canker sores" and you'll find lots of scientific support for my assertion. Lysine will PREVENT a sore from erupting AT ALL if you catch it soon enough. A really minor sore will heal in a day or two. AND they won't spread.
----------
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
BlueState - my band
Bluestate on iTunes
|
blogward
70 posts
Jan 22, 2010
11:29 AM
|
Coldsores often appear when your immune system is under stress, (eg colds, drinking, smoking, other stuff) and playing the harp is a good way to infect and spread the sore as well: because a lot of bacteria is carried on your hands, which harp players obviously keep close to their faces all the time.
So wash your hands thoroughly before playing. If you start to feel a cold sore coming on, holding some ice to the spot - five minutes on, five off - can often nip it in the bud.
|
NiteCrawler .
18 posts
Jan 22, 2010
1:31 PM
|
Another prescribed pill for cold sores is valtrex and a great over the counter topical ointment is Abreva which can be bought at many stores for around $15.I have found it to work just as good as prescribed ointments that if you don,t have a script plan can set you back about 4 times that amount for a tube about the size of a mini harp.
|
Pro Se
2 posts
Apr 09, 2017
3:05 PM
|
Try Lipsanna. 100% and its a tablet so it can treat inside and outside the mouth unlike topicals. Also unlike topicals it doesn't call attention to cold sores on your lips!
www.lipsanna.com
|
jbone
2279 posts
Apr 09, 2017
7:38 PM
|
I know when I began playing around with harps many years ago, I would press the harp into my lips very hard. As I slid the harp back and forth I would chew the corner of my mouth- usually the right corner- with the cover or reed plate edge. At the time my harp of choice was Marine Band and this was mid 70's. I think that either the cover plate or the reed plate had a sharp or hard edge which actually cut the corner of my mouth where upper and lower lips meet. Either that or the pearwood comb got deformed from saliva and rinsing. Then harp was many years old.
You may want to consider how hard you hold your harp in your mouth.
----------
Reverbnation
Facebook
Youtube
|
indigo
347 posts
Apr 09, 2017
9:31 PM
|
Zirus must of got his recommended cures in 2010 and then disappeared of the list...8^)
Last Edited by indigo on Apr 09, 2017 9:31 PM
|
SuperBee
4613 posts
Apr 09, 2017
10:17 PM
|
The thread that keeps on giving
|
