Cold sores may impact your memory.

As if having a cold sore isn’t bad enough, some researchers believe that the virus that causes them can lead to prolonged cognitive damage.

Herpes simplex 1, the sore-producing bane, and a handful of other viral and bacterial infections have been identified as potential causes of memory loss.

A recent study culled over 1600 69-year-old New Yorkers and tested them for infections and cognitive ability.

Comparisons of the data showed that people with high levels of certain infectious agents in their bloodstream often scored lower on mental recall tests than those with lower amounts.

However, the tests also revealed significant similarities in other, non-infection related clusters. Among them were people with limited or no health insurance, those who didn’t exercise regularly, and women.

If additional research confirms recent findings, it could forge new paths in the prevention and cure of certain dementia-related disorders.

A study published by the Alzheimer's Society reported that delaying the onset of dementia by five years could save half of the 60,000 lives claimed annually in the UK as a direct result of the disease.