What is a cold sore?
Cold sores, or fever blisters, are small lesions that usually appear on the lips, or on the surrounding skin. These lesions first form as clusters of tiny blisters filled with fluid. They burst, crust over and can last from 6 to 10 days. Cold sores are painful to touch and can make you feel very selfconscious and interfere with your everyday activities. They may make you feel embarrassed, since they are unattractive and can be easily spread. There is no cure for cold sores, but they can be treated and now, for the first time, PREVENTED.
It can also occur in other places, such as cheek, chin or finger tips. Rarely does a cold sore appear inside the mouth. If it does, it will occur on the roof of the mouth or gums. Cold sores are sometimes confused with canker sores. Canker sores only occur inside the mouth. Cold sores are caused by a virus and are quite contagious. Canker sores are more of an allergy sore – painful but not contagious. • What is the Cold Sore Virus?- The virus that causes cold sores is the herpes simplex virus – either type 1 or type 2. Most commonly, cold sores are caused by the type 1 herpes virus. Both types, however, can cause sores anywhere on the body. Cold sores are the end result of the herpes virus replication procedure. The virus enters your surface nerve cells and, in the process of creating new virus, will destroy the cell. It is millions of these destroyed cells that form the painful and weeping open sore. (More info about What Is The Cold Sore Virus ) • What Symptoms Might You Expect from
Unlike brothers-in-law, cold sores are not irritants brought on by marriage but are small, painful infections that attack skin and nerves, look like chicken pox, and are caused by the herpes simplex virus. They can appear on various parts of your body but usually show up on the lips and, less commonly, on the nose. They start invisibly with a tingling sensation, followed two days later by the red, fluid-filled pustules that we call cold sores or fever blisters or, simply, “those disgusting looking things.” And there they sit, painful to the touch, for a week to 10 days. Unlike canker sores, with which they are often confused, they seldom appear inside the mouth. During that 7-to-10-day period, the blisters break, ooze, and form a yellow crust. They thus get even uglier. The scabs then fall off, and the skin heals without scarring. During that period, the sores are communicable through direct contact with others (or with yourself) or through an intermediary like a towel or razor. So, if
A cold sore is a small blister that is reddish or purple. They are usually on the outer edge of the lip, on just one side. Cold sores can appear one at a time or in little bunches, and they are sometimes filled with fluid. They usually crust over and form a scab before they go away. They last a week or 2 and usually don’t require any special treatment. Although they’re called cold sores, you don’t need to have a cold to get one. Some people call them fever blisters, but you don’t have to have a fever to have one, either. (Cold sores aren’t the same as canker sores, which are small white sores that are always found inside the mouth.
