What Exactly Is A Cold Sore?

Herpes labialis is the correct medical term for the condition otherwise commonly referred to as cold sores or fever blisters. Although the name suggests the virus is related to colds this is a popular misconception. Cold sores have nothing to do with the common cold.

Although there are types of mouth sores that are related to colds, these are generally canker sores and occur inside the mouth only. The correlation between cold sores and colds is that you are more susceptible to cold sores when you are rundown, such as when you have a cold.

Cold sores are in fact caused by an infection of the lip by the herpes simplex virus. There are two strands of the herpes virus, HSV-1 and HSV-2. Although both strands have the ability to cause cold sores around the mouth, the majority of these cases will have been caused by HSV-1. The herpes virus is highly contagious and can be passed by direct or indirect contact with someone who is infected and displaying symptoms.

This means things like kissing, sharing drinks, or even sharing towels and washcloths with someone that is infected could cause you to become infected too. Although cold sores dry up and go away, the herpes virus stays in the body and is not something that can be cured. Therefore, once you have had a cold sore, it is very likely you continue getting them throughout your life and often in the same spot as before.

Symptoms and Treatment

Generally the symptoms associated with this virus are small blisters or sores on or around the mouth area, including the nostril. These symptoms typically begin with a tingling or itching sensation around the lip and also there can be a reddening of the skin on this area too. These sores can then manifest into blisters that can possibly be filled with fluid. These sores will crust over and form a scab before going away and this process usually takes a week or two.

Although cold sores will heal up naturally on their own and do not generally require any special treatment, their healing process can be speed up or discomfort can be relieved. If you are feeling very irritated by the itchiness, holding ice wrapped in a cloth on the sore can help. In some cases the pain is quite intense and ibuprofen is often prescribed for this.