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What Is a Cold Sore?

Cold sores are caused by a form of the herpes virus and can be particularly contagious in the earliest stages. Most cold sores go away after a week, but once you have one cold sore, you are more likely to develop another one.

  1. Symptoms

    • Cold sores are comprised of raised red blisters that appear on the lip, gums, roof of the mouth, fingers, nostrils or chin. A few days before a cold sore appears, you may notice a tingling feeling on the area where the cold sore will appear. After the cold sore breaks open, a crust forms over it, which eventually fades away. Cold sores usually disappear in about 7 to 10 days.

    A Different Kind of Herpes

    • Herpes simplex virus 2 is the virus that causes genital herpes. Cold sores are caused by herpes simplex virus 1, a completely different strain of the disease. In both types of the disease, the virus does not leave your body after the blisters disappear. Instead, the herpes virus lies dormant and usually reappears around the same site some time in the future.

    Risk Factors

    • Cold sores can be passed by sharing items such as towels, lipstick, lip balm and silverware and by kissing or skin-to-skin contact with another person. You can even infect your finger or another part of your body if you touch your cold sore and then touch yourself. Cold sores are most contagious from the time the blister appears until the cold sore crusts over. If the herpes virus reaches the eyes, it can be particularly dangerous. To prevent reinfecting yourself, it is important to wash your hands frequently. After you've had one cold sore, new sores can appear if you are under stress, have been exposed to the sun, experienced immune system changes or injury to the skin, or had an illness.

    Treatment

    • Over-the counter medications that contain benzocaine, tetracaine, dibucaine or lidocaine can temporarily ease pain, as can acetaminophen, aspirin and ibuprofen. Cold or warm compresses may also help with the pain. Your doctor can prescribe topical ointments, such as acyclovir or penciclovir, that work by decreasing pain and reducing healing time by approximately half a day. If you have frequent outbreaks, your doctor may prescribe oral anti-viral medications that are taken when you first notice tingling. These medications shorten the duration of the outbreak.

    Warning

    • Touching your finger to your eye when you have a cold sore can lead to scarring of the cornea and even blindness. According to the National Eye Institute, approximately 400,000 people in the United States develop ocular herpes each year. If you have a cold sore and experience any eye discomfort, see your doctor immediately. If you have a cold sore, you should stay away from people whose immune systems are compromised, such as those with AIDS, cancer or organ transplant patients, babies and people who have eczema. These people may develop a particularly severe infection if they are exposed to the herpes virus.

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