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Symptoms of Fever Blisters

Fever blisters begin with a tingling in the lip. The cluster of blisters that ensue usually appear near the corner of the mouth. Fever blisters will develop a yellow scab and clear up in about a week. Fever blisters seldom go away permanently after one outbreak. The virus lives in a nerve in the jaw and recurs when triggered by stress or illness.

  1. Description

    • Fever blisters are a form of oral herpes, usually herpes simplex 1, though about 5% of people with fever blisters have herpes simplex 2, which is related to genital herpes. There are an estimated 100 million fever blister outbreaks in the United States and up to 80% of adults and children have at least one fever blister outbreak in their lives.

    History

    • Fever blisters have been around for centuries. During an epidemic in ancient Rome Emperor Tiberius banned kissing at public ceremonies in an attempt to control the blisters.

    Recurrent Symptoms

    • Fever blister symptoms do not begin immediately--there is an incubation period of 1 to 26 days. Most people have visible symptoms in 6 to 8 days after incubation. The most obvious symptom are the blisters at the corner of the mouth or around the mouth. At the site of the fever blister, there will be pain and tingling. The tingling often signals the blister is about to appear.

    Additional Symptoms

    • Other symptoms can accompany fever blisters or warn you they are coming. An elevated temperature--that is, a fever--is not uncommon during a fever blister outbreak. Swollen lymph glands can also accompany fever blisters and these may cause a sore throat and make it difficult to swallow. The virus that causes the fever blister may also have an effect on the entire body, causing general body aches.

    Prevention/Solution

    • When fever blisters are present, they are highly contagious. A person with blisters should avoid or touching kissing others as they are spread by skin-to-skin contact. You must also avoid touching the blister yourself so as not to spread the virus to other parts of your body.

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