Cold Sore Symptoms

Cold sores around your mouth are usually the result of the herpes type 1 virus which affects more than half of adults over the age of 20. This highly contagious virus can lie dormant for several months, but stress, fatigue or prolonged sun exposure can trigger the outbreak of a single or multiple inflamed, fluid-filled sores. These cold sores, also known as fever blisters, present several key symptoms and last approximately fourteen days.

Podrome

• During a period known as the podrome, you will experience a tender, itching sensation on your skin approximately two days before the physical appearance of the cold sore. Anyone with herpes type 1 knows this uncomfortable feeling beneath the skin indicates the location of a future blister.

Emergence

• As the cold sore cycle progresses, you will notice a small, inflamed lesion appearing on your lip. The red patch will be tender and you should avoid touching it with your fingers. Touching the lesion and then touching your eye area, for example, can cause corneal herpes, which is the leading cause of blindness in the United States.

Pussing

• Your cold sore will continue to swell until a pocket of white puss presents on top of the lesion. The fluid pocket will eventually break and ooze on its own, signaling the near-completion of the cold sore cycle. The breaking and oozing of a cold sore is painful. Attempting to scrape or pop the blister will cause aggravation and possible bacterial infection. Over-the-counter medications and prescriptions can ease this discomfort.

Healing

• An oozing cold sore gives way to a crust-like surface that eventually hardens and flakes off without scarring. Repeated outbreaks in a particular spot can cause nerve sensitivity, but your skin should otherwise appear normal. Even after a herpes sore is no longer visible, the virus continues to be highly contagious for several weeks. Sharing straws and lip balms or kissing are all easy ways to transmit this viral infection.