top of page
Cold Sores

Cold Sores

A cold sore, also called a fever blister, is a small, fluid-filled sore that forms inside the mouth or on the lips, gums, nose, chin, or cheeks. Cold sores can spread to other parts of the body, such as the eyes, fingers, or genitals. Cold sores can spread from person to person (are contagious) until the sores crust over completely. Most cold sores go away within 2 weeks.

Causes

Cold sores are caused by an infection from a common type of herpes simplex virus (HSV-1). HSV-1 is closely related to the HSV-2 virus, which is the virus that causes genital herpes, but these viruses are not the same. Once a person is infected with HSV-1, the virus remains permanently in the body. HSV-1 is spread from person to person through close contact, such as through kissing, touching the affected area, or sharing personal items such as lip balm, razors, a drinking glass, or eating utensils.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of a cold sore outbreak go through different stages. These are the stages of a cold sore:

  • Tingling, itching, or burning is felt 1-2 days before the outbreak.

  • Fluid-filled blisters appear on the lips, inside the mouth, on the nose, or on the cheeks.

  • The blisters start to ooze clear fluid.

  • The blisters dry up, and a yellow crust appears in their place.

  • The crust falls off.

In some cases, other symptoms can develop during a cold sore outbreak. These can include:

  • Fever.

  • Sore throat.

  • Headache.

  • Muscle aches.

  • Swollen neck glands.

How is this treated?

There is no cure for cold sores or HSV-1. There is also no vaccine for HSV-1. Most cold sores go away on their own without treatment within 2 weeks. Medicines cannot make the infection go away, but your health care provider may prescribe medicines to:

  • Help relieve some of the pain associated with the sores.

  • Work to stop the virus from multiplying.

  • Shorten healing time.

Medicines may be in the form of creams, gels, pills, or a shot.

White Logo
bottom of page