Cold Sores: Symptoms And Transmission

By Jay Cartera

Another name for cold sores is fever blisters and they can erupt inside the mouth or on the face. These little sores look like blisters and they can itch, burn or cause pain before they burst and then scab over. Cold sores can occur on the lips, cheeks, in the nostrils, chin and less frequently on the gums or palate.

Cold sores are more commonly caused by herpes simplex type 1 virus (HSV-1).

Transmission

As herpes simplex virus is very contagious and can be easily transmitted from close contact between two people, cold sores too are contagious. Just because you have contracted the herpes simplex virus, you may not immediately get cold sores. This virus can lay dormant or inactive in the body for quite a long time.

It is some trigger that activates the virus which in turn leads to a cold sore outbreak. It is not possible to pinpoint a trigger for cold sores as it varies amongst people. Many people will have a couple of outbreaks of cold sores in a year but others may only be affected once.

Dormant virus

Some people who are carrying the herpes simplex virus in their bodies will never get cold sores because the virus is lying dormant. However, there is no need to worry about cold sores as they are pretty common.

There is no way to prevent cold sores or to cure them but what you can do when you discover what triggers them in you, is to avoid this trigger to reduce the number of outbreaks.

Many people will mistake cold sores for canker sores. A canker sore is a small ulcer found in the soft tissue of the mouth.

However cold sores do not appear in the mouth's soft tissue. Another name for canker sores is aphthous ulcers and they are quite painful.

When or if you get an outbreak, it will probably be at the worst possible time. You do not deserve these viral attacks and you don't have to put up with them anymore. Check out a cold sore treatment plan designed to give you lifetime freedom from these invaders.