| Cold sores, also called fever blisters, are small wounds that appear on the lips or around the mouth. These sores seemingly appear at random and can be both painful and embarrassing. The reality is that the herpes simplex virus (HSV) causes cold sores. Most people find the connection between herpes and cold sores to be very alarming, but it is not. There are two types of herpes simplex virus, HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV-1 usually causes cold sores and is found in most people. HSV-2 usually causes genital herpes and is much more rare. Sometimes HSV-2 does cause mouth herpes and HSV-1 can cause genital herpes, but it is uncommon and not seen very often. The HSV-1 virus is usually transmitted through contact with a contaminated fluid such as kissing, or it can spread through sneezing, coughing, or touching a cold sore. The HSV-1 virus is often spread from parent to child when the child comes in contact with an item that a parent with a cold sore has touched or used. The first time a person is infected with the HSV-1 virus is called the primary herpetic stomatitis and usually does not result in a cold sore. The virus can lie dormant for many years. Most people come into contact with the HSV-1 virus by the time they are five years old but do not get their first cold sore until after puberty. Cold sores usually go away on their own over the course of a week to ten days. They do not leave scars and often do not recur for many years. The cold sores often burst open after a few days and expel a clear fluid before drying up and disappearing. For some people, cold sores are too painful or embarrassing to be left alone to simply disappear independently. For these people, there are OTC and prescription medicines to speed up the healing process. Cold sores are a painful nuisance that nearly everyone experiences. There is no prevention for cold sores, but there are many treatments available to make the experience as easy as possible. Previous Article | Next Article If you enjoyed reading "What Exactly is a Cold Sore?", you may also be interested in the rest of the articles in our comprehensive series on: Cold Sores Or, browse our master article archive for a listing of all main topics. We would like to thank the researchers, authors and contributors of What Exactly is a Cold Sore?. Here is some more information and links that may also help you in the exploration of the topic "Cold Sores": Cold Sores provides detailed information on Cold Sores, Cause of Cold Sores, Are Cold Sores Contagious?, Cold Sore Treatment and more. Cold Sores is affiliated with Infant Constipation. |