Cold Sore

Most of us had a cold sore at least once throughout our lives, and this is a simple condition that often wears off rapidly despite its annoying and painful symptoms.

Cold sore

Cold sores (fever blisters) are small, fluid-filled bumps or blisters that usually appear on the lips or the skin around the mouth. These blisters often group together to form a patch.

Causes of cold sore

• Cold sores result from getting infected with the herpes simplex virus, and fever blisters are considered a symptom of this virus.
• The cold sores appear when the virus is activated in the body, and that usually occurs due to specific triggers, such as stress, traumas on the area, hormonal changes, infections, fever, tiredness, and others.
• A cold sore is contagious from the moment the patient starts feeling its symptoms until it’s completely healed.

Symptoms of cold sore

A cold sore usually appears in stages:

• Itching, tingling, and burning in the place that the blister will appear in, and usually these symptoms last for a day or two.
• The blisters or bumps appear in the second day, which are filled with fluid and are hard and painful. They last for two or three days, then a crust forms and lasts for 6-14 days.
• The crust falls after 6-14 days, depending on the case, and the cold sore starts to heal.

Cold sores might be accompanied by other symptoms if you have the virus for the first time, such as fever, sore throat, headache, pain in the gums, and swollen lymph nodes.

Diagnosis of cold sore

Cold sores are diagnosed by a physical examination and asking the patient about other symptoms.

Treatment of cold sore

• In most cases, cold sores wear off alone without a treatment.
• Some cases might require a treatment, which includes antiviral creams and, in some severe cases, oral antivirals.
• It’s possible to prevent cold sores by avoiding sick people and frequently washing your hands.