![So much for lipstick! [CREDIT: CDC]](http://scienceline.org/_s/files/2006/09/cold-sore-crop.JPG)
ask scienceline | health
Is it true that having cold sores means you’ve got herpes in your mouth?
–asks Anonymous from Horseshoe Beach, Florida.
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Well, yes, that is true. But it’s not necessarily the same herpes that causes problems in one’s nether regions.
Cold sores, or fever blisters, are fluid-filled blisters that appear on or around the lips and sometimes on the nostrils or chin. They’re different from canker sores, which are ulcers that occur in the soft tissue inside the mouth.
The culprit responsible for cold sores is the herpes simplex virus, which comes in two flavors. Garden variety cold sores are usually caused by type 1, while type 2 is commonly the villain behind genital sores. But either strain can lead to sores on the face or on the genitals. Over 85 percent of adults are infected with herpes simplex type 1, although they may not show any symptoms at first exposure.
The herpes simplex virus that causes herpes labialis (that’s the medical name for cold sores) is a sneaky sucker. It infects by entering through skin or mucous-coated surfaces and sets up house in your nerve cells. It’s a latent virus, meaning once it’s infected you, it remains dormant between outbreaks.
The life of a cold sore involves several stages. Warning signs that one is about to raise its blistery head include itching, tingling, and burning. Then the blister appears, starting small and often growing to a bulbous mass. After a few days, the mass breaks and may ooze—this is called the “weeping” stage—after which it scabs over a few times and eventually flakes off to reveal pinkish, healing skin. Generally, cold sores don’t leave scars. On average, lesions last 7-10 days if left untreated.
The bad news is that once you’ve got the cold sore virus, you’re stuck with it. But there are ways to keep it in hibernation longer, and you can also take steps to reduce the amount of time cold sores taint your kisser.
First of all, herpes labialis is most contagious when cold sores are in their weeping stage, so don’t go around sharing utensils, cups, or kisses with someone who has a cold sore. Second, fever, menstruation, stress, and even sun exposure can cause outbreaks, so leading a healthy lifestyle—which includes getting enough sleep and wearing sunscreen—can help.
There are over-the-counter and prescription topical creams and oral medications available that can help reduce the lifespan of a cold sore. Acyclovir is one prescription oral drug that is sometimes used. It works by interfering with viral replication, which happens before a cold sore appears. But viral replication generally occurs before a person shows symptoms, so it’s difficult to judge when acyclovir should be taken. If a cold sore is already present, it may be too late for acyclovir to help, and you’ll just have to ride it out.
Herpes simplex virus type 1 less commonly causes other problems besides cold sores. While it can lead to sores anywhere on the skin, as well as on the eye, in rare cases it can also cause neurological disorders, including encephalitis and Bell’s palsy, a type of facial paralysis. Given these alternatives, a little cold sore doesn’t seem too bad, does it?
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Got a question for us? ASK!
September 23rd, 2006 at 12:38 am
that picture is GROSS. but thank you for teaching me about the secret life of cold sores. i wish i could go dormant sometimes, too. that way i wouldn’t have to do my homework.
p.s. i love that you included the term “nether regions” in this. you rock (monkey).
September 23rd, 2006 at 4:19 pm
I get cold sore ALL THE TIME, and when they happen, hibernation seems QUITE appealing.
September 23rd, 2006 at 4:26 pm
i’m evidently in the 15% of the population that doesn’t have herpes simplex one. me: one. everyone else: zero.
September 23rd, 2006 at 9:30 pm
Wow, beach, you must lead a very sanitary life.
September 23rd, 2006 at 10:32 pm
Herpesvirus is also the culprit behind Mono. Wheeeeee.
October 3rd, 2006 at 3:02 pm
I have been a oral cold sore sufferer for over 50 years. My wife of 10 years never gets even one.
The tendency to have Cold sores seem to be genetic.
October 3rd, 2006 at 5:27 pm
I wonder if it is possible for some people to not get cold sores, but to carry HS1? Perhaps they just never house the right conditions for the virus to kick into its cycle - a situation which might be influenced, but not limited to, a person’s genetics.
October 3rd, 2006 at 6:08 pm
wait my friend gets cold sores and she got them before she ever kissed a guy…does that mean she got it from “sharing utensils, cups, or kisses with someone who has a cold sore”? interesting.
October 3rd, 2006 at 7:43 pm
herpes has nothing to do with mono.
epstein-barr virus is that nasty beast.
October 3rd, 2006 at 8:44 pm
Two viruses can cause mono: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV). Both viruses are in the herpes family, whose other members include viruses responsible for cold sores and chickenpox.
October 4th, 2006 at 9:42 am
Chicken pox is also a herpes virus as is shingles - although they are not herpes simplex but herpes zoster I believe
October 4th, 2006 at 10:29 am
Erin: Yes it’s possible to carry HS1 and not get cold sores - I do! Diagnosed with it in a check up 3 years ago and never had a cold sore - before or after. If I didn’t have a copy of the lab results I wouldn’t believe it. So yeah there’s probably a bunch of people out there that have no idea, and won’t have the painful breakouts.
October 5th, 2006 at 5:02 pm
do you smarties know if “shingles” (not on your roof)on the body are also from the same herpes virus?
January 31st, 2007 at 12:46 pm
fizzle izzle…: You don’t have to kiss someone on the mouth to get cold sores. Your friend could have contracted the virus when someone kissed her on the face when she was a baby.
I get cold sores occasionally and the quickest way that I’ve found to get rid of them is to use regular old “Desitin”. If I put a little glob of it on the night that a cold sore starts to rear it’s ugly red head, it’s usually gone by the morning. Desitin has Zink and cod liver oil in it which are two powerhouse healing agents. The cream dries the sore and heals it at the same time (That’s why it’s so effective on diaper rash and it also works great for heat rash).
February 11th, 2007 at 1:37 am
i found that abreva is very good but you have to catch it befoure it blisters and wash it and keep doing that till it doesint bother you andy more but its enberising how many people get them how are you saposed to get a girlfriand i mean i dont whatn to give a girl cold sores????any advice???
February 14th, 2007 at 6:55 am
I suffered for years with cold sores until I started taking Valtrex. Whenever I feelone coming I take 2ea 1 gm Valtrex 12 hours apart, total of 4 pills and I have never had one again in the past 5 years, it works!
March 17th, 2007 at 1:39 am
what happens if u kiss a person with cold sores? does this mean you automatically get it?
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Cheers for the report dude,
I had about 3-4 cold saw’s in the past. The last one I had was different tho.
I woke up after a heavy night drinking and could feel my lips were saw and I had the tinkel of a cold saw comming on.
It turned out on the top of my lip. I had to work for the next few days (I work in a chilled enviroment). My lips were saw from the chilled air and I treated it with cream. It blistered and burst but then got affected. It scapped for longer then unusal and when it finally come of it left a small scar. It’s a small cluster of blisters which are have a different colour to my lips. Its never blister since but the colour differnece has stayed.
Does anyone know if this means I am more likely to pass on the virus? It looks like a small circular scar.
March 24th, 2007 at 5:11 am
i just recently contracted the cold sore virus because my roomie was stealing my TOOTHBRUSH (life isn’t fair sometimes…she had it and gave it to me). i hate it. i’m 21 years old and in college…it’s so…hindering. when they break out i just want to hide. i’m a very social girl, and pretty damned attractive; but going out to the bars in this east coast city is a NO GO when i have a cold sore.
i get them BAD. once in a while they’re small. but some are HUGE lesions of scabbed skin on my lips :(
my question is this…my friend’s mother advised me that breakouts will be more frequent soon after contracting it, but that they will die down significantly in the months and years to come. any truth to this?
March 28th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
I’ve had cold sore when I was a child, never pay too much attention to them. In my early part of my adult life, I’ve not had them again for about 4 years. But suddenly one day, it showed up again, and I poped it because I though it was acne (after 4 years cold sore free, I hardly remember what a cold sore looks like). Then it spreaded to more area. That year I had a total 9+ outbreak, on average once per month and lasted 2 weeks each time. I found Abreva to be a only OTC oitment that worked. The following year, same thing happened again for a few months, so I took acyclovir, and I went outbreak free for about half a year. Then I cough it again from sharing communion cup, so on my third year of consistent outbreak, I was put on Valtrex for suppressive therapy. Cold Sore is like allergies, you may experience more frequent at certain stage of life, and you may also be free of outbreak for years or decades. My boyfriend had cold sore when he was a kid, but he has not have cold sore for more than 15 years, even when I have mine; which made me jealous.
March 31st, 2007 at 5:30 pm
My girl and I both get cold sores once or twice a year. What I am wondering is if I have an active cold sore can I cause her to have an outbreak by kissing her or since she already has the virus is this okay? Does an outbreak cause an outbreak in the other person?
April 5th, 2007 at 5:53 am
I had a fever of 104.2 on Monday and on Wednesday woke up with a cold sore. Now I six. YES, SIX. My doctor gave me pills called Famvir. He says to take three at once instead of one for three days. Also, I use a cream called Denavir. I have gotten these godforsaken things since I am 5 or 6. I usually can keep them in check with the cream. This time they are out of control. I guess the virus (from the fever) needs to run its course and this is how it did. Anyone know this to be true?
April 5th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
Wow, YEAHTHEYSUCK. That sounds absolutely brutal. I can imagine how horrible you feel. I use Denavir when I get cold sores, too. That stuff is amazing–they shrivel up within days, almost as if they’re being killed from the inside out. I would imagine that your fever did somehow spur the virus to enter explosive mode. Probably something to do with your antibodies and such trying to fight other infection in your body, leaving the cold sore virus unchecked. Just a theory, though. Stay tough!
April 16th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
I have gotten cold sores ever since I was a child (around 7 or 8, I think), but I used to only get them once every couple of years. Recently though, I discovered Abreva, which really does shorten the life of a cold sore if you use it soon enough. However, since using Abreva the first time, my outbreaks are MUCH more frequent: around 3 or 4 times a year. I don’t know if there is something about Abreva that interrupts the healing cycle, thus leading to more frequent outbreaks or what.
May 1st, 2007 at 9:34 pm
Well i get cold sores alot and i hate them soo much. I just started using abreva but i dont know if i should keep using it even if the blister has opened. I usually use carmex and it seems to work really well.
May 3rd, 2007 at 11:38 pm
hi!
I suffer from cold sores too, dang it!!! I thought I was the only one!! Glad I found you guys:).. well, I got my first one when I was 16 and then never got any for about 2 years. Now I am in my senior year of high school and got 2 in the past two months! I don’t know if it is because I am stressed or what!! and mine leave small circular scars..it’s really not cool!!!any advice?:)
May 23rd, 2007 at 11:35 am
hey
ive had cold sores forabout 2 years now. but i just realised that is what ive been having. it comes on the side of my chin and is like a clup of tiny wee blisters that itch real bad. i just had a baby 5 weeks ago and am tired as so guess thats wat bort it on :( it sux and i dont wanna give it to my son. i use zovirax and it seems to work way better than leaving to go away on it owns.
June 4th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
I’ve had the cold sore virus since I was 15 (I’m now 27), and I usually get two or three a year -always when I’m very tired and stressed. There are two non-prescription topical ointments that work for me. One is called Lysine, and you can only find it in some health food stores. I’ve only found it through Wild Oats. The other thing I really like is called Zilactin, and that can be found at most drug stores–I think it costs about $15, but it’s worth it. it creates a thin layer over the cold sore which will protect it from getting too wet -from the shower or from drinking something.
The other thing I do–but I probably shouldn’t recommend this - when I first get a blister, I carefully poke it with a safety pin, then blot the fluid from the blister -swab it with a q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol (to dry it out and kill the germs), and then I start using the topical meds on a frequent basis.
To avoid scarring, you’ve got to be careful about letting your scabs wash away too soon when washing your face in the sink or shower. Like any other wound, if it doesn’t have enough time to heal underneath the scab, then you get a scar…
Does anyone know where Denavir and Desitin are available for sale? Or is a prescription required?
June 5th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
hi! im a 15 year old boy and i cant stand cant stand!! cold sores for the past 2 mouths my lower lip has felt like i was getting a cold sore and durring the mouth i have been pushing it and it seemed to go away for a week or two but it being the start of summer an all iv gone to the beach and have been getting a lot of sun and now HAVE a cold sore is there anyway i can stop cold sores in all so they never become active???? email me at soccerben1991 thanks so much or just submit a comment on this page thanks
June 8th, 2007 at 2:42 am
hey Sorey
Desitin is available in a vast majority of stores. Mostly in the baby stuff aisle.
I have never heard of Denavir. I am assuming that it is a prescription.
June 11th, 2007 at 10:02 am
I’ve gotten cold sores since I was about 8 years old, but about 2 years ago I got a variety that seems to cause slightly different symptoms. The burning and itching are not localized the cold sore on my lip…it feels like all the nerves on the right side of my face are burning and itching. It’s maddening!
Since summer two years ago, it always starts the same: first my eyes feel kinda of sore when I blink…then the tingling and burning and itching in the nerves on the right side of my face…the cold sore appears on my lip. But the burning and itching in my face are tormenting for a couple of weeks. I get a little nauseated,too.
Has anyone else experienced this, too?
June 13th, 2007 at 5:11 am
what to do when you catch cold sores too late? like, after the “tingling stage.” i’ve been using abreva but i don’t think it really helps anymore, and it would be SO GREAT if i found something that actually worked no matter WHEN i use it.
June 19th, 2007 at 11:22 pm
I have just recently discovered that i have a cold sore…it really sucks and i do not remember ever having it. my mom gets them all the time but started getting them when she was real young. This is my first.at the age of 19 why am i getting it now? is it genetic? why cant i kiss my boyfriend?
July 18th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
Hi guys, I’m glad I found you! I was just recently diagnosed with Herpes-1, and I’m 21! I was in a trial where I had to get tested for ALL STIs and I was all negative then, so I’m pretty pissed that I suddenly developed it now, while in college!
Anyway, my outbreak is, unfortunately, real bad, so I’ve been in hibernation for almost a week now. I’ve even had to hide from my brother and dad because it’s so embarassing-looking! And my poor mom has freaked out, so I feel pretty alone. My doctor(s) have prescribed 10 days-worth of Valtrex to hopefully get rid of the symptoms. However, for the future, do you guys recommend that I keep a stash of Valtrex if I feel an outbreak coming on? Thanks!
Sarah
July 22nd, 2007 at 11:05 am
Ive been having outbreaks for around a year now and i always get them around or on my lower lip.
i find that i do not notice the tingly stage and i just feel a small bump, within 24 hours this has grown into the real deal, a large yellow spot on my lip. i also find other symptoms are that my gum swells in places, and i get irregular small lumps on the inside of my mouth, does anyonebody else experience this?
August 24th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
im a 21 year old male and 3 days ago i got this random sore on the outside of the corner of my mouth. i went to the doc and he said its most likely nothing to worry about. the next day i had about three more bumps on my left cheek and all of the lympfnoids and glands on my neck were swollen and very sore. anyone else get this from simplex 1? i still dont know if this is actually herpes or not but its freaking me out and apparently the blood test i made my doc take often has many false positives so i dont even know how to tell for sure if i have it!
if anyone has any information that would be helpful please leave a comment. thanks
August 28th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
I get cold sores at leaset twice a year since i can remember. I have got it down to a science. Nothing ever works, I have tried everything. Valtrex, Famvir, Abreva… Once you get the itchy feeling there is no stopping it all you can really do is damage controll. I have found that as soon as it bubbles you have to pop it with a sanitary pin. Then its like any other scab but just in the worst spot of all time. I try to dry it out as soon as possible. Desitin works Toothpaste works, rubbing alcohol, peroxide. I take atleast 4 showers a day to clean the sore then dry it out. the sore will get smaller and smaller the faster it scabs over and over. Stress, Sun burns, a cut from shaving, braces, any thing can bring them on. I even had a doctor tell me that penut butter and ceral can bring them out. The number one thing that brings them on is stress and a close number 2 is the sun. So always put suncreen on and around your lips and try to lead a stress free life. I wouldnt wish cold sores on my worst enemy and would pay anymount of money to never again have an outbreak.
August 29th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
hey there
I was wondering what they actually look like. Most places have said that they are red backgrounds with white blisters in the center. I have a cut (or possibly a cold sore) on my lip and it doesn’t really look like any of the pictures I have seen but I am really paranoid (and I am a hypochondriac) and I was just wondering if anyone else had any other variations on this. The whole side of my lip has been on fire for about three days and there is a cut, maybe because I am rubbing the area. I don’t know. Let me know. Help!
September 5th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
I have had this cold sore stuff since I was 17, I dont know how I got it. It sucks, my first outbreak I had like 20 cold sores all over my lips and inside of mouth. From then I have like 5-6 breakouts a year. I have tried everything not to get them and it always happens at the wrong time. I use denavir cream which is a prescription. I have tried popping them sometimes it works and other times it worst, my lip gets inflamed and i end up with a puffy lip.
Any recommendations on how to reduce it? Stress i know is a main cause, but who doesnt have stress.
September 9th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
I kissed a girl with a cold sore out break, does this mean i’m going to get cold sores?
September 14th, 2007 at 10:33 am
Ok I just found out that I carry th cold sore virus in my blood. I have never had a cold sore, but my father and grandmother have them..So i guess its in my DNA. My question is when I get bug bites they tend to stay scab up and leave scars does this have anything to do with the cold sore virus being in my blood? I am also prone to infitigo..sp? Any clues anyone?
October 4th, 2007 at 11:29 am
Yup… it sucks. I either get canker sores, cold sores, or styes. I hate them all! Right now I’m stuck with a fat ass cold sore on my bottom lip. I wish there was a way to kill off this virus for good.
October 15th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
I’ve never gotten a cold sore nor do I have any type of herpes. But my boyfriend thinks he might have when he was in hs (his mom, a nurse practitioner who therefore knows about medicine, even got him Abreva, cold sore meds) and is pissed that I’m making him get a herpes test. Yes cold sores are more socially acceptable than genital herpes but they’re both types of contagious herpes and one should know if they have them or not.
October 22nd, 2007 at 10:26 pm
I have had cold sores since I was born. I have figured out that when I used Abreva it would take almost two weeks for the cold sore to go away and i seemed to get them more often so i tried L-Lysine Pills and Lysine cream. It is awsome. What I am most scared about is that I am going to give my girlfriend them even though I do not have an outreak. Can anyone tell me what might be the possibility that she could get it even though i did not have an outbreak. Thanks.
November 11th, 2007 at 10:30 am
Wow I Have an cold sore right now and its very anonyin knowing that every time I lick my lips I have this big,wierd,not good feeling thing on my lips…
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:18 pm
I was getting a cold sore, but it was so small and on my face, not my mouth so I thought it was just acne. I went out and kissed a guy I really like- we had sex - and I went “down” on him too. Today I work up with a full blown cold sore. I am really freaking out. I would never want to give any body cold sores ever!!! I feel so bad and do not know what to do. I feel so guilty and horrible. I am a good, nice person and not a slut. I’ve know him for years and really like him. What should I do!!!!!!!!
December 3rd, 2007 at 12:49 pm
To anyone needing help to get rid of cold sores. Your body produces them when the immune system is compromised and you are run down. Cold sores have to have an open cut or sore in order to enter your body even something as simple as chapped lips will give it an opportunity to thrive. But you dont need expensive meds to combat this virus. You wont get cold sores at all if you take the vitamin supplement Lysine on a daily basis. You get them due to a lack of lysine in your diet or system. Just like the dinosaurs on Jurrassic Park being unable to produce it we also need the supplement to stay healthy if we have contracted the cold sore virus. So do what I do and take lysine it works great and if you take it daily you wont get an outbreak. If you feel the tingling sensation coming on double up on it and take 1000 mg or more at once and you can usually stop it in its tracks (if you dont care to take it daily). Good luck. Lysine can be found at most drugstores or supermarkets for around $5 a bottle!
December 5th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
Hey, im thirteen and i get cold saws except i dont get it on the lip or on the chin or on the nose i get it around my eye and my eye goes all red and then it gradually closes and the cold saw covers my eye so i dont get much sleep at night and all nightt i just cry so i dont get to go to school for like a week! i get quite emmbarressed when i go to the shops and people look at me and think that ive been in a punch up! And even the teachers ask if im ok they get suspicious about my perants but they are the best! it just makes me feel so sick the doctor said exactly 10 years ago that it will go away but it just gets worse every year! well i just feel wierd wen i have it! :( thanks 4 listening!
February 18th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
My partner gets coldsores and my ex got coldsores….but I’ve never had one.
I’m a carrier only, so I could snog a whole load of people and not get one :)
I do get ulcers in my mouth but only if I’m really run down - and that’s a sign I have a cold coming on.
February 29th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Well…here I am researching “Cold Sores” and I stumble across you lot.
I just got over a 3 day flu…which involved fever out breaks…and a runny nose, which then led to chapped nostrils from the constant whipping ( No cold sores during the flu)
I’m now all fine from the flue, But then I woke up this morning & felt amazing that I’m now better, and low an behold I had a fat lip every pinching / tingling sensation I am feeling is spreading its way across my lip, its horrible, I HATE IT!
I am currently sitting at my computer with a massive collection of cold sores on my top lip,
I now have cold sores all up my nostril and now on the tip of my bloody nose…I can feel them throbbing.
I look like a freak!
I live in Australia…some of these names you all have mentioned for helping doesn’t seem familiar here, is there any names for creams or meds I can take here.
And also…I clean my cold sores roughly every 3-4 hrs a day and night with “Detol” is that a good idea for a cleaning solution? I feel water and soap just aint enough.
Please some one respond, I’m desperate to get rid of these suckers.
March 5th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
I have just began using finger nail polish and I swear the stuff works. The sores last a day.
March 30th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I just got back from Hawaii and forgot to use SPF on my lips. Of course, here come the cold sores. Luckily, I already had a prescription of Denavir and some Abreva. I’ve been trying them together although I haven’t found any studies that show using them at the same time helps, the pain has subsided after only one day of use and they aren’t getting as puffy as usual. I also like the Camphor lip balm. In any case, I would suggest using SPF on your lips any time you go out into the sun. Wish I had remembered!!
April 8th, 2008 at 6:34 am
l got my first cold sore at 16,since then can get them as often as one a month. A few years ago started to get them in my eye about every 3 or 4 months. i wear contact lenses so it made it worse. They come on really quickly in the eye starts a feeling like a bit of dust in your eye, within 4 hours eye all red can’t open it and pain like having a knife in one eye and out the back of your head! I have to stay in a dark room, lots of pain killers put zovirax eye cream in eye, and this lasts three full days! Last year i nearly lost my eye with this problem..my sight has been damaged due to scarring on my corena, was told i needed a transplant.. not worth the risk of that thou, if i had another cold sore attack would ruin transplant taking. valtrex is the only thing that seems to work but as a single mother of two i cant afford it, and the Dr cant give this this script to me on the PBS as i don’t have fu##ing genital herpies!!!
April 10th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
HERPES IS NOT “GENETIC.” it does not “so happen to be passed down from one generation to the next.” your grandparents and your parents have it, so it’s obvious that you will too, right? WRONG. It is a VIRUS that you CONTRACT from another person. usually, if your mother has it, and kisses you when you’re a baby, that’s how you get it early. or you can get it from sharing food with someone in grade school, or from kissing someone later in life.
the point being, it may be in your genetics to have a higher chance of contracting herpes once you’re exposed to it, but it is definitely something that, if never come in contact with, you will never get.
ALSO, there are different kinds of herpes I. this means that if you have a cold sore, and someone else gets cold sores too, it is still NOT OKAY to share food or kiss. they may have a different type than you, and it would suck to carry around different kinds of viruses that tend to blister at different times. and you wouldn’t want to be a virus warehouse, would you?
so BE CAREFUL. but life is short, and you’ve got to live a little. people carrying it might not even know they have it. so kiss whomever you want while being as careful as you can, and dont worry TOO much about having blisters — 1 in 5 americans get them!!
April 11th, 2008 at 12:56 am
I have the WORST outbreak right now. I’m only 18 but I have been getting them since I was about 6 or 7. But anyway. I got a really bad sunburn (because I didn’t wear sunscreen) I know shame on me. But I broke out all over my lips, my nose, chin, and about the size of a half dollar on my cheek. My Spring Break is SUCKING right now. But my 3 bestfriends came over today and we hung out and watched movies but yea. lol. If u go to the doctor you can get over the conter medicine called: Zovirax…This is the best I have used I have had the fever blisters for only 2 days and it is already healing it.
April 13th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
People, you should try some Calendula’s tincture, it works quite nicely. It doesn’t prevent the cold sores, but it does help to remove them quickly, in only a matter of a day or two.
See on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendula_officinalis
May 16th, 2008 at 7:52 am
i mostly used to get cold sores when i was in my teens , im 32 now and recently on 2 occasions ive noticed a pattern where i was kinda stressed during one weekend and around thursday-friday following that stressful weekend i had developed a cold sore.. i used Zorvirax and this new stuff the Pharmacy girl said is better called Vectavir which helps to heal the sore quicker, which it did, i only had the sore for about 4 days max… but my issue with all of this is when i get these sores which is very rare, the sneaky little virus does its tingling and dancing while im sleeping thus not even giving me a chance to haul out the cream and stop the bugger… so this morning when i woke up the right hand side of my upper lip felt warm and i said “oh crap!” (the mirror copped a few more choice words) and i applied the cream but the virus still went to town on my lip during the day anyway.. i think most of the creams out there are good at healing the “wound” but not stopping the virus from replicating and getting vicious!! ..when i was younger someone told me to hold an ice cube on the warm/tingly area before the outbreak until you cant take it anymore or you run out of ice cubes to stop the virus from replicating and setting up shop. I havnt tried it in recent years but will try if it happens again. …on a positive side.. maybe in one respect (not all cases) the virus is a mechanism for our body to use as a tool tell us we are leading stressful lives ???
May 30th, 2008 at 12:27 am
i just got cold sore’s in and around my right nostril i’m 26 first time i ever got them even tho my parents had them very mildly threw my lifetime[i never notice it but they said they had it befor i was born].
earlier this year in febuary, i got real sick havn’t been sick like this since i was 12 for almost a month straight i couldn’t get out of my bed, i got no type of sores what so ever the time
i was sick but afterwards i been feeling fatigue with headache and slight naussea all the way to now and still feeling it
then like 5 days ago i saw a friend shook hes hand then not thinking picked my nose right nostril area, it was like 2:00 p.m. 6 hours later my nose started to itch didn’t look at it that night but the next morning i saw blisters
i was wondering if the virus can infect and spread that fast or if i could of always had it and it just appeared from bad luck???
im praying to god its not cold sores from herpes but hoping its a staff infection like impetigo or something like that i feel like i have leprosy all because it’s uncurable i feel so desressed about it i don’t know what to do also feel guilty thinking like this
truth is im very scared about it because i live basically a unhealthy lifestyle but i eat good, im an insomniac and work all day in the sun doing construction[plus sometimes get really dirty working] normally very stressed from every day life also get nervous twitches and itch [reason why i scratch/pick my nose that day]
i don’t think i can handle break outs few times a year without mentally breaking down myself i’m just so scared and everyone that i told about it tell me nothing is wrong but i just can’t let it go i protect myself from stuff like this my whole life and thinking a lil slip up by scratching my nose can bring a viruse that will never leave me is making me sick as i type
sorry i’m letting my feeling out like this i just cant help from feeling so lost and empty now
June 11th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
That is a pretty gross photo but great explanation and makes sense! Thanks for the info.
June 17th, 2008 at 2:17 am
ive been getting cold sores ever since i was about 8 years old, i agree… they SUCK majorly!! I get them when i’m stressed out, before or after i’ve been sick, or from the sun. everyday i use HERPECIN L. its a lip protectant/sunscreen. i use it as chapstick and its constantly on my lips when i’m in the sun. its AWESOME. i havent had an outbreak in about a year or so. when i would get one tho, i used CAMPHO-PHENIQUE. its a gel that relieves pain and speeds up the healing process.
hopes this helps someone….
July 10th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Three CONSECUTIVE (literally, one day of completely clear lips between them) cold sores, 1) upper left, 2) right side, 3) right in the middle of the bottom lip. Over a month and a half of continuous cold sores–some days I don’t go to class because its just that bad. Count it.
I want to rip my lips off–im a handsome dude, but this shit just sucks balls.
July 23rd, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Painful, ugly, repulsive. Spent a nice Saturday afternoon at the beach, SPF-ed everything except my lips and oh boy did I pay the price. A cluster of 4/5 in the middle of my bottom lip. I am using Champo-Phenique right now but I am buying Desitin as soon as I’m out of work so I can go home to curl up in a ball and cry.
July 30th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Heyya (:
i frikkn get these things too.
there ruining my life.
when i get one i refuse to leave the house
no school, no partys, no sport.
its the worst thing in the world.
&& i have tried everything imaginable to stop them && to heal them but nothing seems to work.
ARRRRRGGGH
This sucks arseee
!!
x x
August 3rd, 2008 at 8:51 am
I had cold sores since I was a child. Possibly from sharing a utensil cup by someone who was going through an active episode.
Try Lysine treatments and/or BHT. Now my episodes are very few and far between and no where near the severity they once were.
August 14th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
I have never had a cold sore in my life. I think the herpes numbers are blown outta proportion.
Who knows though.
August 20th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I kissed a guy two days ago, just a couple of light kisses. Then a couple hours later he sends me a text message saying he felt guilty for not telling me that he has herp1. (wether i get it or not, im never kissing him again, he should have told me.) but im not running a fever, im a little tired but thats from lack of sleep. But what worries me is that every now and then my lip kind of tingles, but i know im a slight hypocondrac. So im not 100% sure if im immaging it or not. i also have a slightly raw spot on the top of my mouth, but i get that whenever i eat chips or something hard, and i did yesterday. So it might be because of that. Either way im worried…What do you guys think?
August 23rd, 2008 at 3:02 am
Everyone needs to understand that having herpes simplex 1 is normal. Nothing wrong with having it. Its just like having a cold. It is very contagious when there is a cold sore or if its developing. If somebody has herpes simplex 1 but doesn’t have a cold sore, you will not get it. Also you may think you don’t have it because you have never had a cold sore, it is likely that you do have it but it is dormant. The last time I had a cold sore was when I was 9 and I am currently 14 and i have not had a cold sore in 5 years.
September 24th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
Hey everyone!
I know exactly how you all feel! I am 24 years old and had never had a cold sore in my life! I was very foolish and went to a party with a lot of alcohol and kissed a boy who apparently had an old healing wound on his lip. He tells me he told me before we kissed. I don’t remember this. But even if I had been sober I really didn’t understand fully what cold sores were. I know again foolish. But I guess I had never really worried about it. Sure you hear about it in class from others picking on someone about have herps…but I never thought it was the real deal. It is isn’t it?!! I was extremely depressed and mad at myself for allowing something like that to happen. I even took it as far as thinking I was being punished for my actions. Which really I know is not true. But I did deserve punishment. Boy did I get it!! I will NEVER NEVER EVER kiss someone I don’t know well, eat after someone, etc for the rest of my life. Even though I have it now and apparently will carry it forever :( who knows what else you can get by simply drinking a sip out of someones cup! I am sorry that all of you are experiencing this too. If it makes you feel better (which is doubtful, I know) you are not alone. 85% of adults have this virus!!! Wow. I didn’t know diddly about this until I got it. How sad eh? Education is important about STD’s etc. I will remember this. Now I have a partner that I will spend the rest of my life with and I will never be that ‘party girl’ again. Not that I was “slutty” to begin with…just had a good time without fully thinking things through. Its so scary the word forever. But what can ya do huh? So don’t beat yourself up about it friends, it doesn’t make you a bad person, or a “trashy” person, or ugly…or anything else you can think of to put yourself down when you start feeling bad about it!! I am a beautiful, intelligent, kind-hearted, and easy-going woman (no not self-absorbed LoL just confident) and so are you! Man or woman whatever. You just have to get through the outbreaks with your head high!! If hibernating feels better for you (me too, lol) than so be it!! But don’t beat yourself up too much, remember stress is a trigger!! ..who doesn’t stress though huh? Also wear chapstick with a high SPF always. Carry it in your purse, pocket, booksac, car, etc. And if someone gives you crap about it–ignore them. Tell em it must be nice to be so flippin perfect!!! (cause no one is nor ever will be) Now that we have it–educate others..your children, friends, co-workers so that you can do your part. Cause I was the girl who had no clue!! And always protect yourself when having sex or kissing someone (exchanging any fluids really lol) because if we have this on our lips occasionally and are upset just imagine how much worse it could be!! By the way, I am so happy to have come across this site, to see that others can discuss and provide info for those in need is a beautiful thing. All the while no one is being mean or rude…wonderful!! I don’t feel so alone now…even though they say 85% - which is a a lot, when you break out you feel completely alone!! I know. Anyways I know this is waaaaay tooooooo long but I just wanted to share. Sharing is caring–(kinda ironic huh?) :D
Well God Bless and Goodnight.
REMEMBER: You are alllll beautiful & be careful out there…………..
Peace Out!
September 24th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
P.S. Sorry for the minor typos…
OCD (obsessive complusive disorder) made me put this ‘p.s’!!!!! LoL
Great example of the stress that triggers these boogers!! :) Ok-I’m gone now. Goodnight.
October 7th, 2008 at 12:19 am
I have my 2nd cold sore in 6 weeks - stress and right before my period are 2 consistent occurrences. I usually only get one every 6-8 months but lately it’s been worse since my classes & 2 jobs stress me out & I’ve spent a lot of time outside (NASCAR & 2 NFL games) lately without sunscreen. Been getting them since I was 21 - my friend D gave me a kiss when he was on the tail end of a “healing” cold sore and assured me he was not contagious. Ha. That was 15 years ago.
I use Rx Zovirax cream 4-5x a day for a week and Rx Valtrex 2x a day for 10 days. Those are the only remedies that seem to help. Goldenseal & lysine do help as maintenance supplements, but my sores get so vicious, that it does not matter. My upper lip gets bigger than a gumball - looks like someone punched me - and the pain just throbs and radiates across my face. I take 600 mg ibuprofen every 3-4 hours just to cope. The nasty part is when the sore looks like cauliflower then pops & oozes, I have to butter my lip 4x a day with extra Zovirax, covering it with a band-aid and clean it twice a day in the shower. Very annoying.
October 7th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
yay, i dont have it! i guess that makes me special in the 15% range.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Even if you don’t ever have a cold sore, you could still have the virus in its latent stage. No, that doesn’t make you just “a carrier”, this isn’t a genetic disease. You have HSV-1, it just is never active, which is something that could possibly change within your lifetime.
Most people get the virus before the age of ten. How many times do you share drinks, eating utensils, chapstick, or lip gloss at that age? A ton, because that “ew germs” thing hasn’t quite been ingrained yet.
October 15th, 2008 at 12:57 am
My girlfriend of a year just broke up with me because she is terrified of getting cold sores. we were great together, she just couldn’t stop worrying. life sucks.
October 20th, 2008 at 1:08 am
have had cold sores since i was about 6 months old honestly i thought it was possible to get them but not have the virus.
October 30th, 2008 at 12:25 am
Yes, it means having herpes on your mouth.
HVP1, not 2, which means 2 is genital.
you can spread it to genital if you don’t wash your hands while you have a outbreak on your lip.
I have had “fever blisters”, “cold sores” since i was just a child, starting at age 4, 5.
They are terrible, however i must say i used to have them BAD i would sometimes get 4 on my lips at one time will being sick, and i couldn’t even eat because they would crack and bleed.
Throughout the years i can honestly say they have gotten ALOT better, in highschool i would get 2-3 a year, first year of college i would get one, and now its been a year and haven’t had one, just recently i got one and its almost halloweeen :(, but a year with out a cold sore was like a miracle!
their horrible, hurt and itch like crazy.
the only thing i’ve ever really used is carmex, it helps, but not really.
mine would usually last 7-14 days, terrible terrible.
i started taking L-LYSINE 1000 MG, popping them like candies (you can’t over dose)
but mostly meds and pills only really help if you FIRST feel the tingle.
i am now going to start taking Valtrex after this cold sore is gone & see if it helps any and going to use L-LYSINE in my everyday life, to help prevent.
i have had a boyfriend for 4 years and he doesn’t understand why i get them!
he’s just lucky he doesn’t have to deal with them, i REFUSE to kiss him or touch my lip anywhere on him, because being cursed with this sucks, i believe everyone has it in their body, and something is just bound to trigger it, whether it be someone, or its just their time.
goodluck every one who gets them.
why are WE the ones cursed and others aren’t.
it SUCKS.
October 30th, 2008 at 12:27 am
sorry every one i meant HSV 1 ***
November 2nd, 2008 at 5:59 pm
WELL.. I HAVE HAD COLD SORES SINCE I WAS ABOUT 14 YEARS OLD.. I HATE THEM WITH A PASSION.. I COULDNT EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE HOW AWFUL THEY MAKE ME FEEL. I AM 25 YEARS OLD NOW AND STILL GET THEM EVERY ONCE IN A BLUE MOON.. MAYBE ONCE A YEAR OR ONCE EVERY COUPLE YEARS.. LAST YEAR I GOT A GIGANTIC ONE FROM BEING IN THE SUN TOO LONG WHICH PROVOKED THE OUTBREAK.. AND NOW I HAVE BEEN UNDER A LOT OF STRESS AND ONE CAME OUT ON FRIDAY HALLOWEEN HOW LOVELY. RIGHT NOW IM IN THE SCABBING STAGE AND FEEL AWFUL. I HATE THE STARES PEOPLE GIVE YOU LIKE IF YOU ARE ONE DIRTY HUMAN BEING.. ANYONE KNOW WHATS A GOOD WAY TO GET THIS SCAB TO FALL ASAP?? I HAVE TO WORK TOMORROW AND CANT BARE THE THOUGHT OF EVERYONE LOOKING AT ME. DEPENDING ON HOW IT LOOKS WILL DETERMINE IF I GO IN OR NOT!! WHY CANT THEY FIND A CURE FOR THIS!?!?!?
November 3rd, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Herpes (HSV 1) is a virus, typically the hardest of all to “cure”. The virus, once it ‘activates’, if you will, it creates a sore. The problem though is that it retreats back into the nervous system where it goes dormant - essentially asleep. When the virus is dormant it is next to impossible to get at. However, there has been some research done and they think that they could activate the virus (give you a cold sore), one could do this on march break, for example or when one wouldn’t have plans. So, you would have to hibernate for a weak, lol, and the virus would come up. Then, you would take medicine to stop the virus from going back into the nervous system. There is hope yet.
Here is the article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25511729/
Good luck.
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Arggh cold sores have become such a 4 letter word in my life. I have been getting them since I was a young girl. My mom and brother also get them and the outbreaks range from mild to pretty severe. A few years ago I got 3 bad outbreaks in 3 months with two of the OBs being multiple lesions on my lips and nose. After that I did a ton of research and started religiously taking a lysine supplement a multivitamin and a vitamin B and C stress tab as well as modifying my diet in such a way as to restrict foods high in arginine (coffee, chocolate, nuts) and eating more foods naturally high in lysine (mango, milk, cheese, eggs). This resulted in my being OB free for a while. In the past year my cold sores came back about once every 2-3 months, but they were much less severe and smaller than before, also at this time I was going through a lot of emotional stress. I havent had one in the last 6 months. However my husband starting getting them with alarming frequency. His are almost always in the same spot on his upper lip and his cold sore is very small and hardly noticeable, in fact to most people its probably not notceable. At the same time its puzzling that they keep coming back. He uses abreva and that works, but then 2-3 weeks later the culprit is back. I now have him taking supplements and I guess I should be on top of him to change his toothbrush etc.,
December 14th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Do you hve to throw out any lipglosses you use when you have cold sore, becuse I just bought a relly expensive one nd I didn’t know I hd a cold sore since it is my first one.
January 28th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
YES! Absolutely throw out your toothbrush & lipsticks, and any other makeup that has touched the skin in or near your cold sores! Many have been infected–myself included–through infected makeup. (My makeup consultant sharpened & reused *gag!!* lip liner sample pencils–infecting me! I would NEVER have used them had I known that!) My doctor has confirmed that the herpes virus does indeed live in moist makeup. While yours can’t “reinfect” you if you’re already infected, they can certainly cause a new flare-up (outbreak). I actually bleach my toothbrush daily during an outbreak (rinse next time before using), then throw it out when the OB is over.
February 17th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
uuuuuugh.
i have one right now and it pretty much SUCKS.
whenever i go to school they’re like ew
you have herpes!
and i’m like…um no i don’t its a cold sore.
and they’re like oh
and i’m like yeeeeeah.
haha
but anywyas i use abreva to make it go away fasterrr.
February 18th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
I get c.s’s too.
I hate it becuase I am ashamed and people think you ae a walking VD. I have been commented on as being gross so yes I hybernate, I even have almost lost my job before because of it. the doctor says I dont have the genital symplex 2 but I am still not happy with why I have this. I can say this, when I get a fever and not fell well or bite my lip perfusely is when I have the c.s. I do the same things you all do to get it gone quick but I am in need of support because it truely affects me. I hate it and want to cut my lips off.
February 20th, 2009 at 3:28 am
I just can’t believe that we all have herpes simplex one…which we nick named the cold sore…if you have a cold sore be careful not to preform oral sex for it will lead to herpes simplex two…Genital herpes. This virus is indeedly elegant for when you are clear from the visable symptoms there still may be shedding which results to spreading. I feel like killing my ignorant parents for spreading this virus to me…when I was 7 my mother was sick and shared drinks with me…I wondered what was on her lips and now I have to deal with whats on mine. I hate germs. I get out breaks once or twice a year while my boyfriend gets none…asshole. I am a very attractive woman and fortunately many boys would try to kiss me knowing I have the virus plus herpes simplex one is common in 80 percent of our population… I am so upset because they said a vaccine will be created within 3 to 5 years but will only be effective to those un infected…fucken bummer!!! I hate being 19 youthful and infected although its only a week out of my life in a year. My boyfriend was back home two weeks during the summer when he lives out of state and because of cold sores i did not kiss him although he tries to kiss me….well i guess we broke the rules by kissing a little towards the end of the breakout…I hate this…god is evil for letting us have this….I am going on with this too long…sea lions main cause of decrease in their population was due to herpes…what a bitch…hopefully one day this nightmare will end. We’ll make it through you guys.