A cold sore is a blister which appears on a person's lip or
the edge of the mouth and is caused by infection with the
HSV (herpes simplex virus). Such blisters will usually break
open and weep clear fluid and then crust over and finally
disappear after a few days. In this article we will look at
cold sore symptoms.
The other such symptoms which will be related to a cold sore
as well as the blister are:-
1. A sore mouth which makes eating, drinking and sleeping
uncomfortable. Unfortunately many who suffer with cold sores
find them painful.
2. You may have a temperature or fever.
3. You could suffer from a sore throat.
4. The lymph nodes in your neck will have become
swollen.
5. Small children who have cold sores will drool
more than usual.
Although you may no first develop a cold sore when you first
become infected with HSV and if you do develop them when you
are first infected these are normally more severe than any
later outbreaks that may occur. With the first outbreak of
cold sores they will often spread to any part of the mouth
and not just be situated at one particular location.
Once a person has become infected with HSV it will remain in
the body and may cause cold sores to return throughout your
life. Most people who suffer from cold sores will have
between 3 and 4 outbreaks a year although some may even
suffer more than 1 cold sore attack each month.
Those core sores which are recurrent usually develop where a
person's facial skin and lips meet and it takes between 6
and 48 hours before a cold sore becomes visible. The first
real symptoms that a person will feel when a cold sore is
about to happen is a tingling, or burning, or itching, or
numbness, or tenderness or in somes cases pain around the
affected area and this is called the prodromal stage.
Things which may cause a cold sore to return include such
things as exposure to sunlight especially to the lips,
stress, fatigue, another infection (such as a cold or flu),
a food allergy, an injury that has happened to your lips or
gums or you immune system may be impaired. Also women whose
hormones are changing which can be caused by their menstrual
cycle or because they are pregnant and result in cold
sore symptom issues.
As you see the cold sore symptom can be varied and it all
depends on the person who has actually been infected by HSV.
Stay out of the sunlight if you get one on your lips or use spf
30 on the spot on your lip it occurs.
