Cold sores are small blisters that form around the mouth that are clear and filled with fluid. Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus which lives inside nerve tissue. It is estimated that 80% of the population carry the virus and 60 million people have outbreaks once or more per year. Cold sores are also known as fever blisters or Herpes Simplex or HSV1 This is not the same as genital herpes.
Cold sore symptoms are virtually the same for everyone, making them quite easy to diagnose. Since the life cycle of a cold sore outbreak is usually identical to the last outbreak, many people who get cold sores can detect the onset of an outbreak before physical symptoms can be observed.
Cold sores often start with a tingly or itchy sensation where the sore will appear, usually on the lips. After a day or two, the area becomes extra sensitive to the touch and to hot and cold. For many people, applying a cold sore treatment at the first sign of the tingling or itching sensation can either stop the cold sore from developing further, or significantly reduce the life cycle of the sore. After a few days, a small reddish bump will start to form on the itchy/tingly area of skin. The area may also start to become somewhat painful. As the bump grows, it slowly forms into a blister, sometimes round in shape and sometimes irregularly shaped. The blister fills with fluid and grows larger and in some cases other smaller cold sores may appear close to the initial sore. The blister continues to grow and to get increasingly painful, and usually lasts 2-7 days, and finally bursts or breaks. Once the blister has broken, the cold sore will start to scab over. Still relatively painful, the scabbing sore can last another 2-7 days. The scabbing period, or ‘shedding’ as it is called, is the healing of the sore, which will eventually get smaller, and less painful until it is gone completely.
Sources www.coldsoretreatment.com
