What is a Cold Sore?
A cold sore is a common viral infection that affects millions of people in the UK. Most commonly found around the lip area, cold sores are small fluid filled blisters that are often grouped together.
Some people often find that a cold sore can be triggered by certain things such as sunshine or illness but this is unique to individual people.
It is estimated that 90% of adults worldwide, even those who have never experienced any symptoms of an infection, test positive for the virus that causes a cold sore on your face.
After the first outbreak of cold sores, your body should usually create a form of antibody which reduces the chances of future outbreaks, but everyone reacts differently to this virus, and there is currently no definitive cure.
Are cold sores contagious?
Often irritating & painful, a cold sore is also contagious so should be treated with care when an outbreak occurs. So when you have a cold sore you should not kiss anyone or allow anyone to come into skin contact with the sore. In particular, avoid kissing newborn babies and anyone who has a poor immune system such as people on chemotherapy or with AIDS. However, when you have no symptoms (when the virus is dormant), you are not usually infectious. It is important to note that healthy people who already have cold sores cannot be re-infected.
Cold Sore Symptoms
There are several stages of a cold sore outbreak that occur on the skin.
These include:
- A tingling or itchy feeling on the skin.
- Fluid filled blisters start to appear on the affected area, usually around the lips or face.
- The blisters then burst and tend to crust over into a scab.
These are the most common symptoms of a cold sore, however it can vary depending on if this is your first cold sore outbreak or if you have been affected previously.
If you are experiencing your first cold sore outbreak, it can also be common to be affected by the following symptoms:
- fevers
- headaches
- muscle pain
- sore throats
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