Unfortunately, cold sores are complex and to truly answer the question it’s important to learn how long a cold sore is contagious and the stages of a cold sore to know when you can expect the visual appearance of a cold sore to be unnoticeable.
Cold sores are highly contagious from the time the first symptom appears. If you feel an unexplained tingling around your mouth you may be experiencing an early stage cold sore. The tingling is usually 1–2 days before the sore becomes visible with one or more fluid-filled blisters on the surface of the skin. When a blister breaks open it has entered the weeping stage also known as the “ulcer stage”. In a few days the crusting stage also known as the “scabbing stage” starts the transitional period from weeping to healing. The blister will scab over and slowly disappear by flaking away. It is common to think that a cold sore isn’t contagious any more once it has scabbed, but this isn’t the case.
You are still contagious until the cold sore completely heals. Cold sores can be spread through skin-to-skin contact like kissing, oral sex, or sharing objects such as towels, eating utensils, and straws. The virus is contracted through any break in your skin that may not even be noticeable to you.
More than half of the people in the United States have been infected with the cold sore virus, though many people never develop cold sores or have any symptoms. About 20 to 40 percent of people who have the virus trigger cold sores.
Not everyone who has HSV-1 gets cold sores. In fact most people who carry the virus aren't actually aware of it because it causes them no symptoms at all. Some people have frequently recurring cold sores around two or three times a year, while others have one cold sore and never have another. The frequency of a cold sore outbreak varies from person to person.
In the United States, between 50 and 80 percent of people have oral herpes, making them potentially susceptible to cold sores. Therefore, the chances of developing a cold sore on your lips are over 50 percent. Cold sores are most likely to show up on the outside of your mouth and lips, but you can also get them on your nose, cheeks, eyes, fingertips, widespread areas of skin and genitals.
It’s common for toddlers and children to get cold sores by kissing or touching a person with open cold sores, or by sharing eating utensils, towels, or other items with an infected person. Newborns rarely get cold sores, but babies can catch HSV-1 through contact with an open cold sore as well. Therefore, people with a cold sore should avoid kissing babies or letting babies touch the sore.
Many kids get infected with HSV-1 during the preschool years. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, many children will start to get cold sores by the age of 5.
Cold sores are common and relatively harmless in toddlers and children, but the cold sore virus can be dangerous for babies. When a child develops a cold sore for the first time, the blisters often spread beyond the lips to the mouth and gums. Occasionally a child may also have a fever, swollen and tender lymph glands, sore throat, irritability and drooling. However, if cold sores appear near their eyes, call your pediatrician. HSV-1 is especially dangerous to babies under 6 months of age because babies immune systems are not well developed until after about 6 months old. Therefore, signs that a baby may have been infected with the cold sore virus include low grade fever and one or more small skin blisters. These symptoms can occur 2 to 12 days after HSV-1 exposure. If these occur or if you have any concerns, call your pediatrician.
Children usually can go to child care or school with an active infection, but to prevent spreading the cold sore virus to other children it’s smart to keep them home if they drool a lot or are having their very first cold sore outbreak. Try to prevent your child from scratching or picking at cold sores. This can spread the virus to other parts of the body, such as fingers and eyes, as well as to other children who touch toys and other objects they play with. Wash hands and clean toys regularly. If your child has cold sores, it’s important to teach him or her how to keep from spreading them to others.
The virus remains in children for the rest of their life and the recurrence of cold sores is highly variable. Some children may never get another cold sore, while others may have multiple outbreaks a year. When the virus does reactivate, cold sores typically form again at the same spot but usually not inside of the mouth.
Treatment is available for kids with cold sores. Start with cold liquids, ice, or frozen juice bars to help soothe mouth pain. Avoid giving children spicy or acidic foods (e.g., citrus fruits or tomato sauce). For lasting relief of pain and itching associated with kids cold sores, use over-the-counter topical medicine Blister Balm® External Analgesic Ointment. A unique 100% naturally medicated effective and immediate cold sore treatment for kids 2 years of age and older.
After the child's first cold sore, preventing future cold sore outbreaks require you to determine the foods or situations that trigger the cold sore. This is not a fool proof method. However, foods high in lysine but low in arginine may make a difference. Stress or sun can also trigger a cold sore, so using a good sunscreen lip balm when outdoors may help fight against kids cold sores.
Sources:
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/skin/Pages/Herpes-Simplex-Virus-Cold-Sores.aspx
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322620.php
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/cold-sores.html
Technically you can pop a cold sore, but it’s best to avoid touching cold sores as they go through their life cycle. It’s important to remember cold sores will heal on their own and touching, popping, or squeezing a cold sore, no matter how tempting it might feel will delay the process.
Pimples contain pus, while cold sores contain clear fluid in blisters. Pimples are caused by bacteria, while cold sores are caused by a virus (HSV-1).
No, let cold sores run their course! Popping a cold sore disrupts the healing process likely prolonging the open sore and the opportunity to transfer the infection to other parts of your body or to other people.
If you’re still thinking of popping a cold sore, it’s important to remember cold sores aren’t like pimples. When you pop a pimple you release sebum from a clogged pore in the skin. When you squeeze a cold sore you release infectious viral fluid through an open sore that can easily spread to other parts of the body. Through direct contact with the open sore, the fluid can spread to your fingers, eyes or genitals, causing a serious infection to develop.
Beyond prolonging the healing process and increasing your risk of spreading cold sores to other parts of the body or to other people, there are several other reasons not to pop a cold sore.
If you can’t catch a cold sore in the early stages, you might be able to significantly reduce the amount of time required for it to scab, heal and disappear. Therefore, instead of popping your cold sore, make sure you avoid touching or scratching it. If your cold sore is painful or uncomfortable, you can use Blister Balm® External Analgesic Ointment, an over-the-counter 100% naturally medicated cold sore treatment for pain and itching associated with cold sores.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/popping-a-cold-sore#risks
https://www.medicinenet.com/pimple_vs_cold_sore/article.htm
https://www.forhims.com/blog/can-you-pop-a-cold-sore
The first two stages typically define what an “early stage” cold sore looks like. Altogether a cold sore can be classified into five stages.
Treating a cold sore during the tingling/itching stage may reduce its severity and duration, but it won’t prevent the sore from forming. Oral antiviral medication is most useful during this stage, however many people also find over-the-counter topical treatments just as effective.
Over the counter topical treatments like Blister Balm® External Analgesic Ointment can provide a modest amount of relief and potentially shorten the amount of time needed for the cold sore to heal. Ointments tend to be most effective if they're applied as soon as the first signs of a sore appear. They will need to be applied three to four times per day for four to five days. Topical medications are only effective on the area to which they’re applied, meaning you’ll need to use the medication over the area surrounding the cold sore as it begins to form.
Most topical medications will speed up the healing process, but they’re rarely the best option for preventing cold sores. People who are prone to the herpes simplex virus should also get to know what triggers cold sores to help reduce the number of outbreaks.
Managing stress, not smoking, living a generally healthy lifestyle, and eating foods to avoid cold sores is the foundation of self prevention. Unfortunately, our lips still remain exposed to the weather. Sunlight and temperature change creates a vulnerable opportunity for a cold sore to develop.
To prevent cold sore early stages it’s important to keep your lips moisturized and protected with a lip balm like Blister Balm® Lip Protectant. Keeping your lips moisturized will delay the onset of future cold sore outbreaks, relieve chapped or cracked lips, and protect your lips from the drying effects of wind and weather change.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-stop-a-cold-sore-in-the-early-stages
https://www.healthline.com/health/skin-disorders/cold-sore-stages
https://www.healthline.com/health/herpes-labialis
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319811.php
https://www.forhims.com/blog/how-to-stop-a-cold-sore-in-the-early-stages
Cold sores will usually go away on their own after a few days, but there are several prescription treatments that can help speed up that healing time. Topical drugs are put directly on the lesions themselves, but can also be used at the onset of prodrome. There are two topical antiviral medications prescribed for the treatment of oral HSV symptoms:
If you experience several outbreaks a year, you can even take oral antiviral medication all year round to help prevent outbreaks. These treatments include:
Try all of these home, over-the-counter and if necessary prescription cold sore remedies to find which works best for you. Unfortunately there is no cure for oral herpes, but many people find that outbreaks tend to lessen in severity and frequency with time. What triggers an outbreak is highly individual, but with time, many people learn to recognize, and sometimes avoid, factors that seem to reactivate HSV in their own bodies.
Sources:
http://www.ashasexualhealth.org/stdsstis/herpes/oral-herpes/
https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/cold-sore-remedies
http://www.ashasexualhealth.org/stdsstis/herpes/oral-herpes/
The Blister Balm® brand offers consumers naturally medicated cold sore therapy products which are plant (jojoba) based (pronounced Ho-Ho-Ba), highly effective, affordable and 100% natural.
Blister Balm is excited to be offering a uniquely effective, plant-based, naturally medicated cold sore therapy for the lip care segment of the natural skin care category. Blister Balm is the only 100% natural, highly effective and affordable remedy available for cold sores.
The key ingredient which makes Blister Balm products so effective is derived from natural jojoba oil and is composed of more than a dozen long chain natural jojoba alcohols. A single long chain synthetic alcohol (docosanol) is used as the “active” ingredient in the leading brand, but this single alcohol is shown to be less effective in treating cold sores than the powerful array of natural jojoba alcohols used in Blister Balm products.
For more information or to purchase Blister Balm Naturally Medicated Cold Sore Therapy products you can visit our website at: www.blisterbalm.com
Or, to find organizations near you who offer Blister Balm products, use our store locator.
Sources:
(1) https://www.klinegroup.com/how-well-do-you-understand-the-natural-consumer/
(2) http://www.trajectory4brands.com/2016/03/30/3-takeaways-from-2016-natural-products-expo-west/
(3) http://digitaledition.massmarketretailers.com/sept172018#&pageSet=12&contentItem=0
(4) https://trends.google.com/trends/
In the journal Neuron, researchers found that the brains of deceased people with Alzheimer's disease had higher levels of viruses than the brains of deceased people without Alzheimer's. Specifically, the Alzheimer's brains had up to twice as much of two common strains of herpes viruses than the non-Alzheimer's brains.
In one study, researchers from Umeå University in Sweden found that being a carrier of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1) nearly doubled a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. In a second study, the researchers followed 3,432 people for an average of 11.3 years, and found that a reactivated herpes simplex 1 infection doubled one’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. However, herpes simplex virus 1 infections are very common and once you are infected, you carry the virus for life. From time to time, the virus can become active, which can cause cold sores.
What is notable about the research is that it was well-designed. Researchers studied a large group of people, there was a long period of follow up time (two decades) and the way in which they diagnosed Alzheimer’s used methods that we can reasonably trust.
A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease can be made with certainty only after death, though this is changing. Neuroimaging techniques, for example, now allow visualization of amyloid plaques, which are the hallmark of Alzheimer’s.
Some researchers have proposed that herpes could, under some circumstances, lead to inflammation in the brain and changes to brain cell function. This could then potentially trigger or worsen Alzheimer's. However, herpes infection in the brain appears to be more common in people with Alzheimer's disease who have a gene called ApoE4, which is known to increase the risk of Alzheimer's. One theory behind this is ApoE4 increases the likelihood of the herpes virus moving from the body into the brain. Although there are likely to be several reasons, this might be part of the reason that people with ApoE4 are at an increased risk of Alzheimer's. Some researchers suspect ApoE4 allows more virus particles to attach themselves to brain cells, making it easier to infect them.
The blood-brain barrier protects the brain by controlling what substances can pass from the blood into brain tissue. In Alzheimer's disease, the blood-brain barrier is damaged, particularly in the brain region affected by Alzheimer's. Once it has been weakened, bacteria, viruses, and other harmful substances can enter the brain more easily. This may explain why certain viruses, such as herpes, are more common in the brains of people with Alzheimer's.
It is worth bearing in mind that there is no strong evidence that herpes virus infection actually causes Alzheimer's disease. The increased presence of the virus in the brain may be related to changes to the immune system due to Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers believe that HSV1 is a major contributory factor for Alzheimer’s disease and that it enters the brains of elderly people as their immune system declines with age. It then establishes a latent (dormant) infection, from which it is reactivated by events such as stress, a reduced immune system and brain inflammation induced by infection by other microbes.
Reactivation leads to direct viral damage in infected cells and to viral-induced inflammation. Suggesting that repeated activation causes cumulative damage, leading eventually to Alzheimer’s disease in people with the ApoE4 gene.
Presumably, in ApoE4 carriers, Alzheimer’s disease develops in the brain because of greater HSV1-induced formation of toxic products, or less repair of damaged cells.
The data suggests that antiviral agents might be used for treating Alzheimer’s disease. The main antiviral agents, which are safe, prevent new viruses from forming, thereby limiting viral damage.
It's also been found that the anti-herpes antiviral drug, acyclovir, blocks HSV1 DNA replication, and reduces levels of beta-amyloid and tau caused by HSV1 infection of cell cultures.
It’s important to note that all studies only show an association between the herpes virus and Alzheimer’s – they don’t prove that the virus is an actual cause. The only way to prove that a microbe is a cause of a disease is to show that an occurrence of the disease is greatly reduced either by targeting the microbe with a specific anti-microbial agent or by specific vaccination against the microbe.
Excitingly, successful prevention of Alzheimer’s disease by use of specific anti-herpes agents have now been demonstrated in a large-scale population study in Taiwan. Hopefully, information in other countries will yield similar results.
Sources:
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20181022-there-is-mounting-evidence-that-herpes-leads-to-alzheimers
https://www.livescience.com/62883-herpes-viruses-alzheimers.html
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/does-your-cold-sore-mean-youll-get-alzheimers-disease/
https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(18)30421-5
https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-alzheimers
No, is the simple answer. Cold sores can develop anytime of the year. However, the weather changes associated with winter increase our vulnerability of developing a cold sore. The common winter cold sore triggers listed below help us understand how cold sores develop more frequently during the colder months of winter.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3166406/
https://www.freep.com/story/life/wellness/2014/12/21/cold-sores-health/20602873/
https://www.avogel.co.uk/health/immune-system/cold-sores/6-ways-to-prevent-a-cold-sore-outbreak-this-winter/
The health effects smoking has on your body may be the reason a cold sore appears. The herpes simplex virus (HSV) usually resides in the dormant state but smoking or vaping can activate it rather quickly because of the following effects:
Sharing a smoke or vape with anyone can put yourself at risk of developing a cold sore. Cold sores are most contagious when fluid seeps out of the sore. If you see someone with an open fever blister, you should avoid contact with the person until the area has completely healed. Even during the scabbing process a cold sore can still be contagious. Splitting a cigarette or e-cig with an infected person is as risky as sharing a toothbrush, lipstick, food or utensil. Unfortunately, unless the person experiencing the symptoms recognize what they are, they may not even know they’re contagious.
Anything that can potentially affect the lips or mouth in a negative way can lead to a cold sore. Smokeless tobacco requires you to put tobacco in your mouth under your lip(s). The placement of the chewing tobacco stretches the skin of the lip(s) which can cause cracking or manipulation making you more vulnerable to develop a cold sore. Smokeless tobacco also requires you to spit frequently and the tobacco juices can compromise effective healing.
The possibility of developing a cold sore from an e-cigarette or vaporizer is no different than traditional cigarette smoking. E-cigs and vaping provide the absence of smoke but they don’t eliminate the intake of toxins that can potentially create a flare up or worsen your cold sore.
If you use zero nicotine e-liquid when vaping you’re still putting yourself at risk of developing a cold sore. The presence of nicotine is often worse than no nicotine however vaping still involves many cold sore triggers. The biggest issue related to fever blisters with non-nicotine vaping is the overall heat an e-cig requires. Most e-cigarettes are plastic or metal and become warm or hot during continued use. Constant heat or temperature change applied to your lips can reduce their overall health and open the door for a developing cold sore.
When you stop smoking or vaping, you run the risk of developing cold sores even stronger. After quitting for some time cold sores generally develop in 1-2 weeks. Smoking overall can change the antibacterial properties in your mouth and over time your body becomes used to those properties. When you smoke your saliva has to work overtime to produce antibodies to protect your mouth. Therefore, when you quit you may shock your mouth by the lack of antibodies produced by saliva.
Sources:
https://vapingdaily.com/smoking-effects/smoking-and-the-immune-system/
https://www.nhs.uk/smokefree/why-quit/smoking-health-problems
https://smokershelp.net/stress/
https://www.coldsorescured.com/smoking-cigarettes-cold-sores-worse/
https://www.coldsorescured.com/cold-sores-after-quitting-smoking/
"I would advise using disposable applicators to minimize the risk of spreading the virus. Small makeup sponges will help achieve a better finish than cotton buds as the scab, plus moisture on the skin can encourage little bits of cotton to stick."
Source:
https://www.everydayhealth.com/skin-and-beauty/how-to-hide-a-cold-sore.aspx
Exposure to Sunlight. The rays emitted by the sun damages skin. This is perhaps the most common reason why people who are prone to cold sores suffer an outbreak.
Chapped Lips. Exposure to the sun can cause lips to become dry and chapped. Cold sore viruses are more likely to be activated in these damaged areas of skin.
Stress and Exhaustion. Lazy summer days are associated with being relaxed, but summer planning trips, traveling and financial projections can increase stress and lead to an outbreak.
Highly Acidic Food. We tend to eat more foods such as oranges, pineapple and vinegar-based salad dressings during the summer. Click here to read what foods prevent cold sores.
Greasy Skin. Sun lotion can block our pores, leaving our skin more oily during the day. Oily skin can increase the chances of a cold sore outbreak.
Enjoy the Sunlight. Sunlight in moderation can be very useful in drying up open cold sores, so long as burning does not occur.
Rest and Hydrate. Allow yourself to take plenty of rest, and hydrate yourself with 6-8 glasses of water a day.
Protect your Lips. Use a UV lip balm to protect from over exposure to the sun, and to keep lips moisturized to avoid chapping.
Boost your Immunity. Take Vitamin C found naturally in foods such as strawberries, kiwi, broccoli and tomatoes.
Apply Ice. Ice may assist in reducing swelling and redness caused by sunburn. Apply a moisturizing balm afterwards to ensure the cold sore blister does not get too dry.
Use Ointment. Blister Balm® External Analgesic Ointment can help soothe lips during a cold sore outbreak. It's naturally medicated with key ingredients from the Desert Botanical-Jojoba providing safe, effective and fast acting relief for those who experience cold sores.
If you know you’re prone to summer cold sore flare-ups after exposure to sunlight, take advantage of these preventative tips to lower your risk of triggering the infection. Most importantly you can help prevent summer cold sore triggers by avoiding extended direct sunlight, and protecting your lips with a highly moisturizing balm product like Blister Balm® Lip Protectant.
Sources:
https://www.avogel.co.uk/health/immune-system/cold-sores/is-the-summer-sun-causing-your-cold-sore/
https://www.coldsorescured.com/cold-sores-due-sun-exposure/
If you suffer from frequent cold sore outbreaks, it’s best to consume a diet geared toward prevention, rather than simply avoiding certain foods once a fever blister starts. Maintain a healthy diet relatively low in processed foods promotes a strong immune system.
Sources:
https://www.livestrong.com/article/139239-foods-that-trigger-cold-sores/
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/types-food-avoid-coldsore-outbreak-9050.html
https://www.wellnessgeeky.com/what-foods-are-high-in-lysine-low-in-arginine/
Sources:
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-cortisol
https://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/low-lymphocyte-count
https://www.coldsorescured.com/cold-sores-from-dental-work
If you think about cold sores, words that pop into your head probably include "unsightly," "painful," and "contagious." If you’re unsure on what a cold sore is; read our article on what they are and what causes them. More than half of all Americans have experienced a cold sore by the time they're in their twenties, so "common" might be another appropriate description for cold sores.
Cold sores are very contagious and seem to spread easily. About 10 percent of people who are infected with type 1 herpes simplex will develop a cold sore within one to two weeks.
Cold sores are most contagious when they rupture — when fluid seeps out of the sores. But they're actually contagious from the time you first feel cold sore symptoms, like tingling or itching around your mouth, until they're completely healed and gone. Just because the cold sore is scabbed over doesn’t mean it's no longer contagious. Eat, talk, smile, and your scab can break and the fluid can leak out.
Sources:
https://www.everydayhealth.com
https://en.wikipedia.org
Despite the name, when you get painful blisters called cold sores, don't blame your common cold. Cold sores are caused by a virus, but not the kind that makes you sniffle and sneeze. Instead, they happen because of an infection with the herpes simplex virus (HSV).
Cold sores, also called fever blisters, can show up anywhere on your body. They're most likely to appear on the outside of your mouth and lips, but you can also find them on your nose, cheeks, or cheek.
After the blisters form, you may notice that they break and ooze. A yellow crust or a scab builds up and eventually falls off, revealing new skin underneath.
The sores usually last 7 to 10 days and can easily spread to other people unless special precautions are taken.
Just about everyone. Ninety percent of all people get at least one cold sore in their life. The symptoms are usually the most severe the first you time you get cold sores. Sometimes kids who are affected may become seriously ill.
After the first time you get cold sores, your body may develop antibodies, and you'll never have another infection. About 40% of U.S. adults, though, get repeated cold sores.
Cold sores generally are not serious, but the infection may be life-threatening for anyone who has AIDS or whose immune system has been curbed by other disorders or medications.
If you have a severe case of a skin condition called eczema aka dermatitis, you may get cold sores over large parts of your body.
There can sometimes be serious complications from a cold sore. If the infection spreads to the eye, it could affect your vision. If it spreads to the brain, it could lead to meningitis or encephalitis.
There are two types of herpes simplex virus that can cause cold sores: HSV type 1 and HSV type 2. Cold sores are usually caused by HSV type 1.
You usually catch HSV when you come into contact with people or things that carry the virus. For instance, you can get it from kissing someone who's infected or when you share eating utensils, towels, or razors.
Both HSV type 1 and type 2 can cause sores on your genitals. They can be spread by oral sex. Genital herpes is usually caused by HSV type 2.
You may get cold sores as late as 20 days after you came into contact with the virus. Once the virus enters your body, the cold sore may appear near the part it entered. About 2 days before an attack, you may get itchy or feel sensitive at the spot.
If you do have a cold sore the next step is to learn how to prevent spreading cold sores.
Sources:
https://www.webmd.com
https://en.wikipedia.org
https://www.mayoclinic.org