Cold Sore Symptoms

 

It is important to recognize cold sore symptoms early for quick and effective treatment. The cold sores are small and unsightly blisters that develop on the face, around the edge of the mouth and the lips. Also known as fever blisters, they have little to do either with cold or with fever. Rather, cold sores are caused by a virus infection. When Herpes Simplex Virus Type I (HSV I) infects a person, the cold sores develop. You should know that cold sores are highly contagious.

Direct contact with the sores or the liquid that emerges when the sores erupt will cause the cold sores to spread all over the body and even from person to person. If you are cohabiting with a person who has developed cold sore symptoms, you should avoid using common implements like towels, razors, utensils, cosmetics etc.

The major cold sore symptoms

The first cold sore symptoms generally develop during early childhood. It takes one to three weeks for cold sore symptoms to manifest after the initial contact occurs with the virus. If you are infected with HSV I, you will develop sore throat and most probably a fever. The blisters do not appear at this stage. It may be accompanied by swollen glands in the neck. Drooling is common in children.

The next cold sore symptoms to appear are the lesions. They appear on the gums, around the mouth and the lips. At this stage, it is difficult to swallow. The lymph nodes on the neck may swell up. Eating, drinking, sleeping and talking are all very difficult.

The earliest cold sore symptoms involve tingling, itching and a mildly burning sensation on the sites of the sores. These cold sore symptoms appear even before the lesions are seen. These cold sore symptoms are known as prodrome. If you have fallen victim to cold sores earlier, you should be able to recognize these cold sore symptoms easily. This is the best time to start the treatment for cold sores.

There are some uncommon cold sore symptoms. Many people do not understand the prodrome stage as the onset of cold sores. Sometimes, a person can develop a tear on the skin which appears like a paper cut. This will probably be accompanied by redness, swelling and itching.

When do the cold sore symptoms appear?

The cold sore symptoms typically appear within one to three weeks after you are exposed to the Herpes Simplex Virus Type I for the first time. Though the malady heals typically after eight to ten days, the virus lies dormant within the tissues.

There are several triggers which cause the cold sore symptoms to manifest again. Exposure to the sun, cold, fever, fatigue, hormonal changes due to menstruation or pregnancy etc all cause the recurrence of cold sore symptoms.

The secondary infection of cold sore may not always be preceded by fever and sore throat. You may even fail to notice the initial tingling which is quite mild. However, as soon as you detect the cold sore symptoms you should seek effective treatment for it for speedy recovery and avoid contamination.