People can get HSV-1 by kissing or touching someone with cold sores, or by sharing eating utensils, towels, or other items with an infected person. Many people with HSV-1 got it as kids during their preschool years.
Cold sores usually go away in about 1 to 2 weeks. No medicines can make the virus go away. But some treatments can help make cold sores less painful and not last as long:. The virus that causes cold sores is very contagious. To help prevent it from spreading to others:. Be especially careful not to touch your eyes. If HSV-1 gets into the eyes, it can cause a lot of damage.
Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Are Cold Sores? But it can wake up again later from things like: other infections a fever sunlight cold weather menstrual periods stress , like before a big test at school When the virus reactivates, it can cause tingling and numbness around the mouth before blisters appear.
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Our Commitment Our Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program brings oral health education to more than half a billion children around the world. Learn more about our commitment to oral health education. Top Articles. Why Are Cold Sores Contagious? How to Stop Cold Sores From Spreading By practicing good hygiene and avoiding close contact, you can prevent your cold sore from infecting those you love. Just follow these steps: Keep hands-off. The only time you should touch a cold sore is when you apply a cream, no matter what stage the blister is.
If you do touch it — accidentally or on purpose — immediately wash your hands. Don't kiss. The cold sore should not contact anyone, so no kissing, not even on the cheek. Also, abstain from oral sex because you can pass the HSV-1 virus and infect your partner's genitals. Don't share personal items. Avoid sharing utensils, cups, food, lip balms, creams, or anything else that might have come in contact with your cold sore.
The first stage is the latent period. The second stage is the prodromal stage. During this period, people often experience a tingling sensation on or around the lips and red skin in the affected area.
This stage lasts for one to two days in most people. The third stage is the inflammation stage. At this point, the herpes virus targets cells in the lips or mouth, beginning the process of creating a sore. This takes around one day, with swelling and discomfort in the affected area. The fourth stage is the pre-sore stage.
Over the course of one to two days, a small, hard blister will begin to develop on or around the lips. These blister are often painful and can make eating, chewing and moving the lips uncomfortable for the affected person. The fifth stage is the open herpes lesion stage. During this period, the blister or blisters, if you have multiple sores will open into an exposed sore.
Most cold sores remain open for one to two days, during which they are highly infectious. The sixth stage is the crusting stage. It usually takes two to three days for the crust to develop into a scab. The seventh stage is the healing stage. At this point, a scab has fully enveloped the sore and new skin is developing underneath.
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