Cold Sores: Signs And Transmissions
Another name for cold sores is fever blisters and they can erupt inside the mouth or on the face. These little sores look like blisters and they can itch, burn or cause pain before they burst and then scab over. Areas where cold sores are quite common are the cheeks, lips, chin and nostrils but they can also occur on the palate or on the gums.
It is the herpes simplex type 1 virus, or HSV-1 which is the most common cause for cold sores.
Transmission
Herpes simplex is a very contagious virus and that means that cold sores are also very contagious. Once the virus enters the body, it may not immediately develop cold sores. The herpes simplex virus could be in your body but could be inactive or dormant for a while.
Usually the cold sores will come when something triggers the virus to become active. It is not possible to pinpoint a trigger for cold sores as it varies amongst people. While some people may suffer from only a single outbreak of cold sores, some may have two or three attacks a year.
Dormant virus
There are also some people who carry the virus, which remains dormant and does not cause any outbreak at all. Cold sores are very common and they are not a cause for concern. There is no way to prevent cold sores or to cure them but what you can do when you discover what triggers them in you, is to avoid this trigger to reduce the number of outbreaks.
Cold sores are often mistaken for canker sores, which are something different. Canker sores can be found in the soft tissue of the mouth or the mouth lining and are small ulcer craters. Cold sores are not found in soft tissue in the mouth. Canker sores are usually painful and are also called aphthous ulcers.
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