Home

Common Symptoms and Diagnosis of Cold Sores

While anyone can be infected by the infamous herpes viruses, not everyone will show visible symptoms. The very first symptoms of herpes usually occur within two to up to 20 days after contact with a person infected by the virus. Most often than not, symptoms of the primary infection are more severe compared to those of recurrent infection. To some people, however, the degree might be at the same level. The primary infection can lead to symptoms such as other viral infections which include tiredness, headache, fever, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck.

Approximately 50 to a whopping 80% people who had has experienced oral herpes experienced symptoms of oncoming disease in the form of pain, burning, itching, or tingling at the site where blisters will later form. This stage may go anywhere from a few hours to one to two days, at this time the infected person would feel the most pain. These symptoms occur in both the primary infection and recurrent infections.

In 95% of the patients with cold sores, the blisters always occur at the outer edge of the lips known as the "vermilion border." Always less than often, blisters will form on the nose, chin, or cheek areas. Following the initial symptoms, the disease process is very rapid. Initially, small red bumps will appear, forming fluid-filled blisters in a flash. These painful blisters may later either burst and form a scab or dry up and form a scab. Within two days of the appearance of the first red bumps, all the blisters would have formed scabs. The skin will begin to heal completely within six to ten days.

Some children may have a very serious first episodes of herpes infection identified as ‘gingivostomatitis’. This episode can result in fever, swollen lymph glands, and countless blisters inside the mouth and on the lips and tongue that may form large, open sores. These sores are undoubtedly painful and may last up to three weeks. It can also make eating and drinking activities very difficult. This fact exposes young children with gingivostomatitis to the risk of dehydration.

Most people who had experienced cold sores usually experience fewer than two recurrent outbreaks of cold sores every subsequent year. Some people who are lucky never experience outbreaks ever again while some may have very frequent outbreaks. For those who have frequent outbreaks, the blisters always form in the same area and are triggered by the same factors.

Since cold sores have become too common, the infection is diagnosed primarily by symptoms. It can be diagnosed and treated by the family doctor, dermatologists and infectious disease specialists. Laboratory tests may also be performed to look for the virus when it is still latent. Healing sores, unfortunately, do not shed much virus. A sample from an open sore would be taken to make viral culture. A sterile cotton swab would be use to wipe over open sores and the sample used to infect human cells in culture. Cells killed by the herpes virus can be seen with a certain appearance under microscopic examination. Within two to ten days, the results of this test will be available.