Symptoms of Cold Sores - Causes and Stages Explained

Different Stages of Cold Sore: Its Symptoms and Causes

Cold sores are small blisters commonly caused due to viral infection. They are small in size and are filled with fluid. These blisters often happen around the lips and grouped together in patches; cold sores mostly heal within 2 to 3 weeks without leaving any kind of scar.

What is a Cold Sore?

Cold sore are small blisters filled with fluid and apperas on your lips or around your lips, it can also affect the nose, chin or cheeks area. The most common cause of cold sore is infection happen with the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). There is no cure to cold sore but there are always many ways that can help in preventing new outbreak and treat the symptoms.

However, the cold sore disappears within two weeks, even without leaving any kind of scar. Cold sore are highly contagious, with or without blisters. The virus usually spread due to physical contact with person how is already suffering with cold sore. 

A cold sore can spread easily, for example:

• By skin-to-skin contact.
• Kissing.
• Sharing towels, toothbrushes, drinks containers or eating utensils. 

Cold sore are can be treated to reduce the symptoms and can go away on their own in couple weeks but need to be taken care properly.

What are the Symptoms of a Cold Sore?

Cold sore usually passes through many stages, and it mainly crust over and heal within few weeks or days. 

• Blister: It is a small blister filled with fluid that often appears around the border of the lips. In some cases, they can appear on the cheeks, nose, or inside the mouth. 
• Tingling and itching: When blister is for around the lips it can be irritating in initial days, but for many people it feels burning, itching and tingling around the lips for a day or before the blister appears.
• Crusting and oozing: After the small blister bursts, it leaves a shallow open sore that can crust and ooze later. 

Sometimes symptoms vary, depending on the the outbreak, if its the first time or recurrence. When a person gets cold sore for the first time, symptoms may not start for up to 20 days from the the day you get infected. However, sore can last for many days but the blister will last for 2 to 3 weeks to heal completely. Whereas, you a blister appears again, it will happen on the same spot every time and will be less painful than the first one. 

If it’s a first outbreak, you might experience these symptoms:

• Painful gum.
• Fever.
• Headache.
• Sore throat.
• Muscle ache.
• Swollen lymph nodes.

Sometime children under 5 years can also get these cold sore inside of there mouth and those can be mistaken as canker sores. But canker sore involve only the mucous membrane and are not caused due to herpes simplex virus (HSV).

What are the Stages of a Cold Sore?

A cold sore can appear in stages:

1. First, there will be a tingling, itching and burning sensation.
2. Almost after 12 to 24 hours, there will be small blisters, and the area will become red, painful and swollen. 
3. After a few weeks, the blister will bust open, and fluid will come out. This usually lasts for 3 to 2 weeks. 
4. A scab will be formed, and the crack will be there. 
5. At last, a scab will fall off.

You might feel swollen gum and redness, but it will go away with time.

What Causes a Cold Sore?

A person can get cold sore by coming in a physical contact with the person who is already suffering from cold sore or have HSV. For example if you share a same eating utensils, towel or razor with the someone who have herpes simplex virus (HSV) or kissing someone with cold sore, are main cause of cold sore.

However, there are mainly two types of virus that can cause cold sores, Herpes simplex virus-1 and herpes simplex virus-2. Both of these virus can be the cause of cold sore on your genitals, even they can spread through oral sex. Whereas, Type-1 HSV mostly cause cold sores, and Type-2 HSV usually cause genital herpes, But any one of them can be found in both area. 

Here are certain things that can outbreak or trigger a cold sore, including:

• Stress.
• Fever.
• Some kind of food.
• Colds.
• Allergies.
• Your periods.
• Fatigue.
• Dental work.
• Cosmetic surgery.
• Being in strong sunlight or sunburn.

When to Consult Your Doctor?

Most of the time, a cold sore will heal by itself, even without any treatment. But if you want, you can consult your healthcare provider when you see these symptoms:

• The cold sore doesn’t heal within two weeks. 
• The cold sore returns in a short time duration.
• When you have a weak immune system.
• Symptoms are severe.
• You have painful or gritty eyes.

Conclusion:

Cold sores are caused when you come in contact with a virus named herpes simplex virus. It is a small blister filled with fluid as it goes through stages. It is said that there is no cure for the herpes simplex virus, but there is treatment to reduce the symptoms of a cold sore. It mostly happens if you make physical contact with the person who already has HSV or you share eating/drinking utensils with them. Sometimes, using the same towel, toothbrush, and razor can also cause a cold sore. If you have a cold sore, contact your doctor for treatment.