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Cold sore; Other names: fever blister, [1] herpes labialis, [1] oral herpes, [2] orolabial herpes [3] A cold sore on the lower lip. Note the blisters in a group marked by an arrow. Specialty: Infectious disease: Symptoms: Burning pain followed by small blisters or sores [1] Complications: Herpes encephalitis, herpetic whitlow [4] Usual onset ...
Oral herpes involves the face or mouth. It may result in small blisters in groups, often called cold sores or fever blisters, or may just cause a sore throat. [2] [6] Genital herpes involves the genitalia. It may have minimal symptoms or form blisters that break open and result in small ulcers. [1] These typically heal over two to four weeks. [1]
Cold sores versus canker sores To make a true diagnosis of the cold sore virus, your doctor needs to take a culture from the area and send it to the lab for analysis, says Dr. Friedman.
In adults, it is more common for the primary source to be the genital region, with a corresponding preponderance of HSV-2. It is also seen in adult health care workers such as dentists because of increased exposure to the herpes virus. [citation needed] Contact sports are also a potential source of infection with herpetic whitlows. [7]
The mouth may act as a reservoir of Candida that reinfects the sores at the corners of the mouth and prevents the sores from healing. [citation needed] A lesion caused by recurrence of a latent herpes simplex infection can occur in the corner of the mouth. This is herpes labialis (a cold sore), and is sometimes termed "angular herpes simplex". [2]
In July 2000, docosanol was approved for medical use in the United States as an antiviral agent for reducing the duration of cold sores. [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 7 ] It is an over-the-counter medication (OTC). It is sold under the brand name Abreva among others.
The spread is facilitated when a sore is present but it can happen in its absence as well. The patients may know that the virus is present on the skin when they experience the so-called "prodromal symptoms". These include itching or tingling on the skin, right before the blisters or lesions appear. The virus may spread since the first symptoms ...
About 90% of cases of herpes encephalitis are caused by herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), the same virus that causes cold sores. According to a 2006 estimate, 57% of American adults were infected with HSV-1, [ 3 ] which is spread through droplets, casual contact and sometimes sexual contact, though most infected people never have cold sores.