Cold sore. Fever blister. Herpes simplex virus-1. These babies go by a lot of different names, but the experience is always the same:
- Tell-tale burning or itching near the lip
- Red bump appears a day or so later
- Bump becomes a cluster of blisters
- Blisters dry up and scab over
- The scab falls off
The whole process usually takes two weeks or less.
Infamous for irritating pain and ruining first dates everywhere, cold sores sure wreak a lot of havoc for something so small.
A cold sore is a symptom of the herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) in your system. HSV-1 is so common that most people are exposed to it in childhood. Many people can have and spread the virus without ever actually having a cold sore. (more…)
