Cold sore

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Cold sore
Mar 13, 2006
By Mayo Clinic Staff
MayoClinic.com

ARTICLE SECTIONS:
Introduction
Signs and symptoms
Causes
When to seek medical advice
Complications
Treatment
Prevention
Self-care

Introduction

The scenario is all too familiar: You feel a tingling on your lip and a small, hard spot that you can't yet see. Sure enough, in a day or two, red blisters appear on your lip. It's another cold sore, probably happening at a bad time, and there's no way to hide it or make it go away quickly.

Cold sores Û also called fever blisters Û are quite different from canker sores, a condition people sometimes associate them with. Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus, and they're contagious. Canker sores, which aren't contagious, are ulcers that occur in the soft tissues inside your mouth, places where cold sores don't occur.

Cold sores are common. Though you can't cure or prevent cold sores, you can take steps to reduce their frequency and to limit the duration of an occurrence.

Complete article is available online.