The fact is, cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus and is considered highly contagious at times. Herpes and cold sores contagious ability can take place at anytime not just when there are active outbreaks or lesions occurring.
Cold sore commonly confused with the genital herpes virus, but it is a separate virus strain. The virus that causes cold sore is typically type 1. The type 1 of herpes simplex virus is more likely to spread through skin-to-skin contact, such as kissing and other forms of skin contact.
Herpes simplex can infect oral, genital, or anal areas. Sharing of glasses, toothbrushes, or other saliva-contaminated items also spreads it. The virus is also likely to spread through thing like sharing towels.
Over 90% of the world's population has been exposed to this cold sore virus. While the virus can be spread at any time, it is more contagious when a person has an active lesion of cold sores on their body. They usually appear on the lips, the nose or on the mouth.
Cold Sores on Nose
Cold Sores on Lips
Cold Sores on Mouth
Commonly, Cold Sores sufferers will experience symptoms before there are visible blisters that appear on the mouth, lips or nose. The symptoms are called "prodomes" and refer to sensations of burning or tingling in the areas in which a sore is beginning to develop. Also redness can begin to form as the blister is developing.
Cold Sores Stages
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The specific breakdown of the symptoms that a cold sore will cause during specific phases.
- Warning signs that cold sore is developing, including warming sensations, tingling, itching and redness.
- Antibodies are arriving to the area of the cold sore formation, causing skin swelling and redness.
- Small or large blisters begin to form on the lips, mouth or nose.
- The blisters develop into larger sores, often accompanied with pain.
- The sores or blisters begin to dry up, forming scabs.
COLD SORES AND GENITAL HERPES
Just like I've mentioned above, Cold Sore is commonly confused with the genital herpes virus. Technically speaking, genital herpes and cold sores are two different things. They affect different parts of the body and have their own distinctive characteristics. They are, however, very closed related; meaning that cold sores can turn into genital herpes and vice versa.
For example, if your partner has genital herpes and you perform oral sex on him/her, there is a good chance that you'll eventually develop oral herpes and subsequently; cold sores. Likewise, if you have oral herpes and perform oral sex on your partner, he/she will definitely develop genital herpes, as both cold sores and genital herpes are highly contagious.
What's important is that you educate yourself on what herpes is and how it may infest itself on different parts on the body, and take precautionary measures to prevent yourself from getting infected, or yourself from infecting others.
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