Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List

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Symptoms of Cold sore

An outbreak of cold sores usually starts with tingling around the mouth, chin, nose, or other areas of the face.  Small fluid-filled blisters then appear, which grow in size and cause irritation and pain.  They may weep, and eventually grow a crust or scab.

Most cold sores disappear within a week or so, and they generally heal without scarring.

When you are infected with the virus for the first time, it is called the primary infection. This may have different symptoms: 

  • There may be no symptoms at all;
  • There may be only trivial symptoms such as a small spot, which you may not realise is caused by the cold sore virus; or
  • You may have a more severe infection in or around the mouth, with painful ulcers or blisters, as well as fever, swollen glands and pain when eating and swallowing.