Cold sores are painful blisters that appear around the mouth, which burst, weeping a clear fluid that is highly contagious. The resulting lesion is both painful and unpleasant to see and therefore demand for treatments that relieve cold sore symptoms is in big demand - especially when you consider that 90 percent of the adult population is infected, with up to 40 percent of these suffering one or more cold sore outbreaks each year. After a few days the open sore begins to form a scab, and the total healing time from start to finish is generally 7-10 days, although some people suffer for longer.

Canker sores are often mistakenly diagnosed as cold sores, although treatment is very different. Below are the different stages of a cold sore outbreak to help identify and treat cold sores effectively:

· Tingling
The arrival of a new cold sore blister is signified in many people by the tingling sensation, as the virus wakes up from its dormant state and moves towards the surface of the skin, replicating as it does so. This is also sometimes described as an itching or burning sensation below the surface of the skin in the area that cold sores appear.

· Blistering
After 2 or 3 days fluid filled blisters appear, which may combine into a larger blister.

· Weeping
The blister or blisters burst and weep the clear fluid contained within. The open lesion is painful and reddish and is at its most highly contagious at this stage. Avoid touching and wash your hands to prevent spreading to other body areas or to other people.

· Scabbing
The blisters begin to dry out after 5 to 8 days, forming a brownish or yellowish crust.

· Healing
After 10 to 15 days scabs will have disappeared completely.

In addition to the cold sore symptoms above, some people, particularly the young, also experience other symptoms. These include fever, sore throat and swollen lymph nodes in the neck which can be treated as they occur.



Did you find this article on cold sores useful? If so you might like to find out more about cold sore symptoms at http://www.coldsoretreatmentguide.com/cold-sore-treatment/