Fever blisters
Definition: what are fever blisters?
Fever blisters are small fluid-filled blisters that occur repeatedly at certain locations. Mostly, cold sores are found on the lips or in the mouth. They are caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1 and are also known as cold sores. Many different ointments and creams are used for treatment. Cold sores are ultimately harmless, but very uncomfortable for those affected. It can take up to 14 days for the blisters to go away.
Causes and agents of fever blisters
The cause of the cold sores is an infection with the herpes simplex virus type 1. Most people carry this virus in their bodies, but not all virus carriers get cold sores on a regular basis. There are actually various risk factors that favor the onset of a cold sore. Fever blisters mainly occur when the immune system is weakened. This is the case with stress. But the sun also weakens the skin and promotes the appearance of the blisters. Drugs like cortisone, which suppress the immune system, also make fever blisters more easily develop.
Sun
In fact, most of the time, cold sores occur when they are least useful. This is especially the case on skiing or summer vacations. The reason for this is the sun. The sun's exposure to the skin reactivates the virus that causes cold sores. Because due to UV radiation, the immune system can often no longer perform its monitoring function without restriction. And the virus that lies dormant in the cells can more easily cause infection. The risk of cold sores is particularly increased when other factors such as stress or an upper respiratory tract infection are added.
stress
Emotional stress is a major risk factor for the occurrence of cold sores. All affected patients know this. Similar to sun exposure, stress reduces the immune system. You catch a cold faster. Infections of the upper respiratory tract also favor the occurrence of cold sores. But even without a cold you have a high risk of developing a cold sore when you are stressed.
Symptoms
Usually you notice a feeling of tightness in the affected area a few days before the first cold sores appear. The fever blisters often appear on the lips. It can also cause itching or burning. Most people who suffer from cold sores can say so before the symptoms appear. After a few days, the typical small fluid-filled vesicles develop. These are preferably located on the lip, in the mouth or in the nose. This is actually the most important symptom by which you can recognize that you have a cold sore. In the further course, the blisters then burst. Often there is a superinfection with bacteria of the skin and a purulent crust then forms. After about 14 days, the ghost is over. This course of the disease is also typical for the clinical picture of fever blisters. Therefore, in retrospect, based on the course of the disease, one can also conclude that one was sick with fever blisters.
diagnosis
Diagnosing cold sores is easy. On the one hand there is the classic anamnesis. You can feel itching or burning in the area of the lips in advance. In the course of the disease, small fluid-filled bubbles form, which give the disease its name. At this stage it is almost a gaze diagnosis. The sores contain a large amount of the herpes simplex virus. They will burst as the disease progresses, and infection with bacteria may cause a purulent crust to form.
Cold sores on the lip
In theory, cold sores can appear in various places on the face. However, the most common localization is the lip. This is why the name of cold sores has become common among the population. The course of the disease is typical. Those affected already had an uncomfortable feeling of tension on the lip the day before. Then the fluid-filled blisters form, these contain large amounts of herpes simplex viruses, which are responsible for the infection with fever blisters. The contents of the vesicles are highly infectious and can trigger another herpes simplex infection at another point in the lip area. Good hygiene is therefore important. It is also important to keep your distance from others, as this can lead to the transmission of the herpes viruses. However, this is very unlikely, since over 90% of people carry the virus in an inactive form due to an early infection in childhood. You should also treat the blisters with special ointments. These ointments contain drugs that inhibit the virus from multiplying and thus speed up healing.
read more about herpes on the lips on our website Cold sore
Fever blisters in the mouth
Fever blisters in the mouth are also called stomatitis aphtosa in medical terminology. The layperson is also familiar with the term mouth rot. Fortunately, cold sores in the mouth are rather rare compared to other locations. It usually occurs as part of an initial infection with the herpes virus in children. Adults very rarely develop mouth herpes. Here the lips are the predilection point. However, there are patients with a massively reduced immune system, for example as part of an AIDS disease or after organ transplantation. In these cases, adults are at greater risk of developing mouth herpes.
Ultimately, cold sores in the mouth are always a serious disease that is associated with significantly higher levels of suffering than a cold sore. Often there is very severe pain with a fever. The gums are swollen. Vesicles are found in the oral vestibule, the oral cavity and on the roof of the mouth. The patients can usually hardly eat any more food. There is no causal therapy. One tries to numb the oral cavity with ointments that contain local anesthetics. Ibuprofen for pain and fever can also be taken. In rare cases, antiviral therapy with acyclovir may be necessary, this must be decided by the doctor.
Read more about cold sores on our website Herpes in the mouth
Fever blisters in the nose
Fever blisters most often appear on the face. The most common are the small fluid-filled blisters on the lips. This infection with the herpes simplex virus is far less common in the mouth. Fever blisters on the nose are more common, but like fever blisters on the lips, it's a harmless condition. Nonetheless, patients with nasal herpes tend to experience more pain. However, the mucous membranes of the nose are very well innervated and therefore particularly sensitive. You also have to be careful if the fever blisters spread further up into the nose. Then you should definitely consult an ear, nose and throat specialist to be on the safe side. As long as the blisters are only at the nasal entrance, you can treat them yourself with fever blister ointment. Usually the disease heals within 14 days without any consequential damage.
Read more about cold sores on our website Herpes on the nose
Fever blisters on the tongue
Fever blisters in the mouth are always a serious condition that cause considerable discomfort for the patient. Fever blisters on the tongue are extremely painful. Food intake is hardly possible any more. Speaking is also much more difficult. Fortunately, adults are rarely affected by a herpes infection in the mouth. Young children who come into contact with the herpes virus for the first time are at a higher risk of the infection spreading inside the mouth. Unfortunately, there is initially only the option of symptomatic therapy with ointments that contain a local anesthetic. The course of the disease is self-limiting. Usually the disease heals after 2 weeks without any consequences.
Are Cold Sores Contagious?
Cold sores are very contagious. Ultimately, cold sores are an infectious disease that is caused by the herpes simplex virus. The small vesicles are filled with viruses. The contents of the vesicles are therefore highly infectious. If the vesicles burst, the viruses are released. Therefore it is particularly important to pay attention to good hygiene. You should also keep your distance from other people in order not to spread the virus. Therefore one should refrain from exchanging affection for the duration of the illness.
Although it has to be said that 95% of the population already have the virus in them, even if they cannot remember a past infection with fever blisters. Often you become infected as a child, or the infection is asymptomatic. The virus then usually lies dormant in the cells until it is reactivated due to an immunodeficiency and thus fever blisters occur. Nonetheless, the contents of the cold sore are very contagious.
Are you interested in this topic? Then read our next article below: That's how contagious fever blisters are
Should one prick cold sores?
Under no circumstances should you pierce the cold sore. For one thing, the contents of the vesicles are highly infectious. There are innumerable herpes simplex viruses in the vesicles, which can only be scattered when pricked and thus infect other skin areas or transmit the virus to other people. On the other hand, piercing the blisters always promotes a bacterial superinfection. Then a purulent crust forms on the punctured fever blisters. This often lengthens the course of the disease. Therefore one should rather use the common fever blister ointments or plasters for treatment. Home remedies can also help. You can also use tea tree oil or homeopathic medicines. Pricking the vesicles does not shorten the course of the disease. If you are unlucky you will only get additional complications such as an accompanying bacterial infection. Therefore, piercing the fever blister is not recommended in any case.
Duration of illness
In summary, it can be said that an illness with fever blisters lasts about 10-14 days.
A herpes outbreak can be divided into two phases.
The first phase is also called the viral phase and lasts about 3 days. During this time the vesicles form and the virus multiplies in the vesicles. The risk of infection is particularly high at this time. If the virus vesicles burst and the contents with new viruses emptied into the environment, new areas of skin can be infected.
The wound healing phase usually begins after 3 days. This takes about 7-10 days. During this period the disease is no longer contagious. The wound must heal. At this stage, skin bacteria may settle in the area of the wound and cause a purulent infection there. Purulent crusts then form. This can extend the course of the disease by 1-2 days. The use of antiviral ointments shortens the course of the disease. Ultimately, however, the fever blisters will go away again without treatment.
Please also read our article on this Duration of a herpes infection.
therapy
There are numerous treatments available for cold sores. First, however, one should know that the course of the disease is self-limiting. Even without therapy, the disease heals in about 14 days without any consequences. Since the patients usually suffer from high levels of suffering, attempts are made to accelerate the healing process with various therapeutic measures. On the one hand, there are various home remedies whose effects have not been scientifically proven. Which is also due to the fact that nobody sets out to scientifically investigate the effects of home remedies. Home remedies include toothpaste, zinc paste, tea tree oil or lemon balm leaf tea soaked towels.
You can find out more about the various home remedies that can be used for cold sores on our website Home remedies for herpes
There are also numerous over-the-counter remedies for treating cold sores in the pharmacy. These mostly all contain the active ingredient acyclovir. This prevents the virus from spreading and thus shortens the course of the disease. Penciclovir ointments are also available from pharmacies. It is similarly effective against the herpes simplex infection. The ointments are applied to the affected skin areas several times a day. The tolerance is very good, there are virtually no side effects. There are also ointments on the market that contain blue-green algae.It is said that these active ingredients can also significantly shorten the course of the disease and accelerate healing. The ointment can also be used prophylactically to prevent a cold sore from breaking out.
You can find more about the therapy on our website:
- Cold sore creams
- Fever blister ointment
- Treatment of cold sores
Fever blister ointment
A cold sore is an infection with the herpes simplex virus. Medicines like fever blister ointment therefore usually contain the antiviral agent acyclovir. These fever blister ointments can be purchased over the counter in pharmacies. It should be applied approximately every 2 hours during the day. It is most effective when used at the first sign of the disease. However, it is still effective in the vesicle phase. Therapy with fever blister ointment shortens the healing process and relieves symptoms such as pain or itching.
In addition to acyclovir, there are also ointments with penciclovir, a similar active ingredient. Both ointments are well tolerated and have virtually no side effects. Patients who are frequently plagued by fever blisters should therefore get these ointments prophylactically from the pharmacy so that they can use them at the first signs (feeling of tightness in the lips). In addition to the fever blister ointments, it is also important to strengthen the immune system. Lots of exercise, a healthy diet and adequate sleep support the immune system in fighting the disease.
Fever blister patch
In addition to fever blister ointments with acyclovir or penciclovir, there are now also fever blister plasters. While the ointment should be applied every 2 hours daily, a fever blister plaster or patch lasts for 12 hours. Therefore, it is particularly suitable for nocturnal use. The patch should not be removed without a reason so that the wound can "breathe", this is counterproductive. The patch will come off by itself after up to 12 hours, then it should be replaced with a new one. According to the manufacturer, the use of fever blister plasters significantly accelerates wound healing and reduces crust formation. Another advantage is the fact that the plaster hides the wound somewhat. It also prevents you from scratching the blisters because they are covered by the plaster. The same applies to the fever blister plasters that they should be used as soon as possible after the onset of the disease, in this case as soon as fluid-filled blisters can be seen on the skin. These can then be covered with the fever blister plaster.
Home remedies for cold sores
There are various home remedies available to treat cold sores. There is no scientific evidence for all home remedies; this is of course also due to the fact that, unlike drugs, home remedies are not systematically scientifically investigated. Many patients apply honey to their cold sores. This can be useful because honey is said to have an anti-inflammatory effect, it has a quasi disinfecting effect. This also applies to tea tree oil. Others swear by lemon balm for herpes. Here, too, it was observed that the infection heals much faster as a result.
Ultimately, before using home remedies, you should briefly seek advice from a pharmacist, because some home remedies can cause additional irritation and damage to the skin.
Furthermore, one should make sure to strengthen the body's defenses. Lots of exercise, a healthy diet and adequate sleep support the immune system. Vitamin C and E as well as zinc can also improve the immune system. Risk factors such as emotional stress and direct sunlight should also be avoided.
For more information, see: Home remedies for cold sores
toothpaste
Many sufferers swear by toothpaste for cold sores. Ultimately, it's definitely controversial. There is no scientific evidence. Critics note that toothpaste also irritates the skin and also damages the skin in addition to the herpes infection. An effectiveness is then only described for toothpaste containing zinc. Most toothpaste types no longer contain zinc at all. Therefore, it is better to use a zinc ointment. This has a drying effect on the oozing cold sore. It is also kind to the skin.
Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil is known to have an antimicrobial effect, which is why it is also used to treat cold sores. It has a very good disinfectant effect. It is therefore important to apply it to the affected skin areas as early as possible. You can dab the skin with tea tree oil every hour. The oil is absorbed by the skin and the viruses are prevented from multiplying. However, one must be careful, as tea tree oil can also cause allergic reactions with skin inflammation. You should therefore definitely seek advice from the pharmacy beforehand and have an appropriate dilution made. Pure tea tree oil should not necessarily be applied to the skin like this.
Homeopathy for fever blisters
Of course, you can also use homeopathic medication to treat cold sores. Globules are particularly useful for cold sores. There are different globules. The circumstances also play a role in choosing the right globules. If the lip herpes was triggered by emotional distress, sodium muriaticum is recommended. If the disease occurred in connection with a febrile illness or a gastrointestinal infection, Rhus toxicodendron would be preferred. If you want to take the globules without consulting a homeopath, you should stick to low-potency globules such as D6 or D12.
Read more about this under Homeopathy for herpes.
