A cold sore or fever blister is not only unsightly, it is also downright painful — not to mention contagious at every stage between eruption and gone. A cold sore or a fever blister is caused by the herpes simplex virus, which is very easily transmitted between people. The virus can be transferred by skin-to-skin contact, and even simply brushing a cold sore can transmit the virus. The virus can also be transferred through inanimate objects like drinking glasses or eating utensils.


The herpes simplex virus is most easily transmitted during the “weeping” stage or the ulcer stage, but it is contagious at all stages.

Prevention:
There isn’t a foolproof way to prevent cold sores or fever blisters. They usually form when the body’s immune system is not functioning at its best, so staying healthy does help. But when you feel a cold sore forming, there are a couple of things that you can do to prevent it from forming, or to at least lessen the severity.

1. Apply ice to the area. The cold helps to lower the temperature of the area and thus reduce the metabolic rate. This will help to stifle the development of the cold sore.

2. Apply a tea bag to the area. Tea leaves contain tannic acid, which is contained in many cold sore remedies.

Treatment:
There are hundreds or thousands of cold sore remedies available over the counter. You don’t need a prescription to buy them. Most all of them work well, but they do take time. You can expect a cold sore to last between a week and 10 days with treatment, and even longer without treatment.