In this article, I want to clear up the confusion regarding whether or not fever blisters and cold sores are the same things. Many people aren’t crystal clear on this subject, and so I want to bring clarity to the topic of fever blisters vs cold sores in this post.
I’m going to explain in detail this concept and provide you with an education that will help you improve your life.
First of all, I want you to know that I suffered from cold sore outbreaks for about 20 years of my life.
And for a few years, I would get a cold sore on average every 2-3 months.
It was no fun.
The humiliation and loss of self-esteem were totally crushing. During outbreaks, I suffered from depression and anxiety, and I would avoid contact with people as much as I could.
Are Cold Sores and Fever Blisters Exactly the Same?
Okay, it’s time to reveal the truth behind the topic of fever blisters vs cold sores, and it might not be what you were expecting to learn.
The truth is…
Fevers blisters and cold sores are the exact same thing.
“Fever blister” is actually just another common name for a “cold sore.” They are exactly the same, but people call them by different names due to not really knowing specifically what causes fever blisters and cold sores, or due to a preference of one term over the other.
Now that you know the truth about fever blisters vs cold sores, I want to go even deeper into what causes these nasty sores that break out on or around your lips and other places.
Causes of Cold Sores a.k.a Fever Blisters
I’ll never forget the day I learned what causes fever blisters/cold sores. I had a cold sore blister on my lip, with some medicinal ointment on it, and my friend looked at me and said “ooh gross! You have herpes!”
How did I respond? “No man, it’s just a cold sore!”
What I didn’t realize at the time, was that my cold sore outbreaks were in fact caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV).
Yes, I said it…herpes.
Imagine my shock when I learned that I had herpes labialis. In medical terms, “labia” is a general term for “lip.”
“Great!!! I have lip herpes!” I thought to myself (with sarcasm).
HSV
When I got home, I went to my computer to do some research. I found out that my friend was right…fever blisters/cold sores are caused by a type of herpes virus.
There are two types of herpes simplex virus, and both can cause cold sores.
HSV-1 typically is responsible for cold sores, and HSV-2 is most often the cause of genital herpes. However, both types of HSV can cause cold sores or genital herpes (e.g. from oral sex).
After primary infection, the virus resides in the associated dorsal root ganglion where it lies dormant until an external stimuli (such as stress or immunosuppression) initiate reactivation of the virus from dormancy.
Unfortunately, the virus lives on forever, and that’s why people continue to get cold sores over and over again.
There is no cure…only methods for prevention and treatment.
The Virus that Lives Forever…
Many people that visit my website as the question: “Why do I keep getting cold sores?”
To provide an answer to this question, I’m going to quote a passage from an awesome Virology Blog:
“Herpes simplex viruses are associated with latent infections, a type of persistent viral infection that lasts for the life of the host. Infection with herpes simplex virus begins with intimate contact with an individual who is shedding the virus.
Virions enter the oral or genital mucosal tissue and replicate, perhaps producing one or more lesions. While the infection runs it course and the lesion disappears, the virus makes its way into sensory nerve endings and finds a permanent home in neurons.
There the viral DNA remains silent until an insult – stress, ultraviolet light, hormonal changes – triggers viral replication. New virions are made, which travel to the epithelial surface, resulting in a lesion. Shed virus may be transmitted to others. The lesion heals and viral replication ceases until the next insult.”
In basic terms, there is an initial infection with the virus, then the virus makes a home and moves into your nerve endings, where it lies dormant until you have a weakened immune system, sunburn, stress, or some other factor that results in viral activation, replication, and finally…fever blister/cold sore outbreak.
Common Triggers
Now you know that the herpes simplex virus is what causes fever blisters/cold sores, and you also know why you keep getting fever blisters/cold sores – because the virus lives in nerve endings forever – and there is no cure – only prevention, and treatment.
According to HopkinsMedicine.org, 50 percent to 80 percent of U.S. adults have herpes simplex virus.
However, not everyone suffers from fever blister/cold sore outbreaks. The lucky ones with oral herpes never have a fever blister/cold sore outbreak. For the unlucky ones, they suffer from fever blisters/cold sores on a regular or semi-regular basis.
Although the specific triggers that cause fever blisters/cold sores to recur are unclear, several factors may play a role.
Some factors are:
- A recent fever
- Emotional stress
- Immunosuppression
- Physical injury
- Surgery
- Dental work
- Menstruation
- Hormonal changes
- Sunburn
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Certain foods (e.g. nuts, seeds, chocolate)
Symptoms
The following information on fever blister/cold sore symptoms was taken from MayoClinic.org.
A cold sore usually passes through several stages:
- Tingling and itching – Many people feel an itching, burning or tingling sensation around their lips for a day or so before a small, hard, painful spot appears and blisters erupt.
- Blisters – Small fluid-filled blisters typically break out along the border where the outside edge of the lips meets the skin of the face. Cold sores can also occur around the nose or on the cheeks.
- Oozing and crusting – The small blisters may merge and then burst, leaving shallow open sores that will ooze fluid and then crust over.
Signs and symptoms vary, depending on whether this is your first outbreak or a recurrence. They can last several days, and the blisters can take two to four weeks to heal completely. Recurrences typically appear at the same spot each time and tend to be less severe than the first outbreak.
During first-time outbreaks, some people also experience:
- Fever
- Painful eroded gums
- Swollen lymph nodes
- A headache
- Muscle aches
- A sore throat
Children under 5 years old may have fever blisters/cold sores inside their mouths and the lesions are commonly mistaken for canker sores. Canker sores involve only the mucous membrane and aren’t caused by the herpes simplex virus.
Treatment
Over the span of 20 years, I tried many things for treating my fever blisters/cold sores. Some worked alright, and some were nothing short of a miracle.
Here are common cold sore treatments:
Key Concepts
To sum things up, let’s review these key concepts:
- Fever blisters/cold sores are the same thing, but people call them by different names.
- Fever blisters/cold sores are tiny blisters that develop on the lips or around the mouth.
- Fever blisters/cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV).
- They typically last from 7-10 days untreated.
- After initial infection with the virus, it lies dormant in the nerve endings, where it stays for life.
- The virus can be activated by triggers such as fatigue, injury to the affected area, and in women – their period.
- Studies suggest that about 80-90% of people in the US have been exposed to HSV-1, and about 30% have been exposed to HSV-2.
- There is no cure for cold sores, but you can do things to prevent and treat them.
- The virus is highly-contagious and is typically passed on to kids under the age of 10 from their parents kissing them.
The key to cold sores is to prevent them from forming in the first place.
Thus, I encourage you to check out my Ultimate Guide to Preventing Cold Sores.
It’s free and has absolutely everything you need to know.
If you have any questions about the topic of fever blisters vs cold sores, please post them in the comment box below.
Sarah Cummings says
I’ve always wondered this exact thing. I’ve only heard the term fever blisters once and it was by a friend who was adamant it wasn’t a cold sore. I think I have the perfect article to show her!
Matt says
Awesome!!!