What Are Fever Blisters?

Unsightly! That’s what fever blisters are… Painful destroyers of healthy looks. Anyone who’s ever had a fever blister knows these bumps otherwise know as cold sores are anything but pleasant. In addition to their dreaded appearance and the pain they cause they burn, release liquids, and form scabs that look like giant bumpy moles. The worse part about fever blisters is that they usually appear on faces – right at or on the lip! The nerve of them! The next worse thing about these pests is that they are a form of herpes; and once you get the virus that causes them you can get more of the suckers!

Okay… Calming down… Actually, herpes simplex virus (HSV) breakouts don’t usually appear as single bumps but rather as collections of close knit blisters. While breaking through the skin the blisters itch and burn and may be red, swollen, and somewhat painful. Because they tend to break out at or near the lip their victims may have urges to sooth them with their tongues.

During the days the affected are subjected to these dastardly scoundrels clear liquid may seep from the clusters at random. It usually takes about a week before scabs form and the obtrusion begins to shrink. Once flattened carriers may find they’ll have to deal with faint scar remnants of the affected areas.

There are two different types of herpes simplex virus. They are referred to as HSV-1 and HSV-2. Both types can rupture about the mouth area and both can cause genital herpes.

Catching HSV requires the germ to enter the skin. This can happen if a cut or scratch is present inside the mouth or in the mouth area when a person comes in contact with the germ. Ways of contacting the germ include kissing persons with the virus or otherwise touching a viral person’s saliva, sharing food sources such as ice-creams and lollipops or anything that two or persons trades licks, sharing eating and drinking ware, sharing razors, and any other means that allows the transfer of the virus from one person into another person’s mouth.

Fortunately, there is one positive thing to be said for fever blisters, they usually don’t require any type of intervention. Getting rid of them is usually as easy as them packing up and vacating on their own. Infected persons wanting to get rid of the beasts as quickly as possible can rid them one or two days sooner and help relieve excessive pain they may experience by treating the infections with ointments, creams, or pills.