Cold sores are small pimples on the lips, these fluid-filled sores may also appear on mouth and nose. These sores are painful and last for a few days. They are caused by a type of virus called Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV). This virus has two types; type I and type II and cold sores are mostly caused by Type-I. HSV-I are contagious from person to person. Infected saliva can also be a cause of transmitting the virus. Among other ways which can contribute in transferring this disease are from contaminated surfaces, towel or washcloths. The virus is not completely eliminated, so they often recur.

After the first infection, the virus enters the nerve cells and travels up the nerve until it comes to a place called a ganglion. Sometimes, the virus can start replicating again and travel down the nerve to the skin, causing new cold sores. This way or similar it seems to be associated with recurrence. A few symptoms are fever, colds, or the flu. That's why sometimes it is called fever-blisters. Exposure to the sun, stress, changes in the immune system, hormonal changes, such as menstruation, and trauma to the skin are the other main symptoms.

In the first place avoid getting cold sores by not sharing stuff like lip balm, toothbrushes, or drinks with other people who might have cold sores. The virus that causes cold sores is transmitted through the nose (in mucus) and the mouth (in saliva). People who have the virus know that cold sores can flare up from things like too much sun, stress, or being sick. Just one more reason to lather on is that suntan lotion, eat well, exercise, and get plenty of sleep.

Here are some tips for keeping yourself comfortable, if you do have cold sores:

Suck on ice pops or cubes to ease pain and keep cold sores cool.

Don't eat acidic foods like oranges, tomatoes, and lemonade and salty, spicy foods, which can cause irritation.

Don't touch or rub cold sores in order to remove them. They may bleed or become infected with bacteria.

When cold sores recur, the blisters dry up rapidly and leave scabs that last anywhere from a day to several days, depending on the severity of the infection.

Home remedies have not been shown to improve healing, but cold compresses may relieve pain temporarily. Lysine, an amino acid, was once thought to be a potential treatment, but the evidence for this is unconvincing. Other home remedies including vitamin supplements have not been well studied.

Usually, cold sores go away on their own after a week or two. But if you get them frequently or they're a problem, talk to your doctor or dermatologist, who may be able to prescribe medication to alleviate symptoms and shorten the amount of time cold sores last.