One in two adults in the United States has the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). And one in eight adults in the U.S. has herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Both viruses cause lip discomfort and pain when a cold sore appears. Cold sores are small, fluid-filled, nasty-looking blisters on or around the lips.
The first signs of a cold sore include:

1. Itchy and tingling
The HSV-1 and HSV-2 viruses stay dormant in your body until the virus gets activated by neurological episodes we experience without knowing we experienced them.
The first sign of a cold sore is a small area of red, puffy lip skin that hurts if you touch it. Your lip may be itchy, and it may tingle while the red puffy skin turns into a blister. The blister tends to break apart, and a clear liquid will come oozing out. After a couple of days, the cold sore turns into a scab.

2. Blister clusters
Most cold sores do not pose a serious health risk. But when the virus is in the blister cluster phase, some people pick up a bacterial infection. Those people may suffer a blister cluster outbreak a couple of times a year.

3. Crusty scabs
The final stage of a cold sore is the crusty scab stage. A scab usually takes about 10-days before it falls off. The scab doesn’t leave a scar, but the virus stays in your body.

4. Eczema herpeticum
Eczema suffers the risk of developing a condition called eczema herpeticum. Eczema herpeticum is a painful skin rash. The rash is contagious if there’s skin to skin contact.

5. Red bumps
The HSV-1 virus can spread to other people when you show cold sore symptoms. When the cold sore is in the red bump stage of its replication process, or when blisters start to form, the virus can infect other people.

Herpes simplex 1 and 2 make their home in nerve cells in the skin. A cold, the flu, cold weather, stress, and too much sun can cause the virus to replicate. The replication shows up as a red bump. The red bump will turn into a blister or group of blisters on your lip.

Medical professionals recommend getting plenty of rest, drinking lots of water, and get a flu shot every year. It’s also a good idea to manage the stress and other negative issues in your life. Another recommendation is to stay out of the sun.

Cold Sore Treatments

There’s no vaccine for Herpes simplex 1 or 2. But there are a couple of effective cold sore treatments. When you first feel the pre-blister tingling feeling, Abreva Cream will help prevent HSV-1 and HSV-2 from causing more inflammation. And Abreva Cream can also prevent the herpes virus from replicating. Plus, the cream contains the only FD-sanctioned non-prescription ingredient that has a history of reducing cold sore healing time.

Lypsyl, the pure Swedish beeswax lip balm, is another cold sore treatment. Lypsyl contains Vitamins A and E, organic shea butter, and coconut oil, so it provides long-lasting moisture that protects and softens your lips. The oversized application tip ensures this moisturizing formula spreads evenly on your lips.