The herpes simplex virus is a virus which causes viral infections all over the human body. There are two types of herpes simplex viruses, namely type I and type II. Many doctors and experts believe that it is the type I virus which causes infections above the waist while the type II causes the genital infection. Herpes cold sore symptoms for both types are somewhat dissimilar to each other despite sharing a common name.

The term cold sore is commonly used to describe the viral infections that type I virus usually causes.

Symptoms

Herpes cold sore symptoms include a slight degree pain in the affected area, weeping blisters which occur in and around the oral cavity, fever, redness in the affected area and itchiness. The blisters in the lips and mouth can form a bigger blister when two smaller blisters are close to each other. The presence of these herpes cold sore symptoms may cause the affected individual to have some difficulty eating and talking. The symptoms of this viral infection are constant and highly similar for both the oral cavity and the eyes. While infection of the eyes by the herpes simplex virus is not common, it can occur to many people especially those to whom this area has always been readily affected. For herpes cold sore symptoms in the eyes, the signs may not appear as severe as those in the mouth or lips but the effects may be more permanent. The presence of ulcers is one of the herpes cold sore symptoms in the eyes and can cause considerable scarring in the eyes. The scarring almost always affects the person’s eyesight.

Cold sore early symptoms include a tingling sensation in specific areas in which the blisters will form. This tingling sensation is called prodrome. The sensation usually occurs a few hours or a day or two before the actual blisters develop. Herpes cold sore symptoms which precede the actual blisters and accompany the prodrome can also be a swelling or redness hours before the blisters erupt. This symptom is the actual development of the blister and is often accompanied by an itchy or sore feeling.

Cold Sore Triggers

Once a person develops a cold sore or gets infected by the herpes simplex virus, the virus will forever stay in his or her body. It can lay dormant for months or be actually triggered by factors which include exposure to certain environmental factors like sunlight, allergies and others. Stress and trauma can also be blamed for the rise of the virus along with the manifestation of herpes cold sore symptoms.

A cold sore is a condition that usually occurs in the oral cavity of a person, although other moist parts of the body may be affected at times. This condition is actually caused by a virus which may not be totally eliminated by the human body, even with the use of various treatments. This means that the condition may recur at any time when the human body is under considerable stress or if the immune system is not up to its usual standard of defense.

Symptoms

The various cold sore symptoms or manifestations include a slight tingling sensation in and around the oral cavity including the lips and mouth, sometimes even the nose and eyes, while another cold sore symptom is the appearance of the small blisters on the lips and mouth. The nose is usually spared the blisters but there have been cases where this symptom may also occur in the nasal cavity. Pain is among the different cold sore symptoms that may occur in any person with this virus. The degree of pain is mild and quite bearable but the inconvenience of the appearance of the cold sore symptoms may hinder speech and eating. Cold sore eye symptoms may be similar to the symptoms of that of the cold sore in the mouth with regards to the formation of a blister and the presence of slight pain in the affected area.

The very first occurrence of a cold sore in the life of a person may be the most severe. Cold sore symptoms of this primary attack may include a high fever, manifestation of many sores in and around the oral cavity, bleeding gums and swollen glands. Other recurrences of cold sores may not be as severe as the primary occurrence.

Treatment

The treatment of cold sore symptoms and the virus itself that causes the condition may be different. While home remedies for cold sore symptoms may work at defeating the blisters and alleviating the pain, treating the virus may require the need for medical attention. Many topical medications work well for cold sore symptoms but oral anti viral medications work best in fighting off the virus the causes this condition. There may be topical creams and ointments with properties that can address both the cold sore symptoms and the viral infection.

The appearance of cold sore symptoms should instantly alert a person to the current situation. The immediate application of ingestion of medicines can help keep the infection to a minimum and limit the time of occurrence.