Fever Blisters are blisters that appear on the lip in the form of tiny clusters. Fever blisteres are caused by herpes simplex virus of type 1(HSV-1) and are easily transmitted from person to person. Generally , people suffer from fever blisters before the age of 10. These are among the common disorders of mouth and cause much discomfort.
Fever blisters generally last a couple of weeks before disappearing. However, some people get the outbreaks of fever blisters(also known as cold sores) again and again. The HSV-1 after getting on the body of a person remains in the facial nerves and remains dormant. However, when the person suffers from cold or fever, the virus gets activated again. Mental stress, dental treatment, trauma etc. can also cause the virus to activate and hence result in fever blisters. HSV-1 although being a mild problem of the mouth, it is highly contagious and can cause serious illness in those who are just recovering or weak from other illnesses.
Fever Blisters Symptoms
The scold sore symptoms generally include fever, headache, nausea etc. The sufferers of fever blisters also experience a difficulty in swallowing, have sores in mouth and throat. However, these symptoms are only seen about a week after a person is exposed to the virus. As the virus stay in dormant form in the facial nerves of the victim, they can get reactivated due to stress, illness or overexposure to sunlight and the symptoms are repeated.
Fever blisters on lip
The main identifying symptom of fever blisters is the appearance of sores in the border of the lip. Fever blisters can sometimes also occur inside the mouth, especially in people who are suffering from other illnesses. Fever blisters on lip produce a tingling sensation leading to swelling of the lip. A bunch of fever blisters appear within the first 48 hours and turn into yellowish crusted sores. The sores turn into scabs and eventually fall off and new fever blistesr on lip may appear.
Are fever blisters contagious?
Fever blisters are contagious no doubt. Once you are sure that it’s a fever blister, quarantine your sore. Avoid kissing or getting involved in other mouth to mouth or mouth to body activities. Infected persons shouldn’t share their utensils with other people and the cups or plates they used should be disinfected properly by washing with soap and water. Besides, don’t touch your sore with your hands as you may lead transmit it to others upon touching.
Fever Blisters Treatment and cure
There are no specific treatments for fever blisters. Although there are some medicines that lessen the pain it causes, there are none manufactured to heal the sores. The cold sores can be numbed with the application of ointments. Victims of fever blisters on lip can also take some antibiotics to prevent further infections of other types.
However, some medicines meant for the treatment of herpes have been found to be helpful in healing fever blisters quicker. They cannot reduce the severity of virus but can lessen the effect of the outbreak. This however is only a means to suppress HSV-1 and decrease the intensity of virus reproduction. Some physicians recommend antiviral medicines like Penciclovir, Acyclovir, Famciclovir etc. slow down the DNA replication of the HSV-1 virus.
Fever blisters are cured automatically over time, however the person with the HSV-1 virus should prevent all mouth to body contacts with other people to prevent the transmission of the virus.