Patient/caregiver was educated on signs and symptoms of cold sores as follows:
- Cold sores, also called fever blisters, are due to infection with herpes viruses and present as small fluid-filled blisters in patches.
- The viral infection can result in a blistering rash with itching and burning along the facial skin involved, especially on the lips, around the mouth, nose, and cheeks.
- Patients can often present with fever, sore throat, and swollen glands in the neck.
- The skin around these blisters can be inflamed, appearing red & sore and the blisters can burst open leaking fluid and leaving open sores. This fluid leaking out of the blisters is highly infectious, spreading the infection to contacts.
- The herpes infection is mostly self-limited, with the burning pain and itching continuing for two to four weeks, until the open sores dry up, crust, and resolve.
- In individuals with history of cold sores, the virus can live latent and inactive in the nervous tissues of skin involved for years. Strong and intact immune system can help keeping the virus latent, thus preventing it’s reactivation.
- The latent virus has the potential to get reactivated in future, especially under conditions of compromised immune system.
