Difference Between Fever Blister and Cold Sore

Fever Blister vs Cold Sore

When an individual, mostly a female, contracts the herpes virus, one is vulnerable for a fever blister or cold sore. These will put a risk for the individual and the people around him or her as this is highly contagious at its eruption stage.

A fever blister or cold sore is just the same. However, it is different from canker sores or mouth ulcers. Mouth ulcers occur inside the mouth while fever blisters occur outside the patient’s mouth particularly around the lip area, the face, and near the mouth.

Fever blisters and cold sores are caused by a virus. A patient gets it through kissing and through transmission of the virus from the saliva of a person who has it too. There are five stages of blister or cold sore formation. The process of formation of having a cold sore will take around 8-12 days.

The first stage is the tingling stage. In this stage, the patient will experience a tingling or soreness on the area in which the cold sore would erupt eventually. The blister stage comes next as there is an evident formation of fluid-filled pus on the mouth area. The third stage is the ulceration stage. In this stage, the blisters would break and then ulcerate. In this phase, the cold sore is very contagious and painful as well. Next is the crusting stage in which the cold sore will eventually crust and have a dry formation of the wound due to a lack of moisture. There is also an increase risk of bleeding at this stage.The last stage is the healing stage in which the scars will resolve on their own usually without leaving scars behind.

To prevent the transfer of this virus to others and to other parts of the body, a person who is infected must always wash his or her hands to prevent cross-infection of the virus. Anti-viral drugs as prescribed by the doctor can treat this illness but not totally cure it. They can only suppress it for a while. When the immune system is weak, there is a chance of a re-eruption of this virus inside the body. For pain, painkillers can be prescribed.

Summary:

1.Fever blisters and cold sores are just the same words.
2.There are five stages of formation up to healing which usually takes place between 8-12 days.
3.Prevention must be done to prevent re-infecting others because this is highly contagious.

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