Do you or someone in your immediate family occasionally suffer from cold sores? By age 50, an estimated 80-90% of adults are infected with the virus that causes cold sores. Often called fever blisters, this common ailment is nothing serious, but it is sometimes painful and embarrassing. What are these unsightly blisters? How are they spread? And how can you help prevent them? Keep reading to find out!
Cold sores often occur during a viral illness, like a cold. Cold sores are actually small clusters of blisters that usually form around the mouth or on the lips. The herpes simplex virus is the cause of these sores, although a person can be infected and never have an outbreak or show any symptoms at all. Factors that can trigger a cold sore outbreak include stress, fever, and trauma to the mouth area, like sunburn or a surgical procedure.