Oral HSV1 appearance?

[lifeislovely]

Hi guys!

 

 

My friend started getting cold sores a few months ago. I'd say she's had two episodes over the past 3 months, each lasting about a week. Both times a cold sore appeared on the left side of her bottom lip. I saw her a lot during the summer and she knows I have GHSV1 and wants to know if its a safe bet she has oral HSV1. The blister is pretty small, but starts of red and cut-like and ends up crusty and yellowish towards the end of the healing. I told her the only way to know for sure is to get tested but this generally sounds like an oral HSV1 outbreak, correct?

 

Thank you!

[whitedaisies]

Honestly, yes, it could be an HSV1 outbreak, sounds like it, but could also be dry lips, etc. Best to get it swabbed is right and she should go within 48 onset of the blister for accurate testing.

 

 

[WCSDancer2010]

Sounds like a cold sore - but she out to get it swabbed next time to be sure, then she'll know for certain....

 

She should also get blood tested for HSV anyway if she hasn't been (odds are she hasn't if she is not sure about what they are) ... just to be sure of her full status for both ;)

[lifeislovely]

@WCSDancer2010 are all cold sores hsv1? Meaning can you get cold sores and not have herpes?

[whitedaisies]

All cold sores are herpes. Tere are 2 strains hsv1 and hsv2. Hsv1 is way more common.

[WCSDancer2010]

Cold sores are the common name for Herpes ... and 99% of all "cold sores" are from HSV1 - the other 1% is from HSV2

 

Many people also get Canker sores inside their mouth - most are from other causes like an imbalance in the micro-flora in the mouth, high acid foods eroding the skin, etc ... very few of this kind of sore come from Herpes....