Cold Sores
- Cold Sores Overview
- Cold Sore Causes
- Cold Sore Symptoms
- When to Seek Medical Care
- Exams and Tests
- Cold Sore Treatment
- Self-Care at Home
- Medical Treatment
- Next Steps
- Follow-up
- Prevention
- Outlook
- Synonyms and Keywords
- Authors and Editors
- Related cold sores articles:
Cold sores - on WebMD
Cold sores - on MedicineNet - Viewer Comments: Herpes Simplex Infections (Cold Sores, Non-Genital) - Describe Your Experience
Cold Sores Overview
Cold sores are small, painful, fluid-filled blisters or sores that appear on the lips, mouth, or nose that are caused by a virus. The sores can be painful and usually last a few days. Unlike most viral infections, the cold sore virus is not completely eliminated by the body defenses. For this reason, cold sores often recur.
Next: Cold Sore Causes »
Viewer Comments & Reviews
Herpes Simplex Infections (Cold Sores, Non-Genital) - Describe Your Experience
Please describe your experience with herpes simplex infections (cold sores, non-genital).
| Printer-Friendly Format | | | Email to a Friend |
Skin & Beauty
Get beauty tips and body treatments.
From WebMD
Skin and Beauty Resources
- Ask the Dermatologist: Anti-Aging Tips
- How Healthy is Your Skin? Start Here
- Mineral Makeup: Get the Facts
Featured Centers
- Forgot Birth Control Pill? What To Do
- Eating Out Tips
- Sad? Irritable? Assess Your Symptoms
- Contagious Coughs: Know the Dangers
- Top 10 Asthma Cities
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
New Pet Information on MedicineNet
Symptoms, Conditions, Care, & More!
Cold Sores
Stress Overview
Everyone is familiar with stress. We experience it in varying forms and degrees every day. In small doses, stress can actually be beneficial to us. It is only when the stress becomes too great, affecting our physical or mental functioning, that it becomes a problem.
- In small doses, stressors can help give us increased energy and alertness, even helping to keep us focused on the problem at hand. This type of stress is good. People may refer to the experience of this type of stress as feeling "pumped" or "wired."
- As the level of pressure gets too great, stress eventually surpasses our ability to cope with it in a positive way. Often, people describe themselves as being stressed out, burned out, or at wits end. At this point, it is important to find positive and productive ways to deal with the stress and, more importantly, to address the person or situation that is causing the stress.
- Everyone reacts to stress diffe...
Read What Your Physician is Reading on eMedicine
Herpes Simplex »
Herpes simplex viruses (HSVs) are DNA viruses that cause acute skin infections and present as grouped vesicles on an erythematous base.
Explore 80+ Centers
- Allergy
- Allergy Medications
- Anaphylaxis
- Antidepressants
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Baby's Health
- Back, Neck, Head Injury
- Bioterrorism, Warfare
- Blood, Lymphatic System
- Bone, Joint, Muscle
- Brain, Nervous System
- Breathing Difficulties
- Burns
- Camping
- Cancer, Tumors
- Children's Health
- Cholesterol
- Cold and Flu
- CPR, Choking
- Cuts, Scrapes, Bruises
- Dementia
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Diabetic Coma, Insulin Shock
- Digestive System
- Dislocations
- Drowning
- Drug Overdose
- Ear, Nose, Throat
- Emotional Wellness
- Endocrine System
- Environmental Injuries
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Exercise, Nutrition
- Eye, Vision
- Fainting
- Fever
- First Aid, Emergency
- First Aid Kits
- Food Poisoning
- Foreign Bodies
- Fractures, Broken Bones
- Glaucoma
- Headache
- Health, Medical
- Heartburn, GERD, Reflux
- Heart, Blood Vessels
- Heart Attack
- Hepatitis
- Immune System
- Incontinence
- Infections
- Kidneys, Urinary System
- Lung, Airway
- Medications
- Men's Health
- Mental Health, Behavior
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Nosebleeds
- Osteoporosis
- Outdoor Living
- Overexposure
- Poisoning
- Procedures
- Psoriasis
- Public Health
- Scuba Diving, Swimming
- Seizures
- Senior Health
- Shock
- Skin, Hair, Nails
- Sleep Disorders
- Social, Family Health
- Sports Injury
- Sprains, Strains
- Statins
- STDs
- Substance Abuse
- Teen Health
- Teeth, Mouth, Oral Health
- Weight Management
- Wilderness Emergencies
- Women's Health
- Wounds



