Cold sores commonly known as fever blisters If you feel itchiness or a mild burning sensation on your lips then it may result into cold sore. Cold sore is contagious and can spread through sneezing, coughing and contact of the infected person.

Those small wounds come on your lips and the mouth. Cold sores can be painful and embarrassing as they appear at random. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) causes cold sores. Cold sore spreads through this virus. Cold sore can spread through common touch of infected person. In this way cold sore is a contagious disease.

Many are under the impression that herpes and cold sores are same but in real, they are not. There are two types of herpes simplex virus, HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV-1 usually causes cold sores. This found in many people but in inactive form. Usually person gets this virus at the age five. It will come in active form after puberty.

Kissing, sneezing, coughing or touching a cold sore will lead to the transmission of the HSV-1 in a person. This virus can be even through a common touch. Cold sore is highly contagious. A child can get this virus through a parent contact. Most of the people get their first cold sore after puberty even if they receive the various earlier.

When someone comes in contact with a person with cold sore, the chances of being infected are very high. A cold sore has different phases up to the maturity. In the tingle stage, the virus is activated. This stage can be responsible for the contamination.

Cold sore is contagious in every stage. The next stage is weeping stage and is more near for the infection. In the weeping stage of cold sore, the risk of spreading the virus increases. At this stage, the sore burst opens and expels a clear liquid. Here comes crusting stage when the sore scabbed over. The risk of infection is greater than normal in the crusting stage. These are the stages and possibilities of being infected by cold sore. In every stage, cold sore is contagious.

If you drink water from the same glass of the person having cold sore you can be gifted with cold sores. Cold sores are highly contagious. You can get cold sore from using knife, fork or spoon touched by infected person. Avoid sharing towels, washcloths or napkins. The cold sore virus can endure on almost everything. Keep yourself away from the personal belongings of someone who has the disease.

Once you come across cold sore virus HSV-1, it will be with you for rest of the life. The virus may lie inactive beneath your skin. It can be reactivated easily.

Stress is the biggest trigger in women. The dormant herpes virus becomes active whenever a person is stressed out. It will create outbreak. The rise in the hormones in female body seems to trigger cold sores outbreak that is in menstrual cycle. Protect yourself from sunlight. It can cause a cold sore outbreak.