What causes a fever blister is a virus, herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-1). The reason you have fever blisters is because you caught the virus just as you might catch a cold.
The first time the skin in or around your mouth came in contact with the herpes simplex virus, you would have had an outbreak inside the mouth -- on the gums, tongue and throat. This is called gingivostomatitis. This first infection probably happened when you were a child between the ages of six months and three years. The person you have to thank for the virus could be your father, mother, grandmother or an aunt. They may have cuddled you and smothered you with kisses, never realizing they had just infected you with a virus that will plague you throughout your life.
Fever blisters or herpes simplex virus type I is transmitted via saliva, droplets of moisture or skin-to-skin contact. If you caught the fever blisters as a small child, you may not remember it but the first occurrence probably included fever, swollen neck glands and general aches. On the other if you didn't contact the herpes or fever blisters until you were a teenager or adult, you can probably thank a former girlfriend or boyfriend.
Fever Blister Recurrence
The really bad news of fever blisters is that once you have them, you will have them forever. This is because the herpes virus hides in your nervous system, usually in a nerve located near your cheekbone. If you're lucky the fever blisters or virus may stay permanently inactive in this site. If not, the virus will periodically travel down the nerve to the surface of your skin which causes a fever blister reoccurance. These recurring blisters most often show up at the outside edge of your lip or the edge of your nostril. However they can also occur on the chin, inside the mouth or on your cheeks.
The symptoms of recurrent fever blisters are usually less severe than those of the initial infection. This is due to the fact that they typically don’t include fever and swollen glands. And the one piece of good news is that recurrences of the fever blisters often become less frequent after you reach the age of 35.
Fever Blister Prodromes
Many people who suffer from fever blisters experience prodromes, which are sort of an early warning sign that a blister is about to erupt. A prodrome usually consists of a feeling of itching, tingling, or burning or redness in the lip. The prodrome can occur one to three days before the blister appears. The reason why prodromes are your friend is because they give you time to begin treatment before the fever blister actually erupts which can make the problem much less severe. For example, if you begin treatment with an over-the-counter fever blister medicine such as Abreva the minute you feel the prodrome, you will almost certainly reduce the pain and burning of the fever blister and shorten the time to healing.
Fever Blister Treatment
There may not be any cure for fever blisters at this time but there are numerous medications available for fever blister treatment. Some of these are available only by prescription but many others can be purchased over-the-counter. The prescription medications for fever blister treatment include Penciclovir 1% cream (Denavir), Acyclovir 5% cream (Zovirax), Valacyclovir (Valtrex) and Famiciclovir (Famvir).
Viradent Gel Cold Sore Relief, Lipreve for Cold Sore Relief, Abreva Cold Sore Treatment and Zilactin Cold Sore Gel are four of the more popular over-the-counter treatments available.
What Causes A Fever Blister Recurrence?
There are a number of factors that might cause a fever blisters recurrence. Most experts believe that reactivation occurs most often as the result of factors such as trauma to the skin, menstruation, stress, fever, and exposure to the sun. A recurrence can also be triggered by other illnesses such as cold and influenza, eczema, gastric upset, fatigue or physical stress or injury.
If you experience frequent recurrences, one good idea is to try to chart what is going on in your life shortly before an eruption. You might find, for example, that your fever blisters are related to stress. If this is the case, you can at least try to reduce the amount of stress in your life. If it turns out that your recurrences seem to be caused by exposure to the sun, you can use a sunscreen on your lips. This is because studies have shown that applying sunscreen on the lips can prevent sun-induced recurrences of the fever blisters. The sunscreen should be applied before going outside and then reapplied during sun exposure.
What To Do When You Have A Fever Blister
When you are having a fever blister recurrence, make sure you don’t accidentally infect another person. This means you should avoid kissing anyone else, should wash your hands frequently, and make sure you don't touch other parts of your body after touching a fever blister.
Now that you know what causes a fever blister and its recurrences, you can do a better job of dealing with it and a mitigating the problem as much as is possible.