How to Catch Cold Sores

About 80 percent of adults already carry the herpes simplex virus-1 that causes cold sores on or around the mouth. Having the virus in your body doesn't mean you will get cold sores because it lays dormant in the body until it is triggered. It is not known exactly what triggers the virus to become active and create a cold sore, but for some people, anxiety or certain foods can trigger an outbreak. You can avoid getting the virus by avoiding direct contact with active herpes blisters on someone else.

Instructions

1. Avoid kissing someone who has sores on or around their mouth to prevent yourself from contracting the herpes virus that creates cold sores. Kissing someone with an active cold sore blister can transmit the virus.

2. Don't share personal care items, such as lip balm or a toothbrush, with a person who just used the item and has an active cold sore blister as this can transmit the virus. However, the risk of transmitting the virus through personal care items is low since the virus does not live very long outside the body. Still, it is wise to avoid sharing these items with someone who has an active cold sore blister.

3. Abstain from performing oral sex on someone with active genital herpes blisters. This puts you at risk for catching the herpes virus that causes genital herpes. This strain of the herpes virus can give you cold sores, but it is a different strain of the virus that is typically associated with cold sores.

References

• Cold Sores (Mouth Herpes)

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• National Institutes of Health: Cold Sores