Cold sores, also known as fever blisters, are groups of small blisters on the lip and around the mouth. Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus. They sometimes break open and leak a clear fluid, and scab over after a couple days. The average time it takes for a cold sore to hear varies from a few days to 2 weeks.

The herpes simplex virus that causes cold sores currently does not have a cure. After the initial infection, the virus stays in the body for the rest of your life. If you have outbreaks often, there are medications that can reduce the number and severity of your outbreaks.http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/cold-sores-topic-overview

The initial symptoms of cold sores may include pain around the area, a fever, a sore throat, or swollen glands in your neck or other parts of your body. After the cold sores appear, they usually break open and leak a clear fluid, followed by a scab or crust that remains for anywhere from a few days to 2 weeks. Cold sores can be very painful and come often for some, and others have the virus and will never have an outbreak.http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/cold-sores-topic-overview?page=2

Cold sores typically heal on their own, however if you are in a great deal of pain, or if you are embarrassed by the site of them, treatment is possible. Some options for treatment include skin creams, ointments, and in some cases pills. While treatment may not speed up the healing process all that much, it can certainly help reduce the amount of pain that the symptoms are causing.http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/cold-sores-topic-overview?page=2

Preventing yourself from getting cold sores can be very difficult, however there are some things you can be conscious of to help your cause.

1. Avoid coming into contact with infected body fluids of another person, such as kissinghttp://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/cold-sores-topic-overview?page=2
2. Avoid sharing eating utensils, drinking cups, or other items that an infected person has usedhttp://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/cold-sores-topic-overview?page=2

If you are aware of what things trigger your cold sores, such as stress or too much sunlight, it's best to avoid those as well. When you do have a cold sore, but sure to wash your hands often and avoid touching the cold sore as much as possible. This can help you from spreading the cold sore to other parts of your body, and from infecting other people around you.http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/cold-sores-topic-overview?page=2