In fact there are six cold sore stages, however most books and guides discuss the five cold sore stages only. Never displaying signs or symptoms including any pain, stage 6 is in fact the first one. At this point in time a cold sore is present however not visible, and is therefore in the latent stage. The herpes virus that causes cold sores is inactive at this point and hiding in the nerve ganglia. A third of those who contract the virus show no signs of it progressing to another stage. Blood tests are the only indicator of a inactive cold sore stage as it can be very deceptive. The virus stays "asleep" until something wakes it up. You do not need to take any medicine during the "sleeping" phase.
The first obvious stage of cold sores is known as Prodome. The dormant virus wakes up and moves to the surface of your face through the nerve endings. This occurs in the start stage of a cold sore. If you have the active virus, the first symptom you might experience is a tingling or burning feeling that is frequently combined with a nagging itching and dryness. This will last for up to two days before it progresses to stage two.
After the first stage of cold sores comes the second which is called inflammation or a "pre-sore." The virus enters the nerve cells, and redness and irritation occur. Small painful groups of blisters resembling pimples will form on the skin and this is generally the first hint. You may also get a headache and a fever.
The third stage of your cold sore's path occurs when you see the small pimples bursting open and becoming one large, open sore. The pain can in fact be so bad throughout this phase that people take to their beds. Since the discharge from the sore is full of viruses, this would be the most infectious stage. A cold sore is contagious to all other parts of your body, as well as the bodies of others.
Formation of the scab occurs in the 4th stage of cold sore development. This stage is quite painful since your facial movements can cause the scab to crack repeatedly. When the pus is oozing from the sore it is still in a very contagious stage. The scab may fall off 3 or 4 times at this point. Next you'll almost certainly feel discomfort from the new skin forming under the scab and this can become quite itchy.
The cold sore is near healing when the scab falls off and new skin is exposed. The healing process is almost complete now, as the new skin will form and strengthen; however further healing is still going on beneath the surface with new cells that have been damaged being replaced. You'll no doubt be very pleased that you do not actually feel this final process happening, and any tenderness remaining should subside within a couple of weeks.
The first obvious stage of cold sores is known as Prodome. The dormant virus wakes up and moves to the surface of your face through the nerve endings. This occurs in the start stage of a cold sore. If you have the active virus, the first symptom you might experience is a tingling or burning feeling that is frequently combined with a nagging itching and dryness. This will last for up to two days before it progresses to stage two.
After the first stage of cold sores comes the second which is called inflammation or a "pre-sore." The virus enters the nerve cells, and redness and irritation occur. Small painful groups of blisters resembling pimples will form on the skin and this is generally the first hint. You may also get a headache and a fever.
The third stage of your cold sore's path occurs when you see the small pimples bursting open and becoming one large, open sore. The pain can in fact be so bad throughout this phase that people take to their beds. Since the discharge from the sore is full of viruses, this would be the most infectious stage. A cold sore is contagious to all other parts of your body, as well as the bodies of others.
Formation of the scab occurs in the 4th stage of cold sore development. This stage is quite painful since your facial movements can cause the scab to crack repeatedly. When the pus is oozing from the sore it is still in a very contagious stage. The scab may fall off 3 or 4 times at this point. Next you'll almost certainly feel discomfort from the new skin forming under the scab and this can become quite itchy.
The cold sore is near healing when the scab falls off and new skin is exposed. The healing process is almost complete now, as the new skin will form and strengthen; however further healing is still going on beneath the surface with new cells that have been damaged being replaced. You'll no doubt be very pleased that you do not actually feel this final process happening, and any tenderness remaining should subside within a couple of weeks.
About the Author:
You might be surprised at how many truly effective ways there are to clear up your cold sores using natural remedies. You can try a number of different remedies, anything from lemon balm to ice for treating cold sores. Find out more at Home Remedies for Cold Sores.
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