I don't want cold sores, never had one, what are my chances of contracting one if I...?

Question

Kissed this girl that had on LOTS of carmex, no signs of lesions, and I washed my mouth off with soap and water 30 mins later (will this have an effect)? I've tested negative for hsv-1/hsv-2 so I don't have the antibodies for it. I was very sleepy when I kissed her so my immune system was down and my lips were very dry. It's been two days and I'm worried sick because school starts in 5 days and I don't want to start off the semester with cold sores/fever blisters on my face/mouth. No offense to people with cold sores because I know many people have hsv-1, it's just that I don't want to catch it as an adult as I hear the outbreaks will occur more frequently if you did not contract hsv-1 as a child.

P.S.

How come some people with hsv-1 have an outbreak everyday (not literally) but some people barely ever do? What are the factors that determine this?

Answer 1

You may or may not have picked up the cold sore virus.  Many of us already have the cold sore virus dormant in our bodies, and never have a flare up of cold sores.  We contracted it as children, as it is a very common virus, and children pick it up easily as they often share food and drinks, and may be less concerned about hand washing and hygiene.   Cold sores can be transmitted even when the person does not have a cold sore, though it is less likely to happen then.  

People are more likely to have an outbreak of cold sores in times of stress, or when their immune system is weakened such as after a cold.  For me, spending too much time in the sun is sure to bring on an attack of cold sore.  I had cold sores all my life, and my husband never did get even one, and we were never particularly careful about it.



There is no over-the-counter medication or home remedy that cures cold sores.  Only time will take care of that.  But there is a good prescription medication for cold sores.  It will make them go away much faster, and as a result of taking this medication you will have far fewer outbreaks of cold sores.

The absolute best treatment for cold sores is a prescription medication in pill form called Valtrex.  It was intended for genital herpes, but cold sores are caused by the same family of viruses, and Valtrex stops colds sores in their tracks.  None of the other treatments come close to the effectiveness of Valtrex, not the ointment Zovirax, and certainly not Abreva or anything else.  Ask your doctor about it to see if you would be a good candidate for this medication.  My doctor prescribed it for me for cold sores about five years ago and after taking it only a couple of times I hardly ever get a cold sore any more, and before Valtrex I was having several attacks a year.  On the rare occasions that I do get one now, it is gone almost immediately when I take the medication - in about a day.    In the meantime, here are a couple of informative links.

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-t...

http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/ach...

Answer 2

If you don't ever want them...  you'd have to be very careful about kissing, sharing beverages, etc.  Always pay attention to others mouths you plan on kissing or sharing beverages with.  I have never had one of those sores and I am 32 yrs old...  but my cousin who is like 15 gets them frequently.  It's tough to avoid....  but I believe it can be done.