What do cold sores look like at first?

Question

My son is 16 months old and for the past 2 days had a red spot near his bottom lip. It looks kinda like a pimple with out the bump just red. Today it looks a little bigger (the red spot) where its closer to his lip. This would be the 3rd day. I've never had a cold sore so I don't know what they look like when they are first starting.

I cant think of anyone who has cold sores that would have exchanged spit with him but I am so paranoid about him getting them

Thanks

Answer 1

It doesn't really sound like a cold sore.  If you do a yahoo or google search you can probably find pictures of cold sores that might help.

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.   You could have the virus yourself, even if you have never had a cold sore.  Cold sores can be transmitted even when the person does not have a cold sore, though it is less likely to happen then.  

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...