All You Need to Know About Cold Sore Stages

Many guide books will erroneously inform you that there are five separate cold sore stages, when there are actually six distinct stages. The often omitted sixth stage is really the first stage which occurs before the cold sore appears, when there are not any visible symptoms. This is known as the latent stage. During this stage, the virus which causes cold sores lies dormant in the system, hidden within the ganglia of nerves. Thirty-three percent of individuals infected with this virus stay in this phase, never having any symptoms to alert them that the virus is inside their body. As the virus does not exhibit any symptoms when in the latent phase, the only method of identifying its presence is the blood test. With no visible symptoms, there is no need for medicine.

Five Observable Cold Sore Stages

Prodome is the name given to the first among noticeable cold sore stages. During this early stage, the latent virus becomes active and spread to your skin's surface through nerve endings. You may notice a burning or tingling sensation, accompanied by itchy or dry skin as this happens. The prodome stage typically last about 48 hours before the cold sore progresses to the next stage.

The next stage is when inflammation occurs. This is called the pre-sore stage. In this stage, the cold sore virus goes into the cells of the nerve, irritating it and causing a red appearance. The skin will develop what appear to be small pimples or tiny blisters, often in groups. These will be painful when touched. It is common to experience fevers and headaches during the pre-sore stage.

When the tiny blisters begin to burst, the cold sore has entered the third stage. The blistered areas will begin to merge and form an open sore. This stage is very painful and many infected individuals choose to remain at home in bed until it passes. Remaining at home may be a good idea, as during this time you will be most infectious and likely to pass the virus that causes cold sores onto another person. Discharge from the erupted blisters contains many strands of the virus and has the potential to infect any area on your body that it has contact with.

The penultimate stage of your cold sore is scab formation. This stage can be very painful, especially when the skin moves because it tears the scabs open. You are still contagious during the scab formation stage as pus can still escape from your sore. During this stage, your scab can form and drop off multiple times. As new skin develops beneath the scab, the area will become increasingly itchy and uncomfortable.

The final cold sore stage is the post scab phase. During this stage your scab will fall off, revealing the new skin that has formed beneath it. However, your recovery does not end here. You must allow time for the new skin to grow stronger as many cells will remain damaged beneath the skin's surface and need time to repair themselves. Fortunately, this process will not be very noticeable as you heal and the sensitivity of your newly formed skin should disappear within 2 weeks.