Symptoms of Cold sores
Symptoms of Cold sores
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources
for Cold sores includes the 8
symptoms listed below:
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The list of other diseases or medical conditions
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for Cold sores includes:
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alternative diagnoses for Cold sores
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Other Possible Causes of these Symptoms
Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list
of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions,
or drug side effect causes of that symptom.
Medical Books Online about Cold sores
Medical Books Excerpts
Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Cold sores
are available from published medical books
for more detailed information about Cold sores.
Medical Books Excerpts
- Common cold
- "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)" (2005)
- [ read ]
- Mouth lesions
- "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
Related videos for Cold sores
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Patient Surveys for Cold sores
Symptoms of Cold sores: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE!
Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration,
for more information about the symptoms of Cold sores.
Genital herpes:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
After a 3- to 7-day incubation period, fluid-filled vesicles appear, usually on the cervix (the primary infection site) and possibly on the labia, perianal skin, vulva, or vagina of the female and on the glans penis, foreskin, or penile shaft of the male. Extragenital lesions may appear on the mouth or anus. In both males and females, the vesicles, usually painless at first, will rupture and develop into extensive, shallow, painful ulcers, with redness, marked edema, tender inguinal lymph nodes, and the characteristic yellow, oozing centers.
Other features of initial mucocutaneous infection include fever, malaise, dysuria and, in females, leukorrhea. Rare complications (generally from extragenital lesions) include herpetic keratitis, which may lead to blindness, and potentially fatal herpetic encephalitis.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Herpes simplex:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
In neonates, HVH symptoms usually appear 1 to 2 weeks after birth. They range from localized skin lesions to a disseminated infection of organs, such as the liver, lungs, or brain. Common complications include seizures, mental retardation, blindness, chorioretinitis, deafness, microcephaly, diabetes insipidus, and spasticity. Up to 90% of infants with disseminated disease die.
Primary infection in childhood may be localized or generalized and occurs after an incubation period of 2 to 12 days. After brief prodromal tingling and itching, localized infection causes typical primary lesions. These erupt as vesicles on an erythematous base, eventually rupture and leave a painful ulcer, followed by a yellowish crust. Vesicles may form on any part of the oral mucosa, especially the tongue, gingiva, and cheeks. Healing begins 7 to 10 days after onset and is complete in 3 weeks.
Generalized infection begins with fever, pharyngitis, erythema, and edema. Vesicles occur with submaxillary lymphadenopathy, increased salivation, halitosis, anorexia, and a fever of up to 105° F (40.6° C). Herpetic stomatitis may lead to severe dehydration in children. A generalized infection usually runs its course in 4 to 10 days. In this form, virus reactivation causes cold sores — a single or group of vesicles in and around the mouth.
Genital herpes usually affects adolescents and young adults. Typically painful, the initial attack produces fluid-filled vesicles that ulcerate and heal in 1 to 3 weeks. Fever, regional lymphadenopathy, and dysuria may also occur.
Usually, herpetic keratoconjunctivitis is unilateral and causes only local signs and symptoms: conjunctivitis, regional adenopathy, blepharitis, and vesicles on the lid. Other ocular effects may include excessive lacrimation, edema, chemosis, photophobia, and purulent exudate.
Both types of HVH can cause acute sporadic encephalitis with altered level of consciousness, personality changes, and seizures. Other effects may include smell and taste hallucinations and neurologic abnormalities such as aphasia.
Herpetic whitlow, an HVH finger infection, affects many nurses. First the finger tingles and then it becomes red, swollen, and painful. Vesicles with a red halo erupt and may ulcerate or coalesce. Other effects may include satellite vesicles, fever, chills, malaise, and a red streak up the arm.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Common cold:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
After a 1- to 4-day incubation period, the common cold produces pharyngitis, nasal congestion, coryza, headache, and burning, watery eyes. Additional effects may include fever (in children), chills, myalgia, arthralgia, malaise, lethargy, and a hacking, nonproductive, or nocturnal cough.
As the cold progresses, clinical features develop more fully. After a day, symptoms include a feeling of fullness with a copious nasal discharge that commonly irritates the nose, adding to discomfort. About 3 days after onset, major signs diminish, but the “stuffed up” feeling generally persists for about a week. Reinfection (with productive cough) is common, but complications (sinusitis, otitis media, pharyngitis, and lower respiratory tract infection) are rare. A cold is communicable for 2 to 3 days after the onset of symptoms.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Stomatitis and other oral infections:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Acute herpetic stomatitis begins suddenly with mouth pain, malaise, lethargy, anorexia, irritability, and fever, which may persist for 1 to 2 weeks. Gums are swollen and bleed easily, and the mucous membrane is extremely tender.
Papulovesicular ulcers appear in the mouth and throat and eventually become punched-out lesions with reddened areolae. Submaxillary lymphadenitis is common. Pain usually disappears 2 to 4 days before healing of ulcers is complete. If the child with stomatitis sucks his thumb, these lesions spread to the hand.
A patient with aphthous stomatitis typically reports burning, tingling, and slight swelling of the mucous membrane. Single or multiple shallow ulcers with whitish centers and red borders appear and heal at one site and then reappear at another. (See Looking at aphthous stomatitis.)
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Cold injuries:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Frostbite may be deep or superficial. Superficial frostbite affects skin and subcutaneous tissue, especially of the face, ears, extremities, and other exposed areas. Although it may go unnoticed at first, frostbite produces burning, tingling, numbness, swelling, and a mottled, blue-gray skin color when the person returns to a warm place.
Deep frostbite extends beyond subcutaneous tissue and usually affects the hands or feet. The skin becomes white until it’s thawed; then it turns purplish blue. Deep frostbite also produces pain, skin blisters, tissue necrosis, and gangrene. (See Recognizing frostbite.)
Indications of hypothermia (a core body temperature below 957 F [357 C]) vary with severity:
❑ mild hypothermia — temperature of 89.67 to 957 F (327 to 357 C), severe shivering, slurred speech, and amnesia
❑ moderate hypothermia — temperature of 867 to 89.67 F (307 to 327 C), unresponsiveness or confusion, muscle rigidity, peripheral cyanosis and, with improper rewarming, signs of shock
❑ severe hypothermia — temperature of 777 to 867 F (257 to 307 C), loss of deep tendon reflexes, and ventricular fibrillation. The patient may appear dead (in a state of rigor mortis), with no palpable pulse or audible heart sounds. His pupils may be dilated. A temperature drop below 777 F causes cardiopulmonary arrest and death.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Herpes simplex:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
Primary infection in childhood may be generalized or localized.
In neonates, HVH symptoms usually appear 1 to 2 weeks after birth. They range from localized skin lesions to a disseminated infection of such organs as the liver, lungs, and brain. Common complications include seizures, mental retardation, blindness, chorioretinitis, deafness, microcephaly, diabetes insipidus, and spasticity. Neonates with disseminated disease have a high mortality.
Generalized infection
After an incubation period of 2 to 12 days, onset of generalized infection begins with fever, pharyngitis, erythema, and edema. After brief prodromal tingling and itching, typical primary lesions erupt as vesicles on an erythematous base, eventually rupturing and leaving a painful ulcer, followed by a yellowish crust. Healing begins 7 to 10 days after onset and is complete in 3 weeks.
Vesicles may form on any part of the oral mucosa, especially the tongue, gingiva, and cheeks. In generalized infection, vesicles occur with submaxillary lymphadenopathy, increased salivation, halitosis, anorexia, and a temperature as high as 105° F (40.6° C). Herpetic stomatitis may lead to severe dehydration in children.
A generalized infection usually runs its course in 4 to 10 days. In this form, virus reactivation causes cold sores — single or grouped vesicles in and around the mouth.
Localized infection
Genital herpes usually affects adolescents and young adults. Typically painful, the initial attack produces fluid-filled vesicles that ulcerate and heal in 1 to 3 weeks. Fever, regional lymphadenopathy, and dysuria may also occur.
Usually, herpetic keratoconjunctivitis is unilateral and causes only local symptoms, including conjunctivitis, regional adenopathy, blepharitis, and vesicles on the lid. Other ocular symptoms may be excessive lacrimation, edema, chemosis, photophobia, and purulent exudate.
Other signs and symptoms
Both types of HVH can cause acute sporadic encephalitis with an altered level of consciousness, personality changes, and seizures. Other effects include smell and taste hallucinations and neurologic abnormalities such as aphasia.
Herpetic whitlow, an HVH finger infection, commonly affects health care workers. First, the finger tingles and then it becomes red, swollen, and painful. Vesicles with a red halo erupt and may ulcerate or coalesce. Other effects may include satellite vesicles, fever, chills, malaise, and a red streak up the arm.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Common cold:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
After a 1- to 4-day incubation period, the common cold produces pharyngitis, nasal congestion, rhinitis, headache, and burning, watery eyes; the patient may experience fever (in children), chills, myalgia, arthralgia, malaise, lethargy, and a hacking, nonproductive, or nocturnal cough.
As the cold progresses, signs and symptoms develop more fully. After a day, signs and symptoms include a feeling of fullness with a copious nasal discharge that usually irritates the nose, adding to discomfort. About 3 days after onset, major signs diminish, but the “stuffed-up” feeling may persist for a week.
Reinfection (with productive cough) is common, but complications (sinusitis, otitis media, pharyngitis, lower respiratory tract infection) are rare. A cold is communicable for 2 to 3 days after the onset of symptoms.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Stomatitis and other oral infections:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
Acute herpetic stomatitis begins with burning mouth pain. In immunocompromised individuals, reactivation of the herpes simplex virus infection may be frequent and severe. Gums are swollen and bleed easily, and the mucous membranes are extremely tender. Papulovesicular ulcers appear in the mouth and throat and eventually become punched-out lesions with reddened areolae. The small vesicles rupture and form scales. Another common finding is submaxillary lymphadenitis.
Pain usually disappears from 2 to 4 days before healing of ulcers is complete.
A patient with aphthous stomatitis will typically report burning, tingling, and slight swelling of the mucous membrane. Single or multiple, small round ulcers with whitish centers and red borders appear and heal at one site but then appear at another. The painful stage lasts 7 to 10 days, with healing complete in 1 to 3 weeks.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Cold injuries:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
Both frostbite and hypothermia produce distinctive signs and symptoms.
Frostbite
Two types of frostbite can occur: superficial or deep. Superficial frostbite affects skin and subcutaneous tissue, especially of the face, ears, extremities, and other exposed body areas. Although it may go unnoticed at first, upon returning to a warm place, frostbite produces burning, tingling, numbness, swelling, and a mottled, blue-gray skin color.
Deep frostbite extends beyond subcutaneous tissue and usually affects the hands or feet. The skin becomes white until it’s thawed; then it turns purplish blue. Deep frostbite also produces pain, skin blisters, tissue necrosis, and gangrene.
Hypothermia
Indications of hypothermia (a core body temperature below 95° F [35 C]) vary with severity.
❑ Mild hypothermia produces a temperature of 89.6° to 95° F (32° to 35° C), severe shivering, slurred speech, and amnesia.
❑ Moderate hypothermia results in a temperature of 86° to 89.6° F (30° to 32° C), unresponsiveness or confusion, muscle rigidity, peripheral cyanosis and, with improper rewarming, signs of shock.
❑ Severe hypothermia produces a core temperature of 77° to 86° F (25° to 30° C), with loss of deep tendon reflexes and ventricular fibrillation. The patient may appear dead, with no palpable pulse or audible heart sounds. His pupils may dilate, and he’ll appear to be in a state of rigor mortis. A temperature drop below 77° F (25° C) causes cardiopulmonary arrest and death.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Herpes Simplex Virus:
Herpes Simplex Virus - signs & symptoms
(The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult)
- Neonatal infection:
- HSV-2, the most common cause of neonatal infection, is usually acquired from maternal labial lesions, but a history of previous or current genital HSV infection is present in only 20–30% of mothers who deliver infected infants. HSV-2 can be transmitted to the infant without rupture of the amniotic membranes or after delivery by cesarean section:
- HSV-1 can be transmitted to a neonate by any adult with active herpes labialis.
- A vesicular rash or bullae are present at birth or within a few days in almost all infants.
- Disseminated infection (32% of cases) involves the liver, lungs, adrenals, and sometimes the CNS.
- Localized CNS infection (33% of cases) presents with irritability, bulging fontanelle, or seizures.
- Localized skin, eye, or mouth infection (35% of cases) presents with rash alone, keratitis, or chorioretinitis.
- Gingivostomatitis:
- Fever and irritability precede the development of vesicular lesions on the lips, gingiva, and tongue. The vesicles then break down and become gray ulcers that are friable and bleed easily.
- Children refuse to drink because of the mouth pain and are at risk of dehydration.
- The child usually starts to improve in 3–5 days and recovers in 14 days.
- Latent virus causes recurrent stomatitis or labiitis.
- Encephalitis:
- The illness begins with fever, malaise, and irritability that last 1–7 days and progress to mental status changes, seizures, and coma. Meningeal signs are not common.
- Patients can develop hemiparesis, cranial nerve palsy, and visual field defects.
- No presence of oral or genital lesions
- It is the result of a primary infection in 30% of cases and recurrent in 70%.
- Vulvovaginitis:
- 35–50% of patients with the 1st episode of genital herpes will be able to give a history of genital HSV infection in their contact.
- The primary illness is characterized by fever, headache, malaise, and myalgias. Local genital symptoms include severe pain, itching, dysuria, vaginal or urethral discharge, and tender inguinal adenopathy. The genital lesions begin as vesicles and progress to ulcers before they crust over. Lesions last for 2–3 weeks.
- An aseptic meningitis syndrome occurs in 1–35% of cases. Patients will have fever, headache, meningismus, and photophobia.
- Latent virus causes recurrent episodes, which are painful but less severe than in primary infections.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult, 2008
Article Excerpts About Symptoms of Cold sores:
Both HSV 1 and 2 can produce
sores (also called lesions) in and around the vaginal area, on the
penis, around the anal opening, and on the buttocks or thighs.
Occasionally, sores also appear on other parts of the body where the
virus has entered through broken skin. (Source: excerpt from Genital Herpes, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID)
Cold sores as a symptom:
For a more detailed analysis of Cold sores as a symptom, including causes, drug side effect causes, and drug interaction causes, please see our Symptom Center information for Cold sores.
Cold sores: Onset and Incubation
Incubation period for Cold sores: up to 20 days after exposure
Medical articles and books on symptoms:
These general reference articles may be of interest
in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
About signs and symptoms of Cold sores:
The symptom information on this page
attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Cold sores.
This signs and symptoms information for Cold sores has been gathered from various sources,
may not be fully accurate,
and may not be the full list of Cold sores signs or Cold sores symptoms.
Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Cold sores may vary on an individual basis for each patient.
Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they
are indeed Cold sores symptoms.
Genital herpes remains one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases, but most don't know they are infected. Learn how to stay safe and...
Adults may already know the new ways to avoid catching and spreading the flu. But you may need to teach these behaviors to kids. Listen to an...
Our parents told us to cover our mouths when we cough. But that might not be the best strategy for flu prevention. Listen to an infection control...
When you have watery eyes, a runny nose, congestion and sneezing, how can you tell if it's a cold or an allergy? Find out the difference and the...
See full list of 4 related videos
» Next page: Diagnostic Tests for Cold sores
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