I have had cold sores before, although I don't get them very frequently. Whenever I did have a symptom that a cold sore was coming, I would normally feel like a dry spot on my top lip. Now I noticed a small red spot like close to the inside of my top lip. I'm thinking it's a cold sore, but not sure. I was wondering if it sound like a cold sore to you guys.

It could very well be a cold sore. If, after reading the symptoms page I provided, you think it is a cold sore you need to take precautions. Do not touch your eyes after touching the cold sore, this can cause you to get a sore on your cornea, which has the potential to cause serious damage and blinding. Also, do not share drinks or towels with anyone, as you can pass it to them. If it is a cold sore, you are definitely not alone. Something like 50% of teenagers in the US have them, and by the time people hit there 50's something like 80-90% have the virus that cause them. Anyway, hope this helps.

Cold Sores

Thanks for the advice

Also go get some Abreva. It works really well especially at the first signs of a cold sore. It helps get it from getting really gross and blistery.

You that medicine really is good. I always try to catch the cold sore very early so it won't get big and nasty looking

This doesn't address you original question, I know, but some info about my experience with cold sores...

A "med" I've found to work well is a lemon balm ointment... sometimes called "melissa officinalis" or "melissa cream"

There are a number of sites that sell or manufacture a lemon balm, but the one I bought from is called "cold sore relief" made by Lomapharm. Do a search on it and you'll find places that sell it... for ex:

Cold Sore Relief (TM) with allantoin - Soothing relief of cold sores, fever blisters, windburn, and chapping

I've found that using this early, when it just feels like a tingle, can dramatically reduce the sore... I really can't believe how well it works when used early. Started using it when the abreva didn't do the job I wanted and someone recommended the lemon balm.

I will look into it. Thanks for sharing

I was reading what the other people posted and I was wondering if the abreva or the lemon balm help if the cold sore has already developed? I have never really had them before so I didn't know what to do when I got it and I think I did everything wrong and its pretty bad at the moment but I have been using carmex... I was wondering how long it will take to go away and if carmex is any good

Well what I normally do is use abreva and then put blistex medicated ointment on top of it for a couple days. That normally helps, and I usually catch the cold sore before it get a chance to develop. The lemon balm thing is new to me though and I still have yet to look that up

The signs and symptoms of cold sores:
- The first symptoms (prodromal) usually appear during an outbreak are tingling, burning, or itching.
- Within a few hours to days, this area become reddened and develop small red bumps, which than develop into fluid-filled blisters.

As long as I wash my hands before and after I put medication on my cold sore, I won't b spreading the infection to anywhere else on my body right?