Contagious Cold Sores – Will They Spread?

If you suffer from cold sore outbreaks you may have wondered whether or not cold sores are contagious. They are indeed contagious, and extremely so. If you are experiencing an outbreak you should avoid all personal contact with others, in order to prevent spreading the virus. Someone who is experiencing an outbreak can pass on the virus even when there are no noticeable symptoms.

Cold sores are contagious from the first sign of an outbreak, known as the tingling stage, until the very end of the healing process. Let’s take a look at when the virus is most contagious, how the cold sore virus is spread from person to person, and what preventative measures you can take to avoid spreading the virus on to others.

Most people are first infected with the HSV-1 herpes virus when they are a child. For some, the virus can remain dormant in their body, and they will never experience a recurrent outbreak. Others are not so lucky. It is not uncommon once you have contracted the virus to experience cold sore outbreaks on and off throughout your lifetime.

Cold sores are most contagious immediately after they have ruptured. The liquid inside the blisters is the primary source of the HSV-1 virus and as it oozes out of the blister it is extremely contagious. You will want to practice exceptional hygiene during this stage to not only prevent infection to others, but also to keep the virus from spreading to other areas of your body.

Cold sores are contagious during all other stages, from the tingling stage, right up until the healing stage is complete. So you will want to be careful throughout the entire outbreak to not spread the virus to others. Let’s take a look at how the virus is actually spread.

The cold sore virus is mainly spread through skin to skin contact. If you are experiencing an outbreak and kiss someone, you more often than not will pass on the virus. Shaking hands with an infected person can also transmit the virus. You will also want to avoid sharing any items that may come in contact with the blisters. This includes toothbrushes, chap sticks, lipsticks and lip balms, cups, water bottles, etc. Even though you are not directly touching the infected person, the virus can still be present on any objects it has come in contact with.

You now know that cold sores are contagious, even when there are no outward signs of an outbreak. If you experience an outbreak you will most certainly want to be cautious to not spread the virus on to others. Practicing good hygiene, not sharing personal objects, and not having direct contact with others is advised for the duration of cold sore outbreaks.

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