A cold sore is something that most people would assume come from an irritation or infection of the lip area
. Other similar things we get that look like cold sores come the same way, so why not this case? Well, it may surprise you, but the sores that you get around your lips are created by a virus. And what might sound even scarier is that this virus lays dormant in your body for years at a time. There is no cure for it either.
That isn't a big deal because 80% of people have this virus and it isn't that big of a deal. Most people will end up with a simple sore on their lip like once a year. The virus can be deadly in the most extreme cases though. If you have AIDS or some other similar problem that lowers your immune system the virus could technically spread until it kills you. This is a really extreme case that isn't likely to happen unless you refuse to seek treatment.
This virus is extremely contagious and the sore you see on your lip is the virus. In fact, when a cold sore finally cracks open and starts oozing, that is the actual virus. It is literally millions and millions of virus cells pouring out of the sore. If you don't want to spread it to someone else, don't share utensils or towels or anything that could possibly touch your lips.
I hope I didn't scare you about this virus that leads to cold sores. It isn't that big of a deal. You just have to remember to keep clean when you have one. Washing your hands is typically enough.