Healing fever blisters
Fever blisters usually heal as the blister dries and crusts, while early antiviral treatment may shorten symptoms for some patients.
The short answer
Fever blisters are recurrent herpes simplex lesions that usually appear on or around the lip and pass through blister, crust, and healing stages.
What is the direct answer?
The virus remains in nerve tissue and can reactivate with illness, stress, sun exposure, or local irritation.
What does this question mean?
A tingling or burning feeling may come before clustered fluid-filled blisters, followed by crusting and repair of the skin.
The clinician compares the history with the mouth examination and selects tests that match the suspected tissue or mechanism.
What can you do next?
Keep the area clean, avoid picking the crust, wash hands after touching it, and avoid kissing or sharing lip products while a lesion is active.
A clinician can recommend an antiviral medicine when treatment is appropriate, particularly if episodes are frequent, severe, or starting with tingling.
When should you seek dental care?
Seek care if the lesion is near the eye, unusually extensive, very painful, recurrent, or not healing as expected.
Get medical advice promptly if you have a weakened immune system or if a newborn or vulnerable person may have been exposed.
What should you ask the dentist?
Does this lesion look like a fever blister or another mouth sore?
Would an antiviral medicine help at the tingling or blister stage?
Frequently asked questions
Can home care identify the exact cause?
Home care may ease irritation, but an examination is needed to identify the affected tissue and cause.
What information should I bring?
Bring the start date, triggers, progression, recent dental work, injury details, and current medicines.