March 26th, 2009 12:57 PM ET As a new feature of CNNhealth.com,
our team of expert doctors will answer readers’ questions.
Here’s a question for Dr. Gupta. Asked by Kaley, Tucson, Arizona
My roommate has been getting cold sores around her mouth since
she was a little girl. I have never had one until very recently.
Is it true that once you get a cold sores, you’ll get them for
the rest of your life? What can I do to avoid getting another
one? Thanks.” Hi Kaley. Thanks for writing in. Cold sores – also
known as fever blisters – are highly contagious. The virus can
live on towels, razors, cooking utensils, cups among other
everyday household places. So you can imagine how easy it is to
pass to a roommate, as in your situation, or to a family member.
Fever blisters are the result of virus known as herpes simplex
virus one (HSV-1). While the thought of the virus infecting your
body may seem really serious, its actually relatively harmless
and quite common. Eight in 10 Americans are HSV-1 carriers,
according to the