Cold Sore Transmission

Question

Dear Doctors,

My friend says he has a cold sore on his mouth today. He said it's not in a contagious form since it just appeared and actually I can't see any blisters although his lip looks red (as it usually does). Anyway at dinner tonight we were talking, and he is kind of a spitter when he talks. I'm pretty sure maybe some of his spit (keep in mind, nothing big, obviously, but a tiny tiny tiny bit of spit) landed in my eye. Now i'm worried that I can get a herpes infection in my eye. Similarly, let's say he talks to me and some of the spit landed on my lips (again, we're not talking a lot of spit here, more like a tiny, tiny drop), does this mean I can get a cold sore, too? I would appreciate an answer for both questions. I hear these things can spread only by contact, but still I'm very nervous.

Thanks.

SJJJ · Answer

A related discussion, Is the Herpes Virus Air Borne? ...In Droplets of Saliva? was started.

Shara · Answer

My cold sore began last week, about 5 days ago. This is not my first cold sore...I usually get them when I'm stressed, so what I have done is very stupid and I really can't believe that I did this!  When I was putting my makeup on, I applied too much on the cold sore so I took a q-tip and rolled it over the makeup on the cold sore and laid it on the bathroom vanity. I always use a clean q-tip to swab the inside corners on my eye after apllying liquid foundation to take the excess from the corner eye area. Guess what I did? I used the q-tip that had makeup on that was on my cold sore. My question is...should I be concerned? I used a warm kleenex right away to clean around the eye and I have since used about 15 to 20 drops of Tears solution to help flush my eye out. Is this adequate or should I be getting something from my doctor or the optometrist?? Please answer soon...I'm panicking like  crazy!!!
Thanks for your help.
Shara

swatelite · Answer

Thanks for your help. It didn't seem that he had an "active," open blister. So are you saying it's not contagious at that stage? What about my question regarding the eye... is it the same answer? I feel better but i'm still a little apprehensive.

ForumMD-Rockoff · Answer

Unless the lesion is open and weeping, little virus comes out, whether onto your lip, or eye, or anywhere.

Dr. Rockoff

ForumMD-Rockoff · Answer

I guess theoretically herpes virus could be transmitted by spitting, but I can't recall ever seeing a case, and I've seen a lot of cold sores.  Also, if you can't see any obvious blisters, then even if he's right and it is a cold sore (and sometimes people interpret tingling as an active lesion that never materializes), it isn't likely to be very transmissible even by direct contact.

I think you'll be fine.  But you may want to sit farther away . . . 

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

Cold Sore Transmission

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