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Odd sore on lip

I have an odd sore on my lip that showed up about 3-4 days ago. It is located in the meaty portion of my lower lip, almost left center (not on the edges), and when I closed my mouth, it is still on the outside of my lip.  It started about 2 days prior to that with what is best described as a hard bump underneath the skin, like a slightly fat lip (but I didn't hit it at all). No tingling, burning, fevers.

Then on Friday morning, the skin started breaking down slightly, and by Friday evening, it was an open sore.  It felt just like a canker sore but looked like I took off the very top layer on my lip in a circle without edges.  There was no drainage, it would just cover over with the goopy stuff that covers canker sores.  Very sore to touch and painful.   I can still eat fine.

It is now longer horribly painful, but still feels very raw and still covering with the white stuff.  If I do not keep it moist, it will dry up and will crack and bleed.  If kept moist, it will stay goopy.  I can pull off the white stuff and it looks like very raw skin underneath. The hard bump underneath the skin disappeared slowing since Friday.
I also had this exact thing happen spontaneously as well almost exactly 16 months ago.  Nothing prior to that and nothing since then until now.
I am married and otherwise healthy
1.  Could this be a herpes 1 lesion that just showed up now?  From my limited knowledge of HSV, my understanding is that they typically don't bleed.
2.  Is this just an odd canker sore in an odd location?
3.   I'm worried if it is contagious that I should not be kissing on my kids or husband. I don't want to pass it to anyone.
4. Is there any OTC or prescription treatment that would speed up the healing?


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Avatar universal
Hey there, I had a similar experience with bad oral thrush... a doctor told me it was herpes but when I got tested it was negative, and so were every other STD tests I went through... they had no idea, but it was a yeast infection as I finally went and got a culture done. Most doctors won't do biopsy or cultures... it's really hard to get them to do it. Demand a culture be done, get STD tests, and if everything is normal... it's probably yeast or just badly chapped lips... milia and fordyces can get easily infected check into that with a dermatologist.
Helpful - 0
242489 tn?1210497213
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Canker sores are in the mouth, not on the lip itself.  Therefore:

1.  Could this be a herpes 1 lesion that just showed up now?  From my limited knowledge of HSV, my understanding is that they typically don't bleed.
Yes, it could.  Sometimes they'll bleed if rubbed.

2.  Is this just an odd canker sore in an odd location?
Doubt it.

3.   I'm worried if it is contagious that I should not be kissing on my kids or husband. I don't want to pass it to anyone.
Once it dries up, it shouldn't be contagious.

4. Is there any OTC or prescription treatment that would speed up the healing?

You can try Abreva, which is non-prescription.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff
Helpful - 0

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