cold sores and kissing

[anxious nellie]

It's a new year (Jan 2) and everyone is kissing each other.  Now I am worried that a kiss may cause cold sores.  No tongue, but a kiss never the less. I think he kissed me twice.  I left after that. Why do men insist on kissing strangers who they don't know and why do we allow it. How long do I have to wait to see if I am okay. Sounds silly, but not to me.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

The chances of your catching a cold sore from someone without an obvious cold sore is pretty slim, and cold sores are quite obvious, so it's unlikely that you would have let someone kiss you if you saw a big sore on their lip.  The incubation period is a 3-5 days or so, and if you do ctach herpes and never had it before, you don't just get a cold sore but high fever, swollen glands, and sores all through the mouth and gums.  I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Happy New Year.

Dr. Rockoff

[Englishman]

Quote:

"Why do men insist on kissing strangers who they don't know and why do we allow it."


Sounds like a sweeping (and sexist) generalisation to me. All kisses I have been involved in have been a two way process! Unless he had obvious sores, I would'nt worry. Bear in mind there is a high chance you are already infected with oral HSV-1 anyway (but are asymptomatic).

Not sure I would want to attend one of your New Years parties.

Good luck.

[anxious nellie]

Didn't mean to be sweeping or sexist.

[poco1023]

Hello!  Understand how you feel.  Kissing is exactly how I get my now annoying and embarrasing yearly cold sore. It was with a b/f at the time, of course now long time ex, and he kissed me knowing he had a cold sore, which of course he denied when I approached him about my outbreak. I didn't see it until after the kiss which was too late. For me it took about 20 days before I saw anything and I never had anything like that before. It's now been 16 yrs living with this, but I just deal with them as they come. I just need to be very careful with my current b/f to make sure I never infect him, either orally or genital.

[anxious nellie]

Thanks for sharing. Wow, 20 days how do you know for sure 20 days, if you kiss your BF all the time, how can you pinpoint exact day when you were infected. I am not doubting you just seems like a long incabation period to me. I don't know this person well at all. It was quick, no tongue and I don't remember seeing any sores, but it was dark and in a bar.How stupid is that, I am so madd at myself.

[sparkeler]

You can get a cold sore by kissing your mother.  Children get them all the time.  Almost everyone has one. It's kind of unavoidable?  Don't waist your time or energy thinking about something so trivial.

[Englishman]

I accept your points. Life is full of risk. If you never want a bad thing to happen to you, then lock your doors, never kiss anyone, never have sex, never drive a car or fly a plane, never eat a peanut, never drink alcohol, never try a cigarette and never go swimming....and when you are safe locked in your house then never answer the door, never switch the gas on and never turn the lights on. Welcome to risk free life.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Well, said, Englishman.  My grandchildren attend peanut-free schools.....

Dr. Rockoff

[poco1023]

Even though it was 16years ago i remember that day like it was yesterday.  It was a pretty close kiss and when I stepped backed for some reason I looked at his lips and saw the sore. I didn't panic at that time. my first thought was he wouldn't infect me, well I was wrong. I went to the doctor immediately and was diagnosed with hsv1.  From what I was told it can happen between 2 and 20 days and for me it was the later of the to. Like I said I just deal with them as they come, but they are very embarrasing and I need to be very careful not to pass it to anyone during an outbreak.

[anxious nellie]

Thanks Dr. One more question please.  My mouth is sore on inside but I did have some dental work done a new filling in rear left top of month, but that was over a week ago. I don't have fever or swollen glands. I don't see any sores, but I do have a strange sensation on left side of mouth on outside and inside. I don't remember seeing any month sores on him, it was dark but I think I would have seen it.  with this new info, do you still feel I will be okay.The kiss happened last Tuesday, and my dental work was Thursday before last.  Sorry to be a pest, just nervous I guess.  Thank you.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Believe me, if you had herpes gingivostomatitis (inflammation of mouth and gums), you'd be sick as a dog and would have no questions about whether you have it.  Obviously, you don't.

Dr. Rockoff

[ra196]

A related discussion, cold sore was started.