virus in nose and throat

About a week ago I started feeling ill, my stomack was upset and I just felt tired. My nose was running alot, so I thought I was getting a cold. Then events started to happen. first my neck was painful to the touch due to an extreamly swollan (R.) neck gland. Next came a cold sore on my (R.) upper lip followed by what looks like a cold soar on my (R.) lower cheek. These two cold soars are starting to heal, the pusspockets have opened and are drying up and the neck gland doesnt hurt any more but now I noticed a large infected area in my (R.)nostral. It looks like  fever blisters (cawliflower clumps)and it's covering the entire inside of my nostrial (painful). I don't no how to treat it or what it could be. I've cleaned or thrown out everything I own that I put near my mouth or touch. Please tell me what this could be and if it sounds like it's going away or just moving around. Also, am I contagous.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

You sound as though you have or have had an infection.  It may have been strep throat or tonsillitis, followed by activation of a herpes (that's why they call them "fever blisters" or "cold sores").  It may be that your body will take care of all this by itself, but I stronly urge you to see a doctor as soon as you can (walk-in clinic, urgernt care center) to find out whether you need antibiotics, are (still) contagious, or whether you have latent cold sores which may recur in the future, so at least you'll know what they are, even if you don't end up doing anything about them.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff

[mikey630]

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