# Cold sores **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 14, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-sores/782189 "2017-03-14T20:33:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-sores/782189/1 "2017-03-14T20:33:53Z")
So I’m sitting at my desk when I hear a coworker yell, ‘Ow!’ ‘What?’ asked another coworker. The first replied, ‘I yawned, and I have a big old cold sore that split.’ More than I needed to know about my coworker. But it reminded me of a question I’ve always had. I know ‘cold sores’ (and the common cold) are caused by a herpes virus. But is it the same virus that causes genital herpes? If you kiss someone who has a cold sore, do you ‘get herpes’, as in the common usage of saying someone has herpes? [NB: No, I do not want to kiss my coworker. And I didn’t even before I heard her a few minutes ago.] ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-sores/782189/2 "2017-03-14T20:36:15Z")
I’m guessing it depends on where you kiss them, so. I’ve heard. ---
**Author:** ![igor\_frankensteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/839c29/32.png) [@igor\_frankensteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igor_frankensteen)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-sores/782189/3 "2017-03-14T20:47:57Z")
I googled “how many Herpes virus’ are there,” and got an answer of EIGHT. The quick answer it has to your question is, that the most common H virus causing “cold sores” around the mouth, is HHV1, and the most common one causing genital herpes, is HHV2. However, either one can be transmitted to either place, so there’s no telling. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-sores/782189/4 "2017-03-14T20:50:21Z")
HSV type 2 is generally passed through genital to genital contact. Cold sores are usually HSV type 1. It is possible to give someone genital herpes of the latter type through oral contact. But fortunately, if the receiver already has type 1 (gets a cold sore now and then) they have an immunity to it which will stop it from being passed to the genitals. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-sores/782189/5 "2017-03-14T22:41:45Z")
A woman giving oral sex who has a type 1 herpes and the man has type 2, she could then have both forms of the virus presenting as two cold sores on her lips. Conversely, the man with type 2 could then be presenting with two herpes outbreaks around his genitals. Idk if there is much of a difference between the two viruses except location. I could be wrong tho. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-sores/782189/6 "2017-03-14T23:26:19Z")
I don’t get it. About 2 years ago I got myself an STD test (full board). I was surprised when it came back 100% negative. I was sure they were going to find some form of herpes in there. And just a few months ago, I went to the doc for an annoying cold sore (never had one so bad). She told me it was herpes. When I told her: “But my STD test came back negative.” her answer was: “It’s not that kind of herpes. This kind isn’t a STD.” Uh, okay. Whatever that means. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![igor\_frankensteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/839c29/32.png) [@igor\_frankensteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igor_frankensteen)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-sores/782189/7 "2017-03-14T23:41:21Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > I don’t get it. > > About 2 years ago I got myself an STD test (full board). I was surprised when it came back 100% negative. I was sure they were going to find some form of herpes in there. > And just a few months ago, I went to the doc for an annoying cold sore (never had one so bad). She told me it was herpes. When I told her: “But my STD test came back negative.” her answer was: “It’s not that kind of herpes. This kind isn’t a STD.” > Uh, okay. Whatever that means. 😕 You need to understand the mechanisms of the testing. You no doubt got a specific test for Herpes Type 2, not a complete set of all eight types. Your “full board” wasn’t a full board of all HERPES types, it was a full check for all the primary expected STD’s. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-sores/782189/8 "2017-03-14T23:46:59Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > HSV type 2 is generally passed through genital to genital contact. Cold sores are usually HSV type 1. It is possible to give someone genital herpes of the latter type through oral contact. But fortunately, if the receiver already has type 1 (gets a cold sore now and then) they have an immunity to it which will stop it from being passed to the genitals. I stopped in to say this exactly. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-sores/782189/9 "2017-03-14T23:51:17Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > I don’t get it. > > About 2 years ago I got myself an STD test (full board). I was surprised when it came back 100% negative. I was sure they were going to find some form of herpes in there. > And just a few months ago, I went to the doc for an annoying cold sore (never had one so bad). She told me it was herpes. When I told her: “But my STD test came back negative.” her answer was: “It’s not that kind of herpes. This kind isn’t a STD.” > Uh, okay. Whatever that means. 😕 It means you have HSV 1 (type 2 has historically been considered the STD, though the lines are blurry due to oral sex transmission). I’m not sure what type of test you took, but if it was a blood test, it would test for antibodies, which you will not have until you first have an outbreak. It’s possible you acquired the virus a while back & are just having your first outbreak. Or it’s possible that you acquired it since taking the test. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-sores/782189/10 "2017-03-14T23:52:29Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > I don’t get it. > > About 2 years ago I got myself an STD test (full board). I was surprised when it came back 100% negative. I was sure they were going to find some form of herpes in there. > And just a few months ago, I went to the doc for an annoying cold sore (never had one so bad). She told me it was herpes. When I told her: “But my STD test came back negative.” her answer was: “It’s not that kind of herpes. This kind isn’t a STD.” > Uh, okay. Whatever that means. 😕 Herpes tests are notoriously bad. > [@](#): > > Genital herpes > > No good screening test exists for herpes, a viral infection that can be transmitted even when a person doesn’t have symptoms. Your doctor may take a tissue scraping or culture of blisters or early ulcers, if you have them, for examination in a laboratory. But a negative test doesn’t rule out herpes as a cause for genital ulcerations. > > A blood test also may help detect a herpes infection, but results aren’t always conclusive. Some blood tests can help differentiate between the two main types of the herpes virus. Type 1 is the virus that more typically causes cold sores, although it can also cause genital sores. Type 2 is the virus that more typically causes genital sores. Still, the results may not be totally clear, depending on the sensitivity of the test and the stage of the infection. False-positive and false-negative results are possible. [STD testing: What's right for you? - Mayo Clinic](http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sexually-transmitted-diseases-stds/in-depth/std-testing/art-20046019) 68% of people in the US aged 12-70 have one or both types of Herpes Simplex in a blood test, and, because the blood test is notoriously bad, there are a lot more who have it and don’t know it. 90% of people worldwide are estimated to have one or the other or both, the majority of whom never get a cold sore or a genital ulcer. [Epidemiology of herpes simplex - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidemiology_of_herpes_simplex#United_States) The betting money is always on “has herpes, doesn’t know it.” ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-sores/782189/11 "2017-03-14T23:58:02Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > So I’m sitting at my desk when I hear a coworker yell, ‘Ow!’ ‘What?’ asked another coworker. The first replied, ‘I yawned, and I have a big old cold sore that split.’ Probably wasn’t virus then. Bruise or bacterial. Any tiny cut may turn into a blister and develop the ulcer look when the ballooned section leaves a circular lesion. These swellings are called mucocele (in the mucosa of the lips ) or ranula (under the tongue, may be larger because its involving a saliva gland. ). You might call them a cyst but cysts are tough skinned… these swellings easily burst their membranes. ---
**Author:** ![Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-sores/782189/12 "2017-03-15T00:00:57Z")
It’s an aside to your main question, but regarding: > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I know ‘cold sores’ (and the common cold) are caused by a herpes virus. There are many viruses that cause the common cold, but herpes viruses aren’t among them. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-sores/782189/13 "2017-03-15T02:40:11Z")
> [@Pasta](#): > > There are many viruses that cause the common cold, but herpes viruses aren’t among them. I stand corrected. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-sores/782189/14 "2017-03-15T03:08:43Z")
> [@Isilder](#): > > Probably wasn’t virus then. Bruise or bacterial. Any tiny cut may turn into a blister and develop the ulcer look when the ballooned section leaves a circular lesion. > > These swellings are called mucocele (in the mucosa of the lips ) or ranula (under the tongue, may be larger because its involving a saliva gland. ). You might call them a cyst but cysts are tough skinned… these swellings easily burst their membranes. My assumption is that the sore was healing and starting to form a scab. The lip tissue can be very susceptible to splitting if it’s allowed to dry out and it causes a deeper wound that takes a lot longer to heal.