What causes the tingling stage before a cold sore?
It is "common knowledge" on various medical sites that before a cold sore strikes, there is a burning or tingling sensation in the skin where the cold sore will appear. What I want to know is why–what is the physiological cause of this tingling?
Tagged with: common knowledge • medical sites • strikes • tingling sensation
Filed under: Causes Of Cold Sores
In a word, it’s "neuritis". Remember that the herpes virus lives in the spinal cord nerves, and when it’s reactivated, it travels down the nerve to the skin. It is during this travel time that the nerve is irritated by having the virus travel within it (a neuritis, or inflamed nerve), and you sense that irritation with the tingling or pain or itch (however your brain interprets the irritation).
It’s not psychological it’s physical and it’s the herpes virus 1-2 starting to react. there’s not much you can do but let it run it’s course, keep it clean and use Carmax or Blistex to keep it from drying out and cracking.
Ha yeah, that is not a cold sore then.
the herpes