HEALTH INFORMATION

Johanna's lip had been feeling itchy all day - itchy and a little tingly, like someone was tickling it lightly. When she woke up the next morning and her lip still felt strange, she looked in the mirror and yelled "What's on my mouth?" Her mom took a look and said, "Oh, you have a cold sore."
What's that? Johanna wondered.
What Is a Cold Sore?
A cold sore is a small blister that is reddish or purple. They are usually on the outer edge of the lip, on just one side. Cold sores can appear one at a time or in little bunches, and they are sometimes filled with fluid. They usually crust over and form a scab before they go away. They last a week or 2 and usually don't require any special treatment.
Although they're called cold sores, you don't need to have a cold to get one. Some people call them fever blisters, but you don't have to have a fever to have one, either. (Cold sores aren't the same as canker sores, which are small white sores that are always found inside the mouth.)