Brief Answer: Kindly send details and high resolution pictures Detailed Answer: Hi, Welcome and thanks for posting your query to healthcare magic. I can understand your concern towards fever blisters around your mouth. Before I can answer your concern can you please take pains in letting me know certain important information regarding the incidence: 1. Is it a previously diagnosed condition by a dermatologist as fever blister or a certified medical practitioner. 2. Since how long the fever blisters are present. Is it the first episode or is recurrent episode of the condition. 3. Are these fluid filled, grouped vesicles present less than 72 hours or more than 72 hours. 4. Is there any pain or itching over the same. If there any pain or itching then is it- mild/ moderate or severe. 4. How often in a year you get these fever blisters (less than three or more than 3 times a year). I humbly request you to kindly send few good resolution pictures of the face area ( both the side and front) so that it can be analyzed best. You have a feature to upload images by yourself at the right side of the query page, please utilize that so that I can answer your queries better. Or else, you can send as an attachment to YYYY@YYYY with the subject as "Attn: Dr. Sanjay Kumar Kanodia). "Wish you good health" with regards, Dr. Sanjay Kumar Kanodia (MD - Dermatology)

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Brief Answer: Take oral and topical anti-virals at the earliest Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for your swift follow up and sending the picture. After analyzing the picture and getting the important information, I can make out that you have cold sore also known as hereps labialis. It is a viral infection and there fore the best mode of therapy is by antiviral drugs. I wanted to know the exact time period of the present episode. Even then let me tell you that if it is less than 72 hours then the antiviral tablets would be most effective for the problem. Though in case if the episode is more than 72 hours then also there will be good effect as in case of spreading infection. If I were your treating dermatologist then would have suggested you to take antiviral tablet at the earliest as below: > Acyclovir 200 mg five times a day for 5 days or 400 mg three times a day OR > Valacyclovir 500 mg twice daily for 3 days OR > Famcyclovir 125 mg twice a day for 5 days Additionally I would have suggested you to apply antiviral cream such as "Acyclovir 5% cream" along with continuation of Docosanol (Abreva ) cream. YOu can apply "Acyclovir 5% cream" for 5 times a day and Docosanol (Abreva ) cream for two times a day. Apply both the creams in a very thin layer so that it should not be visible to the naked eye. As you get this problem just once a year so there is no need of any type of prophylactic therapy which we usually prefer in patients above 3-6 or more episodes per year Reduce your stress, strain work pressure, exposure to cold or sun light and more of these related factors as all these initiates and aggravates the condition. I hope you got your answers and if you have any further queries I will be glad to help. With regards, Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia (MD - Dermatology)

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