Needle or pin
Sterile gauze
Bandage
Gas stove, candle or other open flame
Wastebasket
Lip balm with aloe vera
Prepare Your Equipment
Step 1
Wash your hands and the skin surrounding the fever blister with soap and water. Pat dry with a clean towel.
Step 2
Open the sterile gauze pad by making a small tear in one corner. Slowly peel back the wrapper without touching the gauze inside. Set the wrapper on the counter, with the gauze still inside.
Step 3
Light a stove burner or candle.
Step 4
Hold your needle in the flame until the tip glows red.
Pop the Blister
Step 1
Advance the needle into the fever blister until it pops. Drop the needle into the garbage immediately so it doesn't contaminate the surfaces of your work area.
Step 2
Press the sterile gauze against the blister for a few minutes to absorb the fluid. Drop the gauze into the garbage when you are done.
Step 3
Apply a bandage if fluid continues to flow. Drop the wrapper into the garbage immediately.
Step 4
Empty the garbage, especially if you have children or pets.
Step 5
Wash your hands with soap and water. Dry with a clean towel.
Keep Skin Clean and Dry
Step 1
Clean the sore with mild soap and water every morning and night.
Step 2
Pat dry with a disposable towel or tissue.
Step 3
Apply lip balm with aloe vera to seal in moisture.
Step 4
Wash your hands with soap and water. Dry with a clean towel.
Tips and Warnings
- Wash your hands before you handle a fever blister to reduce your risk of getting a bacterial infection on top of the viral infection that causes fever blisters. Wash your hands after you handle a fever blister to reduce your risk of spreading the infection to other people and other areas of your own body. Clean objects that come into contact with fever blisters, such as towels and eating utensils, before sharing them with others. If you share a bathroom with others, keeping a roll of paper towels in the bathroom so other don't accidentally use your towels and contract the virus.
- Avoid skin to skin contact, such as kissing and oral sex, until your fever blisters resolve. Fever blisters usually heal within 10 to 14 days. If your symptoms last longer, see a doctor or dentist.
Things You'll Need
- The Academy of General Dentistry estimates that 30 percent of Americans suffer from fever blisters, which are also known as cold sores and herpes labialis. Fever blisters present as flaccid 1-mm to 2-mm blisters filled with clear, yellow-tinged fluid that rupture spontaneously three or four days after they appear. Some people with fever blisters prefer to pop the lesions, although there is no evidence that this accelerates healing. Popping a fever blister increases the risk of spreading the infection, so it's important to practice good skin hygiene when you are done. Since blister fluid is highly infectious, you must discard the tools you use to pop the blister immediately after you're done.
References
- Academy of General Dentistry: What Are Cold Sores?
- American Social Health Association: Learn About Herpes: Oral Herpes
- "Archives of Internal Medicine"; The Treatment of Herpes Simplex Infections; C. Cernik et al.; 2008
