Am I more likely to get cold sores from family if I have a cut on my lip?

[cfw1234]

Several of my family members have cold sores and recently one of them has an active outbreak and I shared food with her and we often share utensils and cups. I have had really chapped lips lately, would that make me more likely to get the HSV virus?

[auntiejessi]

I don't mean to sound as if it were yesterday, I'd be freaking out. I wouldn't be worrying about herpes at all. I'd probably be more worried about the flu.

[cfw1234]

The last time we ate together was New Year’s Eve and most info online shows that it could take up to 2 weeks for symptoms to appear is that correct? Luckily I never ate off a utensil or drank from a cup right after but while eating from the same plate I could have come into contact with saliva. Also she was the one preparing the food that night and I remember her touching the cold sore a lot to apply cream and then not washing her hands.

It’s been about 4 days so I’m still a bit worried I could have gotten it. Do you know if I would definitely have a cold sore and symptoms if I did get the virus for the first time or if it would just stay in my system until years later?

Thank you!

[auntiejessi]

You won't get this from eating from the same plate. You just won't. You won't get it from her preparing your food. She is not a walking, talking biohazard.

If you were ever actually exposed, and you weren't, then it could take a couple of weeks for blisters to appear, if they did. Keep in mind that 90% of those with oral hsv1 never get cold sores. This is NOT A BIG DEAL.

I sense, and I say this kindly, that anxiety is not new for you. Perhaps it's time to talk to your doctor about this. There is help for this.

[auntiejessi]

Yes, but no one really knows by how much. A lot depends on how much virus he/she has present in the outbreak, how much time had passed between their use of the utensil and yours, how chapped your lips are, etc. There is just no way to quantify this.

Have you ever been tested for hsv1? You may already have it and not know it. 90% of those with it never get a cold sore. Ask your doctor for a type specific IgG herpes blood test.

Honestly, it's cold and flu season. You are really better off not sharing anything right now (or ever, but at least not right now).

[cfw1234]

I think I was tested before college because my family had it and I wanted to know if I did too. I didn't use fork or cup right after  without washing in between but at meals we pretty much ate from the same bowl and same dishes so I'm wondering if the saliva could have gone into the food and been transferred to me when I ate a piece of food she touched. I think the days that we were sharing was when it was just a red sore and I remember seeing fluid filled looking blisters. It didn't seem to be open or weeping until today and by now I've stopped sharing anything just to be safe.

My lips are pretty dry and I was worried because at the corner it did bleed a little bit when I peeled it. Her cold sore is also on the corner of her mouth where a fork or spoon doesn't touch much but would any part of the mouth that silverware touched also carry the virus? I'm mostly worried about when we ate out of the same plates at meals with food that touched her fork since the cups in the household are usually washed and put away for a day before I go use one she might have used.

[auntiejessi]

There is no way to know this for sure. If you used her fork right after she did, that would be a higher risk than eating off her plate.

How long ago was this? If it's been more than a couple of weeks, and you don't have symptoms, I wouldn't worry.