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Can stress alone cause a cold sore?

No sun, no illness, just a rough stressful stretch, and a cold sore appears. Can stress on its own be enough of a trigger, and how do you manage stress triggered cold sores?

Community support, not medical advice. For a clinical read, use the Clinic.
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4 Alex (Labisan) · 27d ago

Thank you for sharing. For most people the biggest lever is daily sun protection on the lips, even on cloudy days.

0 AmberSummit31 · 26d ago

The mental side is real, glad someone said it.

1 SteadyWillow50 · 26d ago

Oh absolutely, mine show up like clockwork after a rough week at work even when I've been careful about sun and sleep. I honestly think stress is my biggest trigger, more than anything else.

0 BraveSummit14 · 22d ago

Yes, for me absolutely. My worst one ever showed up the week of my dad's surgery when I hadn't been outside in days, so I'm pretty sure my body just decided that was the moment to fall apart a little.