u/BornCompote06

I recently scratched my nose with my eyelash curler on accident and while it hurt, there was no bleeding or scratch marks. Fast forward a day and a half later and my nose is swollen and red and I have scattered blisters near where I was scratched. I have HSV-1 but have never gotten cold sores on my nose, just in three different spots on my upper lip. I haven't had any in a long time as I take valacyclovir regularly.

The virtual doc I saw said it could be cold sores or a staph infection and prescribed me topical and oral antibiotics. Obviously if it's cold sores the antibiotics won't do anything but I'll continue to take my antiviral, too.

My question is: could a scratch on my face that is somewhat near my lip trigger a cold sore if one has never happened there before and couldn't have come in contact with fluid from an active cold sore? It seems so unlikely but cold sores (on places other than lips) and impetigo look so similar so it's hard to tell.

I recently scratched my nose with my eyelash curler on accident and while it hurt, there was no bleeding or scratch marks. Fast forward a day and a half later and my nose is swollen and red and I have scattered blisters near where I was scratched. I have HSV-1 but have never gotten cold sores on my nose, just in three different spots on my upper lip. I haven't had any in a long time as I take valacyclovir regularly.

The virtual doc I saw said it could be cold sores or a staph infection and prescribed me topical and oral antibiotics. Obviously if it's cold sores the antibiotics won't do anything but I'll continue to take my antiviral, too.

My question is: could a scratch on my face that is somewhat near my lip trigger a cold sore if one has never happened there before and couldn't have come in contact with fluid from an active cold sore? It seems so unlikely but cold sores (on places other than lips) and impetigo look so similar so it's hard to tell.