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A member asked:
Can the herpes virus spread to my lungs by licking a cold sore on my lips?
A doctor has provided 1 answer
No: The kind of herpes virus that gives you a "cold sore" is almost always type I (versus type II which is the typical cause of genital herpes), and lives within your body controlled by your immune system, until there is some "stress" (like a cold) and it can come on on your lip. This may be recurrent (due to colds, sun exposure, other stressors). It typically does NOT spread, even to lungs.
Answered 3/12/2016
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