Cold Sores/Herpes Simplex Virus 1(HSV)?

Cold Sores/HSV is caused by a virus that starts at the ear and recurs to the lip or mouth. Where does the virus come from and dont tell me that it came from the ear unless you have a good reason why and some resource.

Cold sore is spread by skin to skin contact. (For example: Kissing a friend of the opposite sex who has cold sore but without visible symptoms).
Cold sores generally clear up without treatment. In the meantime, the following steps may provide relief:
* Use creams. Over-the-counter (OTC) creams can provide comfort, but don't expect them to speed healing.
* Take an OTC pain reliever. These include aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others). But don't give aspirin to children. Aspirin may trigger a rare but potentially fatal disorder known as Reye's syndrome.
* Use cold or heat. Try applying ice or warm compresses to the blisters to ease the pain.
* Let it heal. Avoid squeezing, pinching or picking at any blister.
Please see the web pages for more details and images on Cold sore.

I am not sure where you got the starts from the ear bit. Herpes simplex is spread by direct contact, person to person, the usual point of contact being the lips, here the membrane is slightly more permeable to the virus than normal skin. Occasionally the point of contact is elsewhere, it can be spread by oral genital contact. Here again the linking factor is entry through mucous membrane. Once established the virus can occasionally break out on other skin sites and on occasion mimic its close relative herpes zoster ( the chickenpox virus ) and break out along a dermatome ( area of skin supplied by one nerve root.)

Treatment for small areas is acyclovir cream, if the infection is more severe any of the antiviral drugs generally used for shingles, can be used.