Cold Sores and Stress: What I Do When One Starts
Cold Sores and Stress: What I Do When One Starts
Can stress trigger cold sores? What the research says, what I do with breathwork when I feel the tingle, and what's actually proven to help.
Can stress trigger cold sores? What the research says, what I do with breathwork when I feel the tingle, and what's actually proven to help.
October 6th, 2026
October 6th, 2026
For years I had no idea where my cold sores actually came from. They'd just show up and stay for six or seven days.
Then I learned what they actually are, and I started noticing a pattern in my own life. This post is both: what the research says, and what I do. I'll keep the two clearly apart, because only one of them is proven.
What is a cold sore?
Cold sores come from the herpes simplex virus, type 1. Most people catch it as children, and it never fully leaves. After the first infection, the virus travels up the nerves and settles in clusters of nerve cells called ganglia, the main one being the trigeminal ganglion, a nerve hub that serves your face. There it stays quiet, sometimes for months or years (Raborn and Grace, Journal of the Canadian Dental Association, 2003).
Something wakes it up, and a cold sore appears. The known triggers include sun exposure, illness, periods, physical trauma to the lip and psychological stress (same source). So yes, stress is on the official list. That part is well documented.
Many people also get a warning: a burning, tingling or itching feeling where the sore is about to appear. That warning is called the prodrome, and it matters, as you'll see below.
Can stress trigger cold sores?
Why would stress matter? Your immune system is what keeps the virus quiet, and long-term stress can make it work less well. A 2015 study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine followed people with herpes simplex type 2, the genital cousin of the cold sore virus. People with high distress, moods that swung more, and less ability to regulate their emotions had shorter gaps between outbreaks.
That's a related virus, not cold sores, and it shows a link, not proof that calming down prevents anything. But it points in the same direction as my own experience.
What I do when I feel a cold sore coming
When I feel the tingle, I stop and do quieter breathwork. Usually it's bhramari, the humming breath: in through the nose, then a long, slow hum out with your mouth closed, for a few minutes. I wrote a full guide to it in The Humming Breath. Some days I do a softer, slower version of the Tetra breathing I facilitate instead.
Here's what I've noticed. That week used to be the whole story. Since I started doing this, it's more like three days, plus a bit more to fully heal. It's been consistent enough that I keep doing it.
The honest part: what's proven
No one has studied breathwork and cold sores directly. My three days are one person's experience, not a trial, and there are other possible reasons they're shorter. What I can say is that stress is a known trigger, a calmer nervous system (your body's stress and rest control system) is linked to a better-working immune system, and humming for a few minutes costs you nothing.
What is proven works best early. The NHS says antiviral creams from a pharmacist can speed up healing, and that you should use them as soon as you feel the tingle, because they don't always work once the blisters appear. Cold sores usually clear up on their own within 10 days. See a GP if one hasn't started to heal by then, or if it's very large or painful.
One is proven. The other is mine.
So my routine is both: the cream from the pharmacy, and a few minutes of humming.
If you'd like to breathe with me in a room in Amsterdam, my classes are on the sessions page, or you can book a free intro call first.
For years I had no idea where my cold sores actually came from. They'd just show up and stay for six or seven days.
Then I learned what they actually are, and I started noticing a pattern in my own life. This post is both: what the research says, and what I do. I'll keep the two clearly apart, because only one of them is proven.
What is a cold sore?
Cold sores come from the herpes simplex virus, type 1. Most people catch it as children, and it never fully leaves. After the first infection, the virus travels up the nerves and settles in clusters of nerve cells called ganglia, the main one being the trigeminal ganglion, a nerve hub that serves your face. There it stays quiet, sometimes for months or years (Raborn and Grace, Journal of the Canadian Dental Association, 2003).
Something wakes it up, and a cold sore appears. The known triggers include sun exposure, illness, periods, physical trauma to the lip and psychological stress (same source). So yes, stress is on the official list. That part is well documented.
Many people also get a warning: a burning, tingling or itching feeling where the sore is about to appear. That warning is called the prodrome, and it matters, as you'll see below.
Can stress trigger cold sores?
Why would stress matter? Your immune system is what keeps the virus quiet, and long-term stress can make it work less well. A 2015 study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine followed people with herpes simplex type 2, the genital cousin of the cold sore virus. People with high distress, moods that swung more, and less ability to regulate their emotions had shorter gaps between outbreaks.
That's a related virus, not cold sores, and it shows a link, not proof that calming down prevents anything. But it points in the same direction as my own experience.
What I do when I feel a cold sore coming
When I feel the tingle, I stop and do quieter breathwork. Usually it's bhramari, the humming breath: in through the nose, then a long, slow hum out with your mouth closed, for a few minutes. I wrote a full guide to it in The Humming Breath. Some days I do a softer, slower version of the Tetra breathing I facilitate instead.
Here's what I've noticed. That week used to be the whole story. Since I started doing this, it's more like three days, plus a bit more to fully heal. It's been consistent enough that I keep doing it.
The honest part: what's proven
No one has studied breathwork and cold sores directly. My three days are one person's experience, not a trial, and there are other possible reasons they're shorter. What I can say is that stress is a known trigger, a calmer nervous system (your body's stress and rest control system) is linked to a better-working immune system, and humming for a few minutes costs you nothing.
What is proven works best early. The NHS says antiviral creams from a pharmacist can speed up healing, and that you should use them as soon as you feel the tingle, because they don't always work once the blisters appear. Cold sores usually clear up on their own within 10 days. See a GP if one hasn't started to heal by then, or if it's very large or painful.
One is proven. The other is mine.
So my routine is both: the cream from the pharmacy, and a few minutes of humming.
If you'd like to breathe with me in a room in Amsterdam, my classes are on the sessions page, or you can book a free intro call first.
- Oscar Abad, Breathwork Facilitator
- Oscar Abad, Breathwork Facilitator
MY journal
MY journal
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A free guided breathwork session for overthinking, for the days your head will not switch off. Press play, lie down or sit, and follow my voice.
You can't choose how you breathe once you're asleep. You can choose how you get there. Here's what's actually known about slow nasal breathing before bed, and what isn't.
You can't choose how you breathe once you're asleep. You can choose how you get there. Here's what's actually known about slow nasal breathing before bed, and what isn't.
Good questions.
Honest answers.
Everything people tend to wonder before a first session, answered straight. If yours isn't here, ask me directly.
Still wondering about something? Write to me and I'll answer personally.
What is breathwork, and what happens in a session?
What is breathwork, and what happens in a session?
Breathwork covers a range of breathing patterns, each with its own effect on the body. The heart of my practice is connected breathing: deeper and faster than everyday breathing, with no pause between the inhale and the exhale. Kept going for a stretch of time, that rhythm changes the body's chemistry and lets the nervous system drop out of alert mode.
A session runs about ninety minutes: we talk briefly, then you settle in, sitting or lying down, and breathe to music while I guide the pace. We close slowly and leave time to land before you head back into your day.
Who shouldn't do breathwork?
Who shouldn't do breathwork?
Who shouldn't do breathwork? Breathwork is safe for most people, but not for everyone. Check with your doctor first if you're pregnant, have epilepsy, a cardiovascular condition, an aneurysm, glaucoma, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, recent surgery, or you're on medication that might interact, especially anything psychiatric. Not sure if something on that list applies to you? The full breakdown is on the What Is Breathwork page, or just bring it up on the intro call and we'll look at it together.
Do I need any experience?
Do I need any experience?
None. Most people arrive having never tried it. The breath does the work; you just have to show up.
How intense is it? Will it be too much for me?
How intense is it? Will it be too much for me?
This is your practice, and you stay in charge of it the whole way through. I'll guide you and encourage you to lean in, it's called breathwork for a reason, but if something feels like too much or you'd rather take it easy, you simply soften the breath. The depth is always in your hands.
Will I feel something? What if nothing happens?
Will I feel something? What if nothing happens?
There's nothing you're supposed to feel. The breath can carry you somewhere deep one time and simply leave you calm the next, and now and then very little stirs at all. Every one of those sessions counts the same.
What should I wear, and should I eat beforehand?
What should I wear, and should I eat beforehand?
Loose, comfortable clothes you can move and rest in. Eat light beforehand, a snack a couple of hours ahead is better than arriving full, and skip the caffeine that day if you can. Coffee especially; tea is fine.
Where do sessions happen? Can I do it online?
Where do sessions happen? Can I do it online?
In person only, mostly in Amsterdam. As much as I'd love to reach everyone, through a screen I can't look after you the way this work asks me to, and your safety and support come before everything else. So for now, we breathe in the same room.
What's the free intro call, and am I committing to anything?
What's the free intro call, and am I committing to anything?
It's twenty minutes, by phone or video, as you prefer. We talk about what's going on for you, I answer your questions, and if it doesn't feel like a fit, that's a perfectly good outcome too.
Can I come with a partner, or do I have to come alone?
Can I come with a partner, or do I have to come alone?
Coming on your own is actually the best way in, with no one familiar beside you, it's easier to surrender fully to the practice. That said, you're welcome to bring a partner or a friend, and for breathing as a pair there's partner breathing, where you can also come solo and be matched with someone. From time to time I run group partner breathing sessions as well.
What's your cancellation policy?
What's your cancellation policy?
You can reschedule free of charge up to 48 hours before your session. Within 48 hours of the start time, the session is charged in full. If something urgent comes up inside that window, reach out and we'll see what's possible.
Good questions.
Honest answers.
Everything people tend to wonder before a first session, answered straight. If yours isn't here, ask me directly.
What is breathwork, and what happens in a session?
What is breathwork, and what happens in a session?
Breathwork covers a range of breathing patterns, each with its own effect on the body. The heart of my practice is connected breathing: deeper and faster than everyday breathing, with no pause between the inhale and the exhale. Kept going for a stretch of time, that rhythm changes the body's chemistry and lets the nervous system drop out of alert mode.
A session runs about ninety minutes: we talk briefly, then you settle in, sitting or lying down, and breathe to music while I guide the pace. We close slowly and leave time to land before you head back into your day.
Who shouldn't do breathwork?
Who shouldn't do breathwork?
Who shouldn't do breathwork? Breathwork is safe for most people, but not for everyone. Check with your doctor first if you're pregnant, have epilepsy, a cardiovascular condition, an aneurysm, glaucoma, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, recent surgery, or you're on medication that might interact, especially anything psychiatric. Not sure if something on that list applies to you? The full breakdown is on the What Is Breathwork page, or just bring it up on the intro call and we'll look at it together.
Do I need any experience?
Do I need any experience?
None. Most people arrive having never tried it. The breath does the work; you just have to show up.
How intense is it? Will it be too much for me?
How intense is it? Will it be too much for me?
This is your practice, and you stay in charge of it the whole way through. I'll guide you and encourage you to lean in, it's called breathwork for a reason, but if something feels like too much or you'd rather take it easy, you simply soften the breath. The depth is always in your hands.
Will I feel something? What if nothing happens?
Will I feel something? What if nothing happens?
There's nothing you're supposed to feel. The breath can carry you somewhere deep one time and simply leave you calm the next, and now and then very little stirs at all. Every one of those sessions counts the same.
What should I wear, and should I eat beforehand?
What should I wear, and should I eat beforehand?
Loose, comfortable clothes you can move and rest in. Eat light beforehand, a snack a couple of hours ahead is better than arriving full, and skip the caffeine that day if you can. Coffee especially; tea is fine.
Where do sessions happen? Can I do it online?
Where do sessions happen? Can I do it online?
In person only, mostly in Amsterdam. As much as I'd love to reach everyone, through a screen I can't look after you the way this work asks me to, and your safety and support come before everything else. So for now, we breathe in the same room.
What's the free intro call, and am I committing to anything?
What's the free intro call, and am I committing to anything?
It's twenty minutes, by phone or video, as you prefer. We talk about what's going on for you, I answer your questions, and if it doesn't feel like a fit, that's a perfectly good outcome too.
Can I come with a partner, or do I have to come alone?
Can I come with a partner, or do I have to come alone?
Coming on your own is actually the best way in, with no one familiar beside you, it's easier to surrender fully to the practice. That said, you're welcome to bring a partner or a friend, and for breathing as a pair there's partner breathing, where you can also come solo and be matched with someone. From time to time I run group partner breathing sessions as well.
What's your cancellation policy?
What's your cancellation policy?
You can reschedule free of charge up to 48 hours before your session. Within 48 hours of the start time, the session is charged in full. If something urgent comes up inside that window, reach out and we'll see what's possible.
Still wondering about something? Write to me and I'll answer personally.
Good questions.
Honest answers.
Everything people tend to wonder before a first session, answered straight. If yours isn't here, ask me directly.
Still wondering about something? Write to me and I'll answer personally.
What is breathwork, and what happens in a session?
What is breathwork, and what happens in a session?
Breathwork covers a range of breathing patterns, each with its own effect on the body. The heart of my practice is connected breathing: deeper and faster than everyday breathing, with no pause between the inhale and the exhale. Kept going for a stretch of time, that rhythm changes the body's chemistry and lets the nervous system drop out of alert mode.
A session runs about ninety minutes: we talk briefly, then you settle in, sitting or lying down, and breathe to music while I guide the pace. We close slowly and leave time to land before you head back into your day.
Who shouldn't do breathwork?
Who shouldn't do breathwork?
Who shouldn't do breathwork? Breathwork is safe for most people, but not for everyone. Check with your doctor first if you're pregnant, have epilepsy, a cardiovascular condition, an aneurysm, glaucoma, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, recent surgery, or you're on medication that might interact, especially anything psychiatric. Not sure if something on that list applies to you? The full breakdown is on the What Is Breathwork page, or just bring it up on the intro call and we'll look at it together.
Do I need any experience?
Do I need any experience?
None. Most people arrive having never tried it. The breath does the work; you just have to show up.
How intense is it? Will it be too much for me?
How intense is it? Will it be too much for me?
This is your practice, and you stay in charge of it the whole way through. I'll guide you and encourage you to lean in, it's called breathwork for a reason, but if something feels like too much or you'd rather take it easy, you simply soften the breath. The depth is always in your hands.
Will I feel something? What if nothing happens?
Will I feel something? What if nothing happens?
There's nothing you're supposed to feel. The breath can carry you somewhere deep one time and simply leave you calm the next, and now and then very little stirs at all. Every one of those sessions counts the same.
What should I wear, and should I eat beforehand?
What should I wear, and should I eat beforehand?
Loose, comfortable clothes you can move and rest in. Eat light beforehand, a snack a couple of hours ahead is better than arriving full, and skip the caffeine that day if you can. Coffee especially; tea is fine.
Where do sessions happen? Can I do it online?
Where do sessions happen? Can I do it online?
In person only, mostly in Amsterdam. As much as I'd love to reach everyone, through a screen I can't look after you the way this work asks me to, and your safety and support come before everything else. So for now, we breathe in the same room.
What's the free intro call, and am I committing to anything?
What's the free intro call, and am I committing to anything?
It's twenty minutes, by phone or video, as you prefer. We talk about what's going on for you, I answer your questions, and if it doesn't feel like a fit, that's a perfectly good outcome too.
Can I come with a partner, or do I have to come alone?
Can I come with a partner, or do I have to come alone?
Coming on your own is actually the best way in, with no one familiar beside you, it's easier to surrender fully to the practice. That said, you're welcome to bring a partner or a friend, and for breathing as a pair there's partner breathing, where you can also come solo and be matched with someone. From time to time I run group partner breathing sessions as well.
What's your cancellation policy?
What's your cancellation policy?
You can reschedule free of charge up to 48 hours before your session. Within 48 hours of the start time, the session is charged in full. If something urgent comes up inside that window, reach out and we'll see what's possible.