Oral herpes symptoms can and do vary, though typically oral herpes symptoms present as an outbreak of blisters about the mouth. Prior to the apperance of blistering, a person may notice a tingling or painful sensation in the infected area. These oral herpes symptoms are often referred to as cold sores, and sometimes fever blisters, though they are actually caused by the herpes virus. Oral herpes is most commonly caused by Herpes Simplex Virus 1, or HSV 1. There is no consensus about why and when oral herpes symptoms appear, and some people who are infected with oral herpes never have symptoms at all. There are a number of treatments, both prescription and nonprescription, that have been proven effective against oral herpes symptoms. Like all herpes infections, oral herpes is generally presumed to remain in the body for life, though some treatments claim to eliminate oral herpes from the body completely.