New to oral herpes

I never remember having coldsores until just recently this past spring. and
this happened around the time I was dating someone that gets them. Every now
and then I get this pinching/burning sensation in my top lip that almost
feels like someone poking me a few times with a pencil. but
not all times I get a small sore which is more like a pimple than anything.
My question is that when I am getting the pinching. whether I am getting a
sore or not. is that when I am contagious? Are these what oral herpes
usually feels like when it is becoming active? Is it typical to get symptoms
with no coldsores with oral herpes just as that happens with genital herpes? When I get a genital outbreak it is different. because I get aching in the
back and thighs and then itching or pricking sensations prior to the sores.

you can treat oral herpes the same as genital as far as experiencing
symptoms and no sores. I believe you are contagious when you feel the weird
sensations.
So I guess it would be safe to say that alot of people could have oral
herpes and not even get cold sores. I wonder why most of the time I don't
get cold sores. but I see alot of people that do have them.