Cold sores or fever blisters are painful and itchy lesions that are commonly found on the lips, cheeks, or chin area. They are caused by the herpes simplex virus and are highly contagious. Though there is really no cure for cold sores at this time, there are still things that you can do to reduce the pain, speed up the healing process, and stop the spread of the virus.
One option in treating cold sores is taking Lysine capsules at the first sign of the blisters. Since the herpes virus is contagious, you have to quarantine your sore by avoiding mouth-to-body activities and kissing during an outbreak. Other helpful ways in treating cold sores include regular washing of your hands and taking antiviral medications, which are prescription antiviral drugs approved for treating herpes outbreaks. But the truth is, these drugs are not really effective in preventing the outbreaks. They are only helpful in speeding up the healing proces, and since these sores are sometimes associated with fever, these medications may also help in treating the fever in cold sore patients.
Since easing the pain is also part of treating cold sores, oral anesthetics or nonprescription sore creams are also being used. Oral anesthetics can be applied using a cotton buds. Using an ice pack is another effective pain reliever. Whole milk compress is also being used by others to speed healing or apply a mud-mask product to the sores to dry them up. Other options could be applying gel antiperspirant to the sores.
There are also some claims that applying honey to the affected area is more effective than using cold sore medications. Applying the natural antiseptic tea tree oil in the lesions is also found to dry up the sores. Other oils that can be used to treat the sores are Castor Oil and Witch Hazel Oil, which contain antiviral properties and thus helping alleviate the symptoms of cold sore being a skin problem caused by the herpes virus.
Eating healthy foods especially those that are rich in lysine is another effective tip on treating cold sores. Aside from eating nutritious foods, you can also take multivitamins like vitamin C, iron, and zinc to prevent this skin lesions.
When it comes to cold sore medications, you can only use them to reduce the pain and shorten the duration of the sores. Over-the-counter cold sore drugs can relieve the symptoms like pain and itching. Antibacterial agents on the other hand can prevent secondary bacterial infections. Lip balms can also be used to moisturize cold sores. Another moisturizing agent that can be used in cold sore scabs is petroleum jelly. This prevents the scabs from cracking, thus, prevents them from bleeding too.
Other treatment options that you may want to consider are the topical anesthetics like lidocaine, camphor, and benzocaine or oral analgesics. Some also suggest that herbal treatments like the antiseptic Sage and the sedative Violet are good for these condition. When in doubt about which treatment option to use, its best to consult your physician beforehand to make sure you are not doing more harm than good to your skin.
Author Resource:-
Carolyn Anderson wants to share good resources to help you with cold sores. For all natural cures for cold sores, check out Cold Sore Freedom in 3 Days. Also check out Banish Cold Sores, where you can find a permanent cure to cold sore.
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