How to get rid of cold sores

If you are among the many thousands of people who endure the misery of cold sores, then you are familiar with both the physical discomfort and unsightly facial blemishes that are part of this condition.

Although there is currently no cure for cold sores, once you are infected with the virus it is with you for life, there are a number of things you can do to alleviate the symptoms of cold sores; that is, to reduce discomfort or pain and ensure that the sore heals as quickly as possible and without scarring.

1. What are cold sores?

A cold sore is a small, often painful sore that usually appears around the mouth, lips, or nose. The sores begin as blisters that often burst, ooze a clear fluid, and after a few days scab over and often take 7-10 days to heal completely.

What causes cold sores?

Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus I (HSV-1), which infects an estimated 70-80 percent of the population. The virus is highly contagious, which means you need to be careful not to get infected from someone with cold sores and to pass cold sores to other people.

Once infected with the virus, it inhabits the nerve cells until it is reactivated; This varies from person to person, but common cold sore triggers include stress, a cold or flu, lack of sleep, exposure to sunlight, or menstruation.

symptoms of cold sores

The first sign that a cold sore is about to appear is usually a tingling or itching sensation in the affected area, followed by the appearance of small fluid-filled blisters; these appear anywhere from several hours to a few days after the tingles first appear, and several of the blisters may coalesce.

You must be careful not to spread the infection to other areas of your body and wash your hands frequently. Be especially careful with your eyes, as the virus can cause complications, including loss of vision.

2. Treatment of cold sores

One of the problems with HSV-1 is that, once infected, it lives in the patient’s body for their entire lives. Lying dormant in nerve cells, it can reappear when the body’s defenses are reduced, such as when the victim suffers from a cold or stress, as mentioned above. As such, there is no real cure for cold sores, although the symptom itself, the sore, can be treated to ensure quick healing, as well as reduce discomfort and prevent the likelihood of recurrence.

The only way to make sure you don’t get cold sores is to make sure you don’t get infected with the virus in the first place, so be careful about kissing anyone infected while you have cold sores. You should also be careful not to become infected through contaminated eating or drinking utensils. Also, if you have it, you should be careful not to spread the virus to other people.

Medications for cold sores

While it’s not actually possible to completely cure cold sores, there are antiviral medications available.

The drug, which contains penciclovir or aciclovir, acts as a suppressor of the herpes simplex virus; that is, if it is applied when the patient first experiences the tingling sensation, it will interfere with the virus’s ability to replicate and greatly reduce the impact of the cold sore outbreak. Currently, these treatments are expensive, but when used correctly they can provide great relief.

home remedies for cold sores

There are a number of home remedies for cold sores that many people use that can bring you relief. They fall into prevention, pain relief, and healing.

– Avoid the following situations to prevent recurrence: strong sunlight (or apply sunscreen), as some people’s cold sore attacks are triggered by exposure to ultraviolet radiation present in sunlight; stress; lack of sleep.

– Take regular L-lysine supplements and double the dose when you experience the tingling sensation. Apply ice to the area as soon as you experience the tingling sensation. This can prevent cold sores from appearing.

– Cover cold sores with a petroleum product such as petroleum jelly to prevent secondary bacterial infection and help prevent the spread of the herpes infection to other areas of your body and to other people.

– If cold sores are uncomfortable or painful, you should take a pain reliever or use a local anesthetic. Also, avoid acidic foods and salt, which are uncomfortable for the sore and can irritate it.

– Use a topical vitamin E cream to help heal sores and prevent scarring.

In this article I looked at what cold sores are, how they occur, and how to prevent them from occurring. I also talked about cold sore treatments and why nothing is guaranteed to completely cure cold sores, as well as how to treat symptoms so they last as long as possible.

This article is not intended to take the place of medical advice and therefore if your cold sores persist you should consult your doctor or a qualified pharmacist, especially if you suffer from a weakened immune system due to HIV infection or cancer.