Best Cold Sore Treatment - 3 Helpful Tips

Illness & treatment

bhaskarj thumbnail
Posted: 9 years ago
#1
No one wants to suffer through two weeks of painful, ugly cold sores so finding the best cold sore treatment can seem almost like a matter of life and death. There are a lot of things that can cause a cold sore outbreak. Too much stress, hormone changes, extreme temperatures, other illnesses such as a cold or the flu can undermine your immune system and make you more susceptible to an outbreak. Cold sores are the result of the herpes simplex 1 virus (it's the type 2 herpes simplex virus that causes genital herpes).

Most people, up to 80% have the herpes simplex 1 virus in their bodies. Many of us will come into contact with it early in life. The virus can stay dormant and then, given the right triggers, flare up into a full fledged outbreak.

Here are some of the best cold sore treatment options for you. Try different ones until you find the one that works best for you:

1. Be very careful how often and when you touch or scratch your cold sore. Cold sores are very, very contagious and though it may sound odd, you can actually re-infect yourself on other parts of your body. Don't pick, and when you touch the cold sore, wash your hands thoroughly.

2. Keep the area around the cold sore clean by washing it with hot water, as hot as you can stand without burning yourself, and anti bacterial soap. Keeping your existing outbreak from spreading is going to help you get over the outbreak more quickly.

3. Find an L-lysine ointment to use on the cold sore. When you apply the ointment make sure you start at the edges of the cold sore and work your way in. That way you won't spread the virus from your cold sore to other parts of your face. And of course, after you apply the ointment make sure you wash your hands.

To help prevent further outbreaks, or at least lessen the number that you get, try to isolate what triggers your outbreaks. If you seem to get an outbreak at a certain time of the month, and you're a woman, your outbreaks might be related to your hormonal cycle (though they could also be related to the stress that you may have with all your monthly hormonal changes rather than the hormone changes them self).

And always treat your body well. Eat well, get the proper balance of nutrients, get plenty of sleep and avoid excesses in alcohol, caffeine and sweets. If you have a high stress life, and there's not really anything you can do to change the stress level, at least find healthy ways to deal with the stress. Taking a yoga class, meditate or just taking a walk around the block can help you keep your stress at bay which can help prevent outbreaks.

No one wants to suffer through a painful cold sore outbreak. Following some simple tips can help you keep your outbreaks to a minimum. If you still end up with an outbreak the tips

above are the best cold sore treatment tips around.

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Sutapasima thumbnail
Posted: 1 years ago
#2

Call Your Doctor If:

  • Your symptoms last longer than two weeks.
  • Your symptoms worsen or you develop new symptoms, as you could have another type of infection.
  • You have a sore throat or fever higher than 100 degrees for longer than three days.
  • You’re experiencing intense chest pain and shortness of breath.
Sutapasima thumbnail
Posted: 1 years ago
#3

Cold remedies that work

If you catch a cold, expect to be sick for 1 to 2 weeks. That doesn't mean you have to feel awful. The following might help you feel better:

  • Drink plenty of fluids. Water, juice, clear broth or warm lemon water with honey helps loosen stuffiness, called congestion. These also help prevent losing too much fluid, called dehydration. Don't drink alcohol, coffee and sodas with caffeine. They can make dehydration worse.
  • Rest. Your body needs rest to heal.
  • Sip warm liquids. Many cultures use warm liquids, such as chicken soup, tea or warm apple juice, for colds. Warm liquids might ease stuffiness by increasing mucus flow.
  • Try honey. Honey may help coughs in adults and children who are older than age 1. Try it in warm tea or lemon water.
  • Add cool moisture to the air. A cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier can add moisture to your home. Moisture might help ease stuffiness. Change the water daily. Clean the unit as the maker instructs.

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