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Cold Sores Home Remedies
Information
Most people—some researchers estimate up to 90 percent—are exposed to the highly-contagious virus that causes unsightly cold sores during their lives. Generally, they were exposed to herpes simplex virus 1, which is a different strain of herpes virus from the one that causes genital herpes, during childhood.
Normally, after an initial outbreak the virus lies dormant in nerve cells, but occasionally it becomes reactivated. When that happens, you may experience a telltale sensation of numbness, tingling, burning, or itching on your lip or the skin around your mouth before a cold sore appears.
Fortunately, there are a number of steps you can take to minimize the pain of a cold sore and speed its healing.
When to call a doctor
If a cold sore develops pus, seek medical attention, advises James F. Rooney, M.D. You probably have a bacterial infection, which can benefit from antibiotic treatment.
Panel of Advisors
Milos Chvapil, M.D., Ph.D., is a professor emeritus of surgery in the surgical biology section of the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
David H. Emmert, M.D., is a family physician in Millersville, Pennsylvania, who, in 2000, summarized cold sore treatments for the medical journal American Family Physician.
Richard T. Glass, D.D.S., Ph.D., is director of the forensic sciences, pathology, and dental medicine at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is professor emeritus of pathology at the University of Oklahoma, Colleges of Dentistry, Graduate, and Medicine.
Mark A. McCune, M.D., is a dermatologist at Kansas City Dermatology in Kansas.
James F. Rooney, M.D., is a former expert in the Laboratory of Oral Medicine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
Cal Vanderplate, Ph.D., is a clinical faculty member at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta and a clinical psychologist specializing in stress-related disorders.
Remedies
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L-Lysine
I used to get cold sores constantly until my sister recommended I try L-Lysine. I take 1000 mg each morning and I no longer get those ugly old cold sores.
Acyclovir - Rx
This presription will reduce the severity & healing time once a cold sore appears, but also taking Acyclovir at the first signs of an outbreak (tingling) will prevent the sores from appearing.
Identify the pattern
What was going on in your life just before you got your last cold sore? What about the cold sore prior to that?
Avoid arginine-rich foods
The herpes virus needs arginine as an essential amino acid for its metabolism. So cut out arginine-rich foods such as chocolate, cola, peas, grain cereals, peanuts, gelatin, cashews, and beer.
Replace your toothbrush
Your toothbrush can harbor the herpes virus for days, reinfecting you after the present cold sore heals.
Don't keep your toothbrush in the bathroom
A damp toothbrush in a moist environment like your bathroom is a perfect environment for herpes simplex virus. That moisture helps prolong the life of the herpes virus on your toothbrush.
Protect with petroleum jelly
You can protect your cold sore by covering it with petroleum jelly, says Dr. Glass. Be sure not to dip back into the jelly with the same finger you used to touch your sore.
Dab on witch hazel
"Some patients claim that breaking a sore and using witch hazel or alcohol to dry it really helps," says Dr. Rooney.
Correct your perception
No one likes getting a cold sore. But if you have one, focusing on it and worrying about how you look can make it worse.
Cold Sore Treatment
I use vinegar for my cold sores. It zaps it and it's gone in about 2 days.
RELATED AILMENTS
Top Remedies
MOST COMMENTS
Correct your perception
Form a barrier
Zap it with zinc