Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Preventing cold sores
• Part 2 of 4: Using medications
• Part 3 of 4: Using home remedies
• Part 4 of 4: Find out more about cold sores
• Tips
• Warnings

Cold sores are uncomfortable, do not look beautiful and can be terribly itchy. They are very annoying when you are dealing with them. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to treat a cold sore. Even better is that you can prevent cold sores before they show themselves in all its glory.

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Part 1 of 4: Preventing cold sores

1. Avoid cold sore triggers. There are a number of things that can cause cold sores and it is a good idea to be extra careful when the weather turns colder. Even stress and lack of sleep can cause cold sores, so try to sleep well.
   • If you get a cold, fever, or the flu, the risk of an outbreak may increase because your immune system has come under pressure. Make sure your diet contains enough vitamins.
   • Menstruation, pregnancy, and hormonal changes can also cause cold sores. You can prevent this by eating and living healthy and strengthening your immune system, but pay extra attention to those times when you as a woman are more sensitive to such a condition.
   • Stress can also cause cold sores, so do what you can to relax. Take some time each day to meditate, do breathing exercises, or just have a cup of tea, whatever works best for you.
   • Fatigue is also a culprit, so get plenty of sleep. Take some naps if you need to. Caffeine can relieve fatigue, but it is not effective against cold sores. A cold sore is one way in which your body makes it clear to you that too little sleep has consequences!
   • Too much sunlight can also cause you to get cold sores. If your lips are sunburnt, put ice on them as soon as possible and hold for a few minutes. In addition, use a lipstick or lip balm with a protection factor of SPF 15 or higher and apply this several times a day.
2. Recognize a cold sore before it surfaces. By recognizing the signs, you can act before the cold sore sees a chance to develop. There are several indications to be aware of (of course it is true that this does not necessarily mean that you will actually get a cold sore, but that you should be careful).
   • Sensitivity, tingling, burning, itching, numbness, and pain around the lips can mean a cold sore is forming.
   • Fever and other cold and flu symptoms are also often accompanied by a cold sore, hence the name.
   • Salivation and a higher rate of mucus are also symptoms.
3. Stop a cold sore that can develop. Cold sores have an incubation period of 6 to 48 hours before they become visible. During this time, you can use the following methods to prevent an infection from actually developing. Now is the best time to avoid creating a nasty rash on your lips!
   • Put ice on top or use a cold compress. Do this every hour or as often as possible.
   • Dip a tea bag in hot water, let it cool, then hold it to the affected area. Cold sores thrive in heat, so make sure the tea bag is properly cooled.
4. Make sure your lips are protected from the sun at all times. Apply lip balm with a protection factor of at least SPF 15 on your lips if you are going outside for a long time. Apply this several times a day.
5. Stay healthy! A cold sore may not be caused by a cold, but it can make it worse. When you are ill, your immune system has a lot to process, and it may be concerned with something other than a cold sore.
   • Get all the necessary vitamins. Eat plenty of leafy greens and colorful vegetables, in addition to foods such as salmon, nuts, and fruits.
   • Drink white and green tea. Both are rich in antioxidants, which strengthen your immune system and rid your body of toxins.
   • Drink lots of water.
   • Get enough sleep.

Part 2 of 4: Using medications

1. Apply an ointment to relieve pain and symptoms. Most of these remedies only relieve symptoms, but do not contribute to the healing process. Remember that well. Consider trying the following remedies:
   • Acyclovir (Zovirax) is available by prescription only.
   • Penciclovir (Fenistil penciclovir) is available without a prescription.
2. You may want to ask your doctor about antiviral pills. These can help shorten the duration of an outbreak, and there are many different brands, but these are only available by prescription. You can get pills or ointments, with the latter working the best and the fastest.
   • Famciclovir (unbranded)
   • Valacyclovir (Zelitrex) or Acyclovir (Zovirax)
3. Try Lysine. Lysine is an amino acid, a building block of proteins, useful in treating and preventing cold sores. Lysine can be taken in pill form or applied directly to the skin and obtained from your health food store.
4. Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain relief. This will not make your cold sore go away, but it can help you tolerate the discomfort a cold sore brings. Remember that even though it doesn't hurt, it doesn't mean you can't pass it on to someone else. So be careful.

Part 3 of 4: Using home remedies

1. Use aloe vera on the affected area. Aloe vera soothes pain and speeds up the healing process, making it good to use as a remedy.
2. Cool the affected area with a compress or ice cubes. This helps to reduce swelling and redness and soothes the symptoms of a cold sore. The cold sore does not necessarily heal faster with this.
3. Apply a remedy to reduce redness. It won't heal faster, but it can make you feel better. So it is certainly a good way to treat symptoms.
4. Use petroleum jelly if necessary. This will heal faster and protect the area against a bacterial infection.
5. Wet the area with a cotton swab, then dip a cotton swab in salt or sodium bicarbonate and dab the affected area with it. Then leave it on for a few minutes and then rinse your lips. Repeat this several times if necessary. This can sting.

Part 4 of 4: Find out more about cold sores

1. Cold sores are caused by multiple variations of the herpes simplex virus (HSV). These are HSV-1 and HSV-2. Both can occur on both the face and genitals. Once you have contracted this, this virus will always stay in your body. There is nothing you can do to remove the virus, but you can reduce the number of outbreaks.
   • The herpes virus damages your skin as it reproduces. That leaves severe sores that last for about a week.
   • Between outbreaks, HSV-1 hides in nerve cells, so it is never completely cured. About two-thirds of people are infected with the HSV-1 virus.
   • As soon as the skin itches and turns red, the virus is present and you can spread it. You're most contagious when the blisters appear - especially right after they burst. You can no longer spread the virus skin to skin after they have healed, although you can pass it through your saliva at any time.
2. Take precautions not to spread the herpes simplex virus. That's why it's so important that you learn to recognize the symptoms of a cold sore so that you can avoid infecting another person with it.
   • Never share eating utensils or drinks with anyone else, certainly not if you have a cold sore.
   • Never share towels, a shaver, or toothbrush with anyone else.
   • This includes lipstick, lip balm, lip gloss, lip whatever.
   • Be careful not to kiss your partner if you have an active cold sore. Stick to butterfly and Eskimo kisses for a while until everything is safe again.
   • Oral sex, especially during an outbreak, can transfer the herpes virus from the lips to the genitals or vice versa.

Tips

• Wash your hands frequently if a cold sore is active (and otherwise). Do not touch the cold sore. If you have done this anyway, wash your hands immediately.
• Ensuring that your immune system is working properly by eating and drinking healthy will help to prevent cold sores anyway.
• Apply lipstick or lip balm with a cotton swab instead of your fingers.

Warnings

• When you wash the cold sore, NEVER get water in your eyes. If the fluid gets into your eyes, the virus may be transferred to your eye, causing an infection or ulcer of the cornea.
• Never use a cotton swab, cloth, towel or washcloth that has been in contact with the cold sore twice.
• Eating salty food can be unpleasant if it comes into contact with the rash. Citrus fruits can sting terribly.
• Do not touch the cold sore with your fingers. This irritates the area and you risk further spreading the virus.
• Never put makeup on a cold sore. Foundation and cover-up exacerbate the problem.
• Cleaning the cold sore with salt can sting.
• Change your pillowcase every day in the event of an outbreak.
• If the outbreak looks very serious or is common, see your doctor. This can refer you to a dermatologist.