How To Get Rid Of Cold Sores

If you would like some tips on how to get rid of cold sore remember treatment can offer you immediate results. You might already be familiar with the common cold sore, which is that stinging feeling on your lip and a tough spot that can?t be seen. In about a couple days, red sores begin to develop on your lip, and this is where it becomes annoying.

Everyone wants to know how to get rid of cold sore because of its nasty symptoms. Cold sores are also called fever blisters. Though you can?t cure or prevent cold sores, you can minimize their frequency and shorten the duration of the occurrence.

Drugs
There are a lot of drugs that can lessen the indications of cold sores. Some can be obtained without a prescription while others need a prescription. Some are employed topically while others are administered orally. A lot of the topical treatments that can be bought without a prescription are only able to improve symptoms. This suggests that they can ease the irritation but they do not shorten the length of the occurrence.

Administering topical anesthetics that contain lidocaine, tetracaine, dibucaine and benzocaine may be able to sooth pain, itching and burning. You may also employ skin protectants, for instance, petrolatum and allantoin. If you'd like to hasten the healing process of your sores, you could apply docosanol cream.

If the sores are stubborn your healthcare provider may recommend that you use a topical prescription medicine, for instance, penciclovir or acyclovir. Both these medicines can shorten the duration of your blisters. Oral medication such as acyclovir and valacyclovir may also be recommended.

Substitute Methods
Encourage healing by avoiding foods that contain arginine, which is an amino acid that blocks lysine. In addition, avoid dairy products, oats, nuts, seeds, meat, peanuts, and corn, which all contain arginine. Reduce the consumption of citrus and other acidic fruits because they can aggravate the condition.

Convenient Cures
While some home remedies may not be able to offer any relieve, others are proven to assist in the healing of cold sores. Pressing or rubbing ice on a blister is probably the best-known home treatment for cold sores. If you apply the ice early in the progression of the cold sore, it can greatly reduce the growth of the blisters. The ice will also shrink the sore and prevent the virus from spreading. You may also try rubbing lemon balm extract, aloe or tea bags onto the blisters to reduce their size and help minimize pain.

Tips
Now that we know how to get rid of cold sore let us try to prevent it from spreading. Never pick on the sores and rinse your mouth as often as necessary to soothe the affected areas. Gently cleanse the sores with a soap-free liquid solution and pat dry. Protect your sores by applying a skin protectant regularly. Avoid direct contact with topical treatments and instead use a separate applicator. Cold sores are contagious. Avoid direct contact with other individuals if you still have them.

by June Murray