Like the saying goes, “prevention is better than cure”. You can avoid having cold sore outbreaks by knowing what triggers it and keeping these triggers in check. The usual culprits of cold sore outbreaks are stress, anxiety, sickness, acidic foods, extremes in weather, or a weakened immune system. If you can manage to keep your stress levels at a low or if you can maintain a diet rich in lysine, you lessen the chances of the virus from being activated. Every action you take to avoid these triggers takes you a step closer to getting rid of cold sores.
The best time to get rid of cold sores is at its prodrome stage. This is the stage where the virus starts reproducing itself. Once you get that tingling and itchy feeling, act on it as soon as possible. The remedies that you do at this stage can reduce the severity of the infection, its duration, and the area of effect. It can also soothe the pain and itchiness you are experiencing. You might even get to stop further development of the virus and successfully prevent an outbreak from happening.
Here are some remedies that you can apply on the area at the first sign of an oncoming cold sore outbreak:
• Ice
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Used Tea Bags
• Milk
• Tea Tree Oil
• Over the counter creams or ointment products like Abreva.
The effect of these remedies may vary from person to person and may have less efficiency on you. It is up to you to try all or a combination of these treatments and find what works for you. These are only home remedies that other cold sore sufferers have tried and had success with. It is best to seek medical help form your doctor if you are unsure of what to do about your cold sore outbreak.
There are oral and topical medications available to treat cold sores. Most of these are prescription drugs that are available at most drugstores. Below is a list of FDA approved drugs that are used to treat cold sores:
• Denavir (Penciclovir) – is a prescription only topical cream that is applied on the surface of the face and lips. It is not intended to be used inside the mouth, nose or genital and rectal areas. It is to be applied on the affected area every two hours for four days during daytime. Penciclovir, its active ingredient, makes its way into the infected cells and stops the fusion and reproduction of the virus that causes cold sores. Denavir heals cold sores at an average of four and a half days.
• Zovirax (Acyclovir) – is a prescription only medication that is available in the form of a cream, ointment or capsule. The cream form is applied externally five times a day for four days. Oral acyclovir is to be taken five times a day. Therapy should be started on the prodrome stage or when lesions appear.
• Famvir (Famciclovir) – is a prescription only antiviral medication that is available in the form of a tablet. It hinders the reproduction of the herpes virus which in turn reduces the pain that the cold sores bring. At the first sign of an outbreak, a single dose of three 500mg tablets are to be taken.
• Valtrex (Valacyclovir) – is a prescription only antiviral medication that is available in the form of a tablet. It is a one-day oral treatment. Two grams of Valtrex is to be ingested at the first sign of a cold sore outbreak, then to be taken again 12 hours later. It should not be used for more than one day.
Cold Sore Remedies
Once you have experienced an outbreak of cold sores, you’ll definitely have to deal with it again sooner or later even after it heals. The virus (HSV-1) that causes cold sores does not leave your system. It just stays in hibernation and an outbreak can be triggered by certain factors like weather, stress, a weakened immune system, and an improper diet. Though you may not get rid of cold sores completely, there are preventive measures that you can take to avoid having outbreaks. And in the event that an outbreak does occur, there are remedies that you can do. These may range from home remedies to taking doctor prescribed medication that could help ease the pain and shorten the duration of cold sore outbreaks.
There are a lot of home remedies for cold sores but their efficiency might vary from person to person. Here are some of the more common remedies:
Ice packs. At the first sign of a cold sore coming up, pressing an ice pack on the area for about 15 to 20 minutes helps reduce the swelling and also provides some relief from the pain. This is to be done several times in a day. Some cold sore sufferers claim that doing this stopped the cold sore into becoming a full blown outbreak.
Milk. Pour a small amount of milk on a bowl and let it set until it reaches room temperature. Soak a cotton ball in the milk and apply it directly on the sores. Leave the cotton ball on for at least 10 minutes. This helps relieve pain and speeds up the healing process.
Rubbing Alcohol. Applying rubbing alcohol frequently (at least once every hour) at the onset of a cold sore can stop it from becoming worse. It also helps in keeping the sores dry and clean.
Tea Bags. Press a hot tea bag directly on the swelling sores for a few minutes. Keep the tea bag hot and do this for about 20 minutes. Doing so will reduce the swelling and tingling of the sores. The effect of the tea bags on cold sores is attributed to the tea’s tannic acid content which has antiviral properties.
Petroleum Jelly. During the scabbing stage of a cold sore, applying petroleum jelly moisturizes the cold sore scab. This would prevent the scab from cracking and bleeding. It can also relieve the intense itching and burning sensation.
Taking in L-lysine supplements can greatly reduce the occurrence of cold sore outbreaks. The recommended daily dosage to prevent cold sore outbreaks is 1250mg. According to clinical studies, this is the amount of lysine needed to affect the herpes virus. An increased dosage of L-lysine during an outbreak will help in the healing process and shorten the duration of the cold sores. It is best to consult your doctor regarding the proper dosage to take during an outbreak. It has been noted that taking in an extreme high dosage of lysine for a prolonged period of time might yield unwanted side effects like experiencing abdominal cramps and diarrhea.
There are various medical treatments for cold sores found in the market today. Some are available as over the counter medication while some are prescription drugs. These treatments are most effective if used at the earliest stage of a cold sore outbreak. Antiviral medications have different effects on cold sores. Some of these effects include shortening the time cold sores can heal, reducing the symptoms like pain and extreme itching, preventing lesions from occurring, lessening the number and/or size of lesions developed, and reducing the amount of viral shedding.
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