Useful Cold Sore Tips Cold sores not only cause ugly sores around the lips and mouth, they can also hurt so much that it becomes disabling.
To provide welcome pain relief and treat a fresh outbreak, and to prevent new cold sores from occurring, try the following useful tips.
Before we begin, let's briefly explain what causes cold sores.
Cold sores, also called fever blisters, are caused by a common virus called the Herpes Simplex Virus I (HSV I).
You should not confuse this with genital herpes, which is caused by a different form of the virus.
Up to eighty percent of population has the HSV I virus.
Most of those with the virus were exposed to it before reaching seven years of age.
There is no way to get rid of this highly contagious and almost universally prevalent virus.
Once you have it, it's in your body permanently.
Most of the time it is dormant, without causing cold sore symptoms.
They are painful, ugly blisters that form on or near the lips and mouth.
Outbreaks occur when the normally latent herpes virus becomes reactivated due to some type of trigger.
Important Cold Sore Tips for Outbreak Prevention So, how does the normally inactive HSV I virus become activated? There are a variety of triggers, including: oStress oWeak immune system oIllness oPregnancy or menstruation oInjured or irritated lips and mouth Essentially, when the body's natural defenses are weakened, or a person's stress level is too high, cold sores can occur.
To prevent them, it's important to control the triggers that cause them.
In the case of pregnancy or menstrual-related outbreaks, hormonal triggers can't be controlled.
Fortunately, there are ways to strengthen the body's defenses.
There are a range of supplements and over-the-counter products available for use in preventing cold sores.
Also, a whole-foods diet designed to support the immune system is important, along with measures to prevent injury and severe drying of the lips.
A good natural lip moisturizer can help soothe sore, chapped lips and reduce the incidence of cold sores.
Cold Sore Tips for Effective Treatment As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but what happens if you need to soothe the symptoms of a current outbreak? The following cold sore tips can help you get relief: oTry applying a numbing medicine like lidocaine, benzocaine, benzoyl alcohol, or a product that contains phenol.
oPrevent infection of the open sores with an antibiotic cream or ointment.
oKeep the sores from cracking and bleeding with a good lip moisturizer.
oConsider taking zinc and lysine supplements.
These compounds may allow for faster healing of cold sores.
Zinc is also a known immune system support.
The surest way to prevent cold sores is by taking care of yourself with a whole-foods diet, exercise, and good supplement program that keeps your immune system strong and healthy.
Sleep well, and make sure you learn to deal effectively with stress.
While prevention is really the best treatment plan, if you do end up with painful cold sores, use these tips to minimize the associated pain and help get rid of your outbreak sooner.