Cold Sores

It takes only a few weeks to heal up. For a faster result, one should always start a treatment on it instead of sitting back for getting it healed up on its own. Treatment of cold sores reduces the painful blisters. Although the herpes simplex virus (HSV) that is responsible for cold sores cannot be totally cured but they can surely be treated. Once a person is infected by this virus, it stays in the body throughout one's life. Treating cold sores helps in reducing their frequent re-occurrence.

Prevention of Cold Sores

The best treatment for cold sores is to take preventive measures right from the beginning against its development. One should not kiss an infected person and neither should use his/her utensils, razors, towels, cups, etc. One should never touch the fluid resulting due to cold sores. The first outbreak of cold sores can be treated with some oral antiviral medications that help in reducing the pain. For treating cold sores that keeps on appearing, ointments and topical creams will help. Oral antiviral medications will also give positive results. Those who have a weak immunity system, might require antibiotics if the case is severe. This will help in treating the bacterial infections. A medicated mouth rinse might also be prescribed by the doctor.

There are also several complementary medicines like lemon balm, lysine supplements, and Vitamin C that may help in reducing cold sores. But these have not been proved through scientific studies. At home, cold sores can be treated by placing a wet towel on the sores for about 20 minutes thrice a day. This will reduce the reddishness on skin. One should avoid foods containing acid like tomatoes and citrus fruits.

The frequent outbreaks of cold sores can be reduced if one avoids excessive exposure to sunlight. A sunscreen lotion must be applied before going out to reduce flare-ups. A lip balm can be applied to prevent outbreaks. One must thoroughly wash both the hands. This is essential because if one touches the eyes after touching the fluid, then it can in worse case damage the eyes.

The AvaCare medicine from Zenmed is made up of ingredients such as Dandelion root, Jin yin hua, Oregon grape root, Chi shao yao, Gan cao, etc that plays an active role in reducing inflammation. It does not have any side effect. Apart from reducing inflammation, it also improves digestion and liver function.

It is always advisable to consult a doctor if one is infected by cold sores. There are many who have several misconceptions about the reasons and treatments of cold sores. To get the most effective treatment for it, a medical professional is the person to whom one should always go for help.