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 cold sore tips.
Before we begin, let’s briefly explain what causes cold sores.
Cold sores, also known as fever blisters, are the result of the Herpes Simplex Virus I (HSV I). Note that this is different from the genital herpes virus.
HSV I is highly contagious and very common. Up to 80% of the population has the virus, which lies dormant in our bodies while no outbreak is present. The vast majority of those infected with HSV I contract the virus by the time they are seven years old. Once you’ve got it, there’s no way to get rid of the virus.
Cold sores 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.
Prevent Outbreaks with these Cold Sore Tips
So, how does the normally inactive HSV I virus become activated? There are a variety of triggers, including:
? Stress ? Weak immune system ? Illness ? Pregnancy or menstruation ? Injured 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 cold sores, it’s important to control the triggers that cause them.
Obviously, when it comes to cold sore outbreaks in pregnancy or during a woman’s menstrual cycle, some of the hormonal triggers can’t be avoided. In these cases, the best prevention is a proactive approach.
There are a variety of supplements and widely available products to prevent cold sores. A healthy diet that bolsters the immune system is vitally important, as is preventing injury or severe chapping of the lips. A good, moisturizing lip balm can calm chapped lips and help minimize the risk of cold sore outbreaks.
Cold Sore Tips ? Treatment
If you’re already in suffering from a cold sore outbreak, you might be wondering how you can soothe the symptoms.
The cold sore tips below can help you calm the pain of your cold sores:
? Use a topical medication to numb the pain. Examples include “caine” medicines, like lidocaine and benzocaine. You can also use preparations like benzoyl alcohol or a phenol-containing formulation.
? Prevent infection of the open sores with an antibiotic cream or ointment.
? Keep the sores from cracking and bleeding with a good lip moisturizer.
? Try taking zinc and lysine supplements. These may reduce the duration of a cold sore outbreak. Zinc is also known to boost the immune system.
The best route to cold sore treatment is preventing them from occurring in the first place with a good diet, exercise, and supplement program that keeps your immune system in tip-top shape. Make sure to get enough rest, and to learn to manage stress.
While prevention is really the best treatment plan, if you do end up with painful cold sores, use these cold sore tips to minimize the associated pain and help get rid of your outbreak sooner.
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