Cold Sores

• What Causes Cold Sores?
  
• What Are The Symptoms?

Remedies and treatment

There is no cure for cold sores. However, there are preparations and remedies which are useful in cold sore management and in minimizing the pain.

• Docosanol - is an over-the-counter medication to treat cold sores. It makes the cell membrane healthier thus limiting cold sore infection and severity.

• Numbing preparations - products containing tetracaine, benzocaine, lidocaine, benzyl alcohol, phenol and menthol numbs the infected area therefore minimizing the pain.

• Medications containing antiviral properties - zinc, lysine, phenol and tannic acid can help in the treatment process by limiting the capacity of the herpes virus to further form cold sore lesions.

• Medications containing antibacterial properties - provides quicker healing of cold sores by preventing secondary bacterial infection.

• Lip balms and petroleum jelly - These preparations keep the skin moisturized and soft reducing possibilities of further cracking and bleeding of the lips and the skin.

• SPF containing preparations - exposure to the sun can result to cold sore outbreaks. Using lips balms with SPF will reduce further occurrence of cold sores.

• Apply ice for 5 to 10 minutes every hours. Ice reduces the temperature of the affected area therefore reducing its development. It also eases the pain caused by the virus.

• Apply black tea as it contains tannic acid. Tannic acids possesses antiviral properties which will help in the treatment procedure.