Cold Sore Tips for Prevention and Treatment
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 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.
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.
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:
? Stress ? Weak immune system ? Illness ? Pregnancy or menstruation ? Injured or irritated lips and mouth
In a nutshell, anything that creates too much stress or overburdens the body can cause the formation of cold sores. So, the way to prevent cold sore outbreaks is to control these environmental triggers.
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 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.
Treat Outbreaks with these Cold Sore Tips
If you’re already in suffering from a cold sore outbreak, you might be wondering how you can soothe the symptoms.
The following cold sore tips can help you get relief:
? 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.
? A good lip balm should be applied to avoid cracking and scabbing of the open sores.
? There is evidence showing that zinc and lysine supplements may help end cold sore outbreaks faster. Zinc is also known as an immune booster.
Taking care of yourself with a healthful diet and exercise plan, combined with immune-bolstering supplements is the best way to prevent painful cold sore outbreaks. Be sure to get enough restful sleep, and use stress management techniques to avoid succumbing to 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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