Fastest Way to Heal a Cold Sore

In the first part of this article, What Gets Rid of Cold Sores, we talked about how to prevent cold sores from spreading, and how to relieve the pain of your cold sore. Now we’ll get down to healing your cold sore in the fastest way possible.

There are many different products you can use to try to get rid of your cold sore quickly, including prescription medications, over the counter topical medicines, and a huge variety of natural remedies.

One of the trickiest parts of deciding which products and methods to use is that no matter which way you go, many people swear that that particular product or home remedy works best for them. Since everyone has their own opinion and experiences trying to heal their cold sores, how do you know who to trust?

To help you decide on the best option for you, I’ll talk about a few of the popular options for fast cold sore healing, with the pros and cons of each. Continue reading »

What Gets Rid of Cold Sores

If you’re like me, when you’re suffering from a cold sore outbreak, you want to do whatever it takes to get rid of the cold sore right away.

Even though it can seem like there’s no easy way to make your cold sore go away, there are actually a lot of options you can try to help prevent your cold sore from getting worse, and to speed the healing process up. In this article, we’ll talk about many ways you can try to get rid of that cold sore quickly.

Prevent it From Spreading

Before you can effectively start treating your cold sore, you first should do everything you can to keep it from spreading or getting worse.

If you’re able to catch a cold sore when you first start to feel that tingling sensation (I’m sure you know what I’m talking about), one thing that many people swear by, and which has often worked for me, is to take a bunch of the supplement L-Lysine. When I first start to feel a cold sore coming on, I pop several of these pills. In many cases, it helps stop the cold sore from forming, or limits it to a very small size that’s more easily treatable. Even if your cold sore has already broken out, L-Lysine can help speed the healing process along.

A few tips to prevent spreading if your cold sore has already broken out:

• Use Vaseline or another petroleum-based product to protect the area from infection, which can lead to further problems.
• Avoid foods with lots of salt or citric acid, since both of these things can seriously irritate a cold sore and lead to it spreading or causing serious pain or discomfort.
• Try as much as you can to avoid touching (and especially not picking at or squeezing) the cold sore, and don’t spread it to others by kissing or sharing any glasses or utensils. Also be sure to wash your hands many times each day, just in case, and don’t touch other parts of your body after you’ve touched the cold sore- especially your eyes or genitals!
• If you’re applying medication or any kind of other topical treatment, use a sterile Q-tip and then immediately throw it away. You should also throw away your toothbrush and get a new one as soon as your cold sore goes away to prevent a recurring outbreak.

Relieving the Pain of a Cold Sore

One of the worst parts of having a cold sore is the serious pain and discomfort they can cause, often for several days.

Although prescription medications like acyclovir, or over the counter medications like Abreva, can help lessen the pain, sometimes you can’t get a hold of medication quickly enough to help.

If that’s the case, here are some things you can try with items you likely already have around the house to help relieve the pain of a cold sore:

• Apply a cold compress or ice to the cold sore to help numb it. Don’t apply ice directly to the cold sore- always wrap it in a paper towel, napkin, or other material before applying.
• Alternatively, some people have experienced relief via warm compresses. Similarly to cold compresses, don’t apply a heating pad or other hot item directly to the cold sore- wrap it in a protective material first. Personally, this one doesn’t sound very soothing to me, but if it does to you, go for it!
• Take common painkillers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) to help lessen the pain while it heals.
• You can try an over the counter anesthetic if you have one, such as Anbesol. These are often used to treat other oral pains, but can help with cold sore pain as well.
• Some people report that applying milk with a cotton ball or cotton swab (such as a Q-tip) 2 to 3 times a day can help lessen the pain.
• As mentioned before, avoid foods with salt or citrus, as these can irritate your cold sore and worsen the pain.

Now that you’ve learned how to prevent your cold sore from spreading, and started to relieve the pain, head over to Part 2 of this article to learn the fastest way to heal a cold sore.

Cold Sore Causes and Cures

When people refer to “curing” a cold sore, what they really mean is preventing outbreaks. The good news is preventing outbreaks is achievable!  Once the cold sore virus has been contracted, it stays in your system forever, but don’t worry. There are steps you can take to keep the virus dormant to prevent breakouts and visibly “cure” your cold sores.

Cold sore causes

Cold sores are caused by a virus called Herpes simplex virus type one. The virus is passed from contact with another person who has an active cold sore. It is important to remember that cold sores are contagious. The virus can be spread through kissing, sharing eating utensils, razors, and towels, and any other way that puts a person into contact with an active cold sore. The greatest risk of infection is from the time you can first see the cold sore, until the cold sore has dried up and become a scab. In fact, it is possible in some cases for the virus to be spread even after the skin has healed.

Preventing a cold sore outbreak

Once you have been infected with the cold sore virus, it stays dormant in your body until the next cold sore attack. A cold sore can be brought on by a host of factors including stress, fatigue, exposure to the sun, and a weakened immune system. You will want to avoid these factors when possible to keep yourself from experiencing a cold sore attack.

Additionally, there are foods rich in lysine (an essential amino acid found in proteins) that have been known to be effective in preventing the outbreak of cold sores. These foods include beef, fish, chicken, milk, cheese, yogurt, and eggs. Many fruits such as apples, apricots, mangoes, apricots, pears and others contain lysine as well and if regularly included in your diet can prevent cold sore breakouts.

Cold sores will clear up without treatment within about two weeks, however, if you recognize cold sore symptoms early, you can start curing them right away.

Cold sore cures

Once you have a cold sore outbreak, it is vital to initiate treatment at the earliest stage, once the initial itching or burning symptoms are first detected to prevent things from getting worse.  Common cold sore cures range from using topical medications and oral antiviral medicines, to natural remedies. Taking an over the counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or aspirin, or using cold or hot compressions will help ease the discomfort. Finally, it is important to avoid picking at your blister and making it worse, but instead, give it time to heal. While most sores are cured on their own, it is important to see your doctor if your cold sores don’t heal on their own within two weeks, if your symptoms are severe, or if your cold sores appear frequently.

Symptoms for Cold Sores

Do you think you might be getting a cold sore? It is often difficult to tell if a cold sore is coming on before that painful, red blister appears. There are, however, some symptoms for cold sores you can look for so you can start your treatment before the cold sore even appears.

Do you have the cold sore virus?

First of all, to get a cold sore you must have contracted the cold sore virus. The cold sore virus can be contracted through coming into contact with a person who has a cold sore, through kissing, sharing lip balm, sharing utensils, and any other way that the cold sore comes directly into contact with you. If you have come into contact with a person with a cold sore, you may have contracted the virus. If you believe you may have contracted the virus, you will want to know what cold sore symptoms to look for to determine if you should expect (and try to prevent) an outbreak. Signs and symptoms may not start for up to 20 days after exposure, however, it’s possible for your first cold sore breakout to appear within a week of exposure.

Symptoms for Cold Sores

It is possible to detect early cold sore symptoms up to one or two days prior to a cold sore outbreak. These early symptoms are called the prodrome, which is an early symptom or set of symptoms that may indicate an outbreak before the specific symptoms occur. Detecting these early symptoms means that you can start treatment, and start fighting your cold sores before they ever appear! These early may symptoms include pain, burning, itching, tingling, an unusual sensation around your lips, and even numbness. These symptoms often precede the blisters by one to two days.

Treatments for cold sore symptoms

If you detect these symptoms for cold sores early, you are in luck. There are many over-the-counter cold sore medications that will relieve the pain, burning, or itching. Explain your symptoms to the pharmacist, and he/she will be able to direct you to the appropriate medication to address your specific symptoms.

Before applying the topical medication, be sure to wash your hands, face and lips using warm water and washing soap. The medication will be most effective when applied to a clean area. After washing, apply the medicine on the lips and the surrounding area, using your finger, a Q-tip, or a cotton swab. Once you have applied the medicine, try not to touch or lick your lips. This may cause the medicine to rub off, making it less effective, and increasing the risk of the cold sore spreading.  Administer the medicine as directed (typically several times per day) and be sure to wash your hands with soap and warm water after each time you touch the cold sore or apply medicine.

Finally, once you detect and diagnose your cold sore symptoms, be sure to start your treatment right away. Beginning treatment at the earliest stage of a cold sore will not only get you relief, but will prevent things from getting worse.