If you've tried a number of over-the-counter medications aimed at getting rid of cold sores and been disappointed like many cold sore sufferers, you may be at a loss as to where to turn to next. While there are some prescription medications available, they suffer from being relatively expensive, prone to various side effects and studies show them to be relatively ineffective anyway.



The problem with herpes simplex, the virus responsible for this unpleasant condition, is that once we have been infected it is with us for life. While many people never show symptoms, or mild ones at the most, 90 percent of the population in the United States is estimated to be infected.

The first stage of care then is to try and prevent cold sores occurring frequently, especially if you are a chronic sufferer. They always say that prevention is better than cure, and so your initial focus for getting rid of your cold sores is to look after your immune system so that the virus is not able to reactivate and cause the blister that goes on to become the sore. Usually, the virus is in a dormant state, living in the nerves. It is only when the immune system becomes weak that the virus is able to replicate and move towards the surface of the skin where it does its damage. Your immune system can be boosted by supplements; but before that you should improve your diet to include fresh fruit and veg, take regular exercise and reduce stress. Easy to say, I know, but these lifestyle changes can be made.

However, even making these changes you are likely to suffer from cold sores at some point, at which time your focus needs to move to healing the cold sore as fast as possible and reducing discomfort. There are a variety of topical salves you can apply to the sore once it appears, including aloe vera gel, lysine and tea tree, which can speed up the overall healing time by several days. And one treatment that many people claim to be able to stop the cold sore in its tracks if you apply it at the tingling stage is simple ice; hold a cube of ice on the infected area for 15-30 minutes, which may prevent the virus from replicating to its full potential and therefore reduce the impact of the sore.

While the condition may appear to be insurmountable, in fact there are a variety of options we have help with getting rid of cold sores. Whichever option we choose will almost certainly require some modification to our lifestyle, which can be difficult to begin with. But once we have made the changes and incorporated them into our daily life, they will be natural and you can go on living your life without thinking of them.