That tingling sensation is the first hint that you have a cold sore on the way; within a couple of days you know that a spot around your mouth will blister, which will burst leaving a raw looking lesion that takes up to 10 days to heal. So far the medicines designed to counter the cold sore virus have limited effect in countering outbreaks or healing and with some danger of side effects it is little wonder that many people look to alternative treatments to get rid of cold sores, which have been shown to be just as effective.
Stress relief
One important contributing factor to cold sore attacks is stress, and by taking positive actions to counter that stress you can reduce the number of outbreaks. Simply taking regular exercise can be hugely beneficial in reducing stress, and increased fitness can help boost the immune system, which also helps.
Walking for 30 minutes per day will help towards this goal, but you might also like to consider yoga, with its emphasis on mind and body harmony. In addition to helping reduce stress levels, yoga also provides a great way to stretch tired muscles and improve posture and general fitness levels.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy practitioners claim to be able to speed up the healing process, by applying essential oils such rose, tea tree, geranium, lemon balm and bergamot.
Food Therapy
Research dating from the 1950s indicates that certain foods can help us to get rid of cold sores whereas others act as triggers for cold sore due to the presence of specific essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are required by the body for healthy function, yet must be ingested, as the body is unable to produce them itself. For instance, yogurt contains lysine, which is associated with healing cold sores, as well as a natural antibiotic called acidophilus which may help prevent secondary infections.
On the other hand arginine rich foods such as nuts, chocolate and gelatin may trigger the cold sores as they are rich in an amino acid called arginine, which helps the herpes simplex virus thrive. It is therefore advisable to avoid eating arginine rich foods if you suffer from frequent cold sores, particularly during an outbreak.
Herbal Therapy
Cold sore sufferers in Europe commonly treat their lesions with an ointment made from lemon balm, which is a member of the mint family. The flower tops and leaves have anti-viral as well as anti-bacterial properties and therefore us are useful in the treatment of cold sores. As this type of ointment is unavailable in the United States, washing the sores with strong lemon balm tea produces similar results.
Ice
The application of ice to the affected area as soon as the tingling sensation is felt can work wonders according to many; simply apply ice direct to the spot where you get your cold sore and hold it there for as long as 30 minutes. It seems that the cooling action of the ice can prevent the virus from replicating and results is a much less severe attack, with some people claiming it prevents their cold sore from appearing altogether.
As you can see there are many remedies to help get rid of cold sores when they occur, as well as prevent them in the first place. While none of the natural remedies is guaranteed to work, this is also true of the over-the-counter and prescription drugs currently on the market. With unpleasant side effects to consider, not to mention the considerable cost of these products, natural cold sore remedies offer a realistic alternative to the many people who want to regain control of their own health from the misery of cold sores.
Cold sores are caused by a contagious virus known as herpes simplex, a recurring viral infection that attacks the skin and the nervous system. The herpes virus is a tough and aggressive virus. Herpes simplex virus can be transmitted through kissing, drinking from the same glass, sharing eating utensils or sharing the same face makeup as a person with the virus. Cold sores are clusters of small painful, fluid-filled blisters on the lip, outer edges of the mouth, or nose. The skin close to the blisters is usually red and inflamed.
Cold sore sufferers, like you and I, do not have to ring the bell - The cold sore on our face does all the "shouting" for us in public. Cold sore pain is similar to the dentist hitting a nerve. Cold sore treatment is a great interest for all of us who suffer those terrible and irritating cold sores. We are continually searching for that miracle cold sore treatment that will get rid of cold sores for life. Treating a cold sore rapidly and properly is essential to fast, lasting relief.
Take a look at these ways of getting rid of cold sores. Build your immune system against cold sores. First, taking a good high quality of multi-vitamin, along with extra lysine, will greatly speed healing. It will boost any other cold sore treatment you use. You will be quite stunned actually.
Changes to diet are also believed to help control herpes outbreaks. Lysine and arginine are common amino acids that are found in foods. They are the two most researched nutrients that impact cold sores. Research has shown that foods high in arginine aid the development and reproduction of cold sores, and foods high in lysine help conquer the recurrence of cold sores.
You should avoid food that is high in arginine such as chocolate, seeds, seafood especially which has a shell like oysters, grains. Lysine has many cures it can give to the body like heart problems, herpes infections, cold sores, and cancer sores.
Ice is one of the popular cold sore treatments. Use ice on the affected area every ten minutes for an hour. This is especially good to do at the onset of a cold sore. The cold sore virus has trouble replicating when cold. This process may prevent the movement of the virus from the nerve to the skin. You often will either delay or prevent further growing of a cold sore.
Application of ice is most successful at early stage. Remember, apply cold when your sore is forming, and warmth when it is healing. Keep it clean and avoid from touching the area with your fingers. Always caution while treating a cold sore.
Tea Bag. Place a damp tea bag on the for five minutes or so a couple times a day until the cold sore scabs over and clears up.
There is that you can take to cut down its impact on your life, and learned how to get rid of a cold sore will do wonders for your self esteem. By trying some of the recommended cold sore treatment you can find out what particular steps work for you and over time fine-tune your own personal cold sore treatment.
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Jobeth Levina has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health, Medical Condition and Food and Drink. If you found this article useful or interesting you may like to read more about how you can at the Cold Sor. Jobeth Levina's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.
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