More than half of the American population carries the herpes simplex 1 virus. That means that millions of folks like you and me have suffered from the painful sores at least once in our lifetime. For some, it is a recurring experience, a nightmare at that. Billions of dollars have been spent thus far to research for a complete cold sore treatment but it has not been successful till date.
Though cold sores tend to heal within 7 to 10 days without any cold sore treatment, the fact remains that the duration can seem like a lifetime to sufferers. The painful blisters that form on your skin, mostly on your lips could cause much discomfort and itch. It is common knowledge that cold sores are not curable, but there are various forms of cold sore treatment to minimize the discomfort and pain, and its infectious period.
Here I would like to share 10 simple tips to treat cold sores:
1.Apply acyclovir (take for instance over-the-counter Zovirax cold sore cream) on the cold sore immediately upon discovery of the symptoms. Do this for 5 times daily over the next 5 days. It would help to reduce the duration of the outbreak.
2.Drape a cold compress such as ice wrapped with cloth over the cold sore. You will be surprised that this simple cold sore treatment offers much pain and itch relief.
3.Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
4.Avoid touching other parts of your body after contact with your cold sores. The herpes simplex virus is contagious and the last thing you want is to spread it.
5.Keep your hands clean. Remember to wash them thoroughly after applying medication on the cold sores.
6.Take herbal treatments such as antiseptics Tea Tree Oil and Sage,etc. Seek medical advice before attempting this cold sore treatment.
7.Use painkillers like aspirin, paracetamol,etc.
8.Use medication containing anesthetic agents such as benzocaine which alleviates the pain.
9.Apply a tea bag over the cold sores. Tannic acid, an antiviral agent that can be found in tea is effective for cold sore treatment.
10.Take sufficient rest, and keep your body hydrated. The simple truth remains that our body will naturally heal when well-rested.
I have benefited much from these simple tips. I hope they would help you too in your cold sore treatment.
About 50% to 80% of the American population carries the herpes simplex 1 virus. That is easily more than 100 million Americans that have suffered from unsightly red and painful cold sores at least once in their entire lifetime. Sad to say, even though medical research funds in the tune of millions have been poured into researching and finding a permanent cure for the herpes virus, it has been thus far a wild goose chase.
Prescription anti-virus products can at most bring temporary comfort to cold sore sufferers by reducing the itch and pain. Vaccines are still in the early experimental stage, and have not been fully developed to produce positive results.
For the time being, cold sore sufferers can only rely upon over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Such medications often contain numbing properties, or are anti-viral in nature. They can also simply be pain-killers that in essence alleviate pain and bring temporary relief. But none can effectively reduce the normal 10 day period of cold sore attacks, which in serious cases can be even longer. These products are also ineffective in preventing cold sore recurrences.
People have also reported that there could be side-effects associated with using such medications. These side-effects include excessive dryness of skin, peeling, etc.
While modern science and medicine are advanced, our physical bodies still respond better to natural treatment methods. More and more medical experts are now convinced that applying natural cold sore treatment could be the correct way to treat cold sores without suffering from the harmful side-effects. Traditional home remedies passed down by the older folks are slowly making their way into American homes. Afterall, external drugs tend to create chemical imbalances in our bodies, and could have far-reaching repercussions on our health. At the same time, these homemade cold sore treatment can often be administered cheaply, frequently at a fraction of OTC medication costs.
It is amazing that nature has provided us with herbs or even plants that have great medicinal and healing properties. Even our common household items like toothpaste has the effect of cooling sores.
A long-time cold sore sufferer recently documented in her book about how she was able to win her struggle against cold sore recurrences. She also penned down the natural cold sore treatment methods that helped her cure her cold sores in 3 short days. In her report, she revealed how anyone can duplicate her treatment to heal cold sores from home. You can read more about her story and treatment methods from the resource below.
I hope that this article has encouraged you to seriously consider natural cold sore treatment as an alternative to OTC medicines.
Davion W has sinced written about articles on various topics from Family Concerns, Surveys and Beauty Tips. Davion is a successful webmaster and author. Learn more about all types of including how you can treat your cold sores using natural treatm. Davion W's top article generates over 368000 views. to your Favourites.