Ice is one of the most universal cold sore remedies for stopping the pain and swelling. If used early and often, it can stop any cold sore dead in its tracks. If you use wet, frozen tea bags, you will accomplish the same thing but will also benefit from the special antiseptic properties of the tea plant.
You may not be able to use ice when driving or at work. In that case, check out some drug store cold sore remedies that have pain deadening ingredients - such as benzocaine or lidocaine. Ice works better, but these will give some relief when you cannot use ice.
For the headaches, fever and swollen lymph glands, use your favorite aspirin-type product. This will give some relief and help you to function better in your daily activities.
2. COLD SORE FIRST AID FOR KEEPING THE SORE STERILE
Cold sore first aid requires keeping the wound clean and sterile. The best way to do this is with alcohol or peroxide - applied with throwaway tissue or cotton balls. Clean the cold sore as frequently as possible. Sanitize your hands afterward with hand sanitizing gel.
Some folks claim great success using wine or brandy in place of alcohol for the cleaning process. Makes sense since these products also contain nutrients known to be helpful to the healing process.
3. COLD SORE FIRST AID FOR FAST AND EFFECTIVE HEALING
Cold sores are caused by massive cell destruction. The body must take some time in repairing the damage and replacing the skin cells. Here are a couple of proven first aid tactics you can use for this.
Apply fresh Aloe Vera gel - from the leaf of a live plant. (Bottled gel has been killed by the bottling process and does not work.) You will be astounded how quickly Aloe Vera speeds skin growth. It is like skin fertilizer.
If you do not have access to a live Aloe Vera plant, here is first aid you can use that works with or without Aloe Vera.
Warm up any tea bag in water, not microwave. Apply this warm bag to the wound for about 15 minutes at a time. After you are done, apply a zinc based salve or gel. You probably can find a zinc containing salve among the cold sore remedies at the store. Some folks just rub a wet zinc lozenge on the sore (the kind you suck on for head colds).
4. BONUS COLD SORE FIRST AID TIPS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Ice is probably one of the best cold sore remedies - if used early. Once the sore opens up, however, ice can slow down healing dramatically. Cold drives away healing blood from the area.
Once your cold sore breaks open, it begins the healing mode. To relieve pain at this point, use the numbing remedies mentioned above. These will not give as much comfort as ice, but will not slow down healing either.
Now is the time to start applying heat as often as possible.
Start using a daily multiple vitamin program. A good vitamin will consist of a daily dose of four to six large tablets or capsules. Anything less and you might as well save your money. Many folks report reducing and preventing cold sores by as much as 50% using this therapy.
When your sore has a scab, it will painfully crack when you smile or move your mouth. This really slows down healing because the scab is constantly trying to repair itself too.
Your best bet is to keep the scab well saturated with oil - such as olive oil or vitamin E oil. This will keep it soft and flexible for less cracking.
The best cold sore first aid is stopping cold sores before they occur. This used to be quite difficult, but now more and more people are finding their personal cure for cold sores.
Cold sores affect each one of us differently, because each of us is unique. You will have to try different cold sore prevention methods - and perhaps combining them. Eventually you will discover, as millions of others have, the secret to personally preventing cold sores.
Imagine how wonderful life can be when you no longer have to cope with cold sores.
If you are a cold sore, fever blister or oral herpes sufferer, you need help, not hype. You need effective ways of stopping the discomfort and getting rid of your cold sores.
The intense discomfort of a cold sore is reason enough to try to cure it quickly. But there are a couple more important and long-lasting reasons you should know about.
- HERPES VIRUS GETTING IN YOUR EYES
The herpes simplex virus is very contagious. When you have an active cold sore on your face, there is a strong risk of getting it in your eye by accident. This often causes eye damage.
- COLD SORES AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
Researchers have uncovered some proteins in Alzheimer's are the same as found in cold sore activity. The investigation continues but it is certainly another good reason to heal them quickly.
You can reduce the pain and healing time with these cold sore first aid tactics. They have been well proven over time and are medically sound treatments.
1. FIRST AID METHOD FOR REDUCING COLD SORE PAIN
Some over-the-counter cold sore remedies have numbing agents - such as benzocaine. These do reduce the discomfort and are well worth using. They are for comfort only, however, and will not heal the sore any quicker.
Ice is the best remedy for reducing swelling and pain. Frozen, wet tea bags work very well and provide some anti-viral activity. Fever, headaches and swollen glands can be helped with aspirin or ibuprofen.
2. COLD SORE FIRST AID REQUIRES KEEPING THE SORE CLEAN
The more herpes simplex virus you wipe away from the sore, the less chance of spreading the virus to other areas. And, you will lower the population of virus hiding in your nerve cells when the wound is finally healed.
Keep sanitizing the cold sore and surrounding area with hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol. Use tissue or paper towels to do this and then throw away. You can get handy single-use alcohol swabs at the drug store.
3. FIRST AID FOR CLOSING THE COLD SORE WOUND FAST
Healing a cold sore quickly means speeding the growth of new skin to mend the wound. There are a couple topical treatments that will do this.
Aloe Vera is incredible for knitting skin over an open wound. It would be wise to have an Aloe Vera plant in your home. It does a great job only if you use fresh leaf sap from a live plant. Bottled gel is dead and does not work well.
Whether or not you have a live Aloe Vera plant handy, you can use the next two cold sore remedies for quick healing too.
Warm up a tea bag in water and apply to the cold sore for 10 - 15 minutes at a time. Between tea bag usage, apply zinc sulfate or gluconate. Zicam is an excellent zinc gel for this purpose.
4. FINAL COLD SORE FIRST AID SECRETS
Get and use the best quality vitamin and mineral supplement you can find. Your sores will heal faster. You will get less cold sores in the future. And you will feel better than ever before.
Ice is a great remedy when the cold sore is forming. But, once the sore opens up, ice will slow down healing by driving blood away. Apply heat to bring more blood to the wound and speed up the healing process.
It is quite painful and takes longer to heal when the scab dries and keeps cracking open. Keep it soft by applying olive oil or other vegetable oil. This not only provides much more comfort but will shorten the healing process.
Finally, look around and find a cold sore treatment program that will actually prevent future cold sores for you. Preventing a cold sore used to be quite difficult but now is very easy.
It is not magic. Each person gets cold sores for different reasons. You may have to do some testing of methods until you identify what works for you. When you do, you will enjoy a beautiful life without cold sores.
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