Before the cold sores develop, you will begin to feel the tingling sensation. Sometimes, burning and itching can be felt too. Gradually a number of tiny blisters will begin to form. Then all these tiny blisters will develop as one large blister which can be painful. You may be tempted to poke it but it is not advisable to do so. Once it is broken, the healing period will increase. At this stage, everyone is searching for cold sore remedies in the hope of relief and prevention of future outbreaks.

1. You can start by including lysine into your diet. Lysine is one of the amino acids that has shown its effectiveness to stop the vital infection. Studies demonstrated that by taking lysine, your sores can be healed within four days. You can eat foods that contains plenty of lysine such as eggs, almonds, legumes, peanuts, meat, eggs, dairy products, and vegetables. If you are worried that you are not getting enough lysine, you can buy supplements which are easily available in any health store. Make sure every day you have at least 2,000 mg of lysine in order to reduce the outbreaks.

2. Lemon balm is a botanical plant that has a lemony scent. It has antiviral properties which can help in soothing the itching, tingling and burning sensations of fever blisters. There are various methods to use it as a remedy. Tea brewing is one of them where you dab the tea on the sore. Some prefer to drink it as a beverage.

3. The anti-inflammatory and anti-septic properties of St. John's Wort has made this plant as an excellent treatment for different kinds of skin wounds. It is usually extracted and sold as an essential. Just apply it on the blisters. You should see almost instant result. However, it is a very potent solution and don't use more than two drops at a time.

4. Aloe vera is widely used by people for centuries in treating skin diseases. As a natural treatment, it is effective in treating cold sores by accelerating the process of healing. Use it on the sore three times a day.

5. Tea tree oil is another traditional therapy for wounds. It can increase your ability to heal. Just add a drop on the affected area several times a day. You may also gargle with a solution of water and a few drops of tea tree oil.

6. Ice cube is another cold sore remedy which is easily done at home. Put a cube of ice on the sore for between 15 and 20 minutes several times a day. By bringing down the temperature around the infected area, the virus will not spread further. Furthermore, the pain is reduced as the area is numbed due to the coldness of the ice. This method is best when the tingling sensation starts to set in.

Beside the discomfort of cold sores, you may feel embarrassed during social times. These cold sore remedies are not able to cure your condition but they are effective in easing the pain and reduce the time taken for the wounds to heal.