Did you try any home remedies for cold sores? If you have had cold sores before, you surely try at least one to relieve them. As they are painful and annoying.
What are cold sores?
Cold sores(fever blister) are a tiny, oozy, fluid-filled blister around the lips, caused by the herpes simplex virus. Once HSV enters your body it never leaves even if you have no symptoms, this case is called "latent virus". When a virus is triggered and becomes active, cold sores break out.
They commonly come after or with common cold and flu infection. Firstly feeling a tingling sensation, a day or couple of days after that blisters collection appears with pain and tenderness. After a few days, a crust is developed, dried then falls off at this point this is recovery.
They're self-limiting infections and go away on their own after two weeks. Home remedies for cold sores can help a speedy recovery. Cold sores are highly contagious, spreading, and have recurrences. They usually appear in the same position. Those are light infections for adults, but they are life-threatening for babies. Be cautious when having blisters and not kissing any baby.
Cold sores triggers:
HSV is considered a weak one, it needs external factors to be activated. Some of these triggers are:
1- Stress
2- Exhaustion
3- Hormonal changes, as a menstrual period
4- Infections like the common cold and flu.
5- UV radiation.
6- Suppression of the immune system.
Avoid these triggers to keep yourself away from cold sores.
Best home remedies for cold sores:
Your mom's advice when having cold sores are kind of home remedies for cold sores. Believe in your mom and try them next time.
1- Lemon oil:
Lemon is a strong antiseptic that can clean everything. It also kills the Herpes simplex virus, once it is killed cold sores will heal faster. Lemon oil is one of the most effective home remedies for cold sores. At the beginning of forming sores and feeling tangling, put 2 drops of lemon oil into the affected area. Then moisturize the lip to prevent cracks and superinfection.
Repeat until healing. As quickly as you begin, the sores rapidly disappear and their severity is reduced. Now it is available as a lemon balm that contains lemon oil and moisturizer at the same time.
2- Teabags:
Applying cooled and damp tea bags to sores or even one the area you expect an outbreak and leaving it for ten minutes three times daily helps to reduce the severity and duration of the outbreak. Earl Grey tea bags are thought to be the most effective ones.
3- Tea tree oil:
Tea tree oil is considered a good choice for home remedies for cold sores as it contains antiviral activity that prevents the spread of infection and allows a speed of blisters recovery. Put tea tree oil into cotton swabs then apply to sores. Repeat this several times daily.
4-Peppermint oil:
It is an essential oil that has an antiseptic effect. Studies show that peppermint oil has the potential to reduce symptoms of Herpes simplex and other strains even if they are resistant to drugs. To take this benefit dilute peppermint oil and apply directly to sores.
5- Aloe Vera:
Trying to put Aloe Vera pure gel on cold sores three or four times daily helps to protect blisters from rupture or infection as it soothes itchy and swelling blisters.
6- Ice cube:
Used to minimize itching, swelling, and tenderness of sores. Applying an ice cube to sores and holding it for a few minutes helps blisters to heal faster. Repeat several times daily.
7-Petroleum jelly:
It helps to make the skin around lips and sore softer and form a protective layer.
8-Hot compress:
Warm water reduces inflammation. Soak a clean towel in warm water then apply on sores for 20 minutes. You can add salt into warm water (saltwater) that changes the environment around the virus, so it can't survive. Be careful, it can be painful to you.
9- Sunblock:
Excessive exposure to sunlight and UV promotes HSV outbreaks because this weakens the immune system. So applying sunblock saves you from cold sores, not only home remedies for cold sores. If you already have a cold sore, apply a lip balm that has 30 SPF at least. This will help a speedy recovery.
10-Corn starch paste:
It is a traditional one of home remedies for cold sores, making a paste of cornstarch that its PH neutralizes acidic pH of cold sores. This helps to reduce pain and inflammation.
11- Apple cider vinegar:
It is an antimicrobial agent that can kill viruses and provide quick recovery several times daily.
12- Licorice root paste:
Put one tablespoon full of licorice root extract to one-half teaspoonful of petroleum jelly then apply a thin layer on lips and sores. This helps relieve your cold sores rapidly.
13-Parmesan cheese:
Are you Surprised! It is the most unusual remedy of home remedies for cold sores. Parmesan cheese is rich in lysine amino acid that helps to block arginine activity leading to a reduction in the reproduction of viruses that feed on arginine.
14-OTC:
*Zinc oxide cream
help to make the duration of cold sore shorter and reduce itching and tangling.
* Numbing cream
As local anesthesia such As Lidocaine and benzocaine whose numb affected areas to reduce discomfort.
*Antiviral drugs
OTC antiviral creams can help you to relieve your cold sores and can reduce pain and the duration of infection.
15-Hand off:
It is the major part of the puzzle, controlling yourself not to play on blisters or touch them to prevent worsen or spread the infection to other areas.
If blisters ruptured what should do:
1- Clean it with hydrogen peroxide to disinfect them. This will prevent bacterial infections. The Cleaner sore, the more quickly they recover.
2- Don't touch them to prevent spread and worsen the infection.
After healing of cold sores:
Congratulations on your recovery! Now you should:
1- Get rid of your toothbrush because it may be contaminated with the infection.
2- throw away lip balm that you used when you were infected.
3-take care of yourself and enhance your immunity to prevent any recurrence.
Summary
Remember these home remedies for cold sores are highly effective. Try them if you have a cold sore. But try to keep yourself away from Herpes infection.
Read about: Home Remedies
Read about: Home Remediese
By: Dr.Hager Khedr
You must be logged in to post a comment.