Cold sores often appear at the most inopportune times, leaving the unfortunate sufferer searching for quick cold sore remedies. Cold sores, also called fever blisters, are commonly confused with canker sores inside the mouth. Cold sores however, will always appear on the external lips or right near the mouth and nose and regularly last anywhere from 7-10 days. They are also contagious, passed on by infected saliva or a blister in the early stages. They are caused by a member of the herpes simplex virus that stays dormant inside your cells even when there is no outbreak. There are fortunately a good number of natural cold sore remedies that can diminish both the number of outbreaks and their duration.
Before discussing any remedies for cold sore treatment, it is good to know what causes an outbreak. The herpes simplex virus stays dormant in certain nerve cells after infection, waiting until the opportunity is ripe. While not all triggers may affect everyone, there are several common noteworthy triggers. Stress on the body is the easiest way to sum up the main culprit; including, but not limited to lack of sleep, fatigue, fever, cold or flu, trauma, food allergies, and sunburn, especially on the face. Several nutritional triggers can be monitored, including caffeine, chocolate, nuts, oatmeal, wheat flour products (refined and whole), beans, and other arginine rich foods. While each trigger may not always cause an outbreak, it is helpful to limit the triggers you are exposed to. For instance, chocolate may not always cause an outbreak, but after not sleeping very well the night before, it may be the last straw. A final dietary recommendation to consider is to include foods that are rich in the amino acid lysine, which replaces arginine on nerve receptors, blocking an outbreak.
Once an outbreak occurs, pain management is the best that many treatments can do. There are over-the-counter ointments that shorten the duration of an outbreak, but many sufferers are not happy with these solutions and search out cold sore natural remedies. Homeopathic cold sore remedies can be beneficial but require research to determine the best fit based upon an individual’s total emotional and physical symptoms. Thankfully there are many cold sore home remedies that are budget friendly, natural, and effective. Ice remains one of the top contenders for this spot. Holding ice over the telltale tingling location a cold sore is taking hold of can drive away the virus, delaying, shortening, or even stopping an outbreak. Ice slows down healing, however, after the sore has broken open, and should not be used after this point. Two other promising topical solutions are hydrogen peroxide and garlic oil. Hydrogen peroxide cleans the area and provides additional oxygen to the sore which both speed healing. Garlic oil keeps the scab soft and is a powerful antiviral that can shorten the duration of an outbreak. Several supplements that promote healing include vitamins C, E, and a B-complex, minerals calcium and zinc, and an herbal licorice (not anise) supplement or tea.
While most conventional cold sore remedies can be costly, unnatural and poorly effective, leaving a lot to be desired, thankfully they do not present the only solution.
Although not all triggers can be avoided, careful monitoring and smart nutrition can prevent outbreaks from occurring. A little common sense and a few cheap and effective home remedies up your sleeve will go a long way towards reducing the number and duration of cold sore outbreaks experienced.