Home » cold_sore_treatments » Home Cold Sore Remedies - A List of Treatment Options For Cold Sores

Cold Sore Remidies

There are several cold sore remidies available, but do any of them actually work? Some don't, but there are some that do work. Which one will be the best option for you?

Home Cold Sore Remedies - A List of Treatment Options For Cold Sores

Andrew Kawaski

So today we're going to learn about some cold sore basics as well as a cold sore remedy or two (or three), including prescription, over the counter medication, and some home remedies that really work.

Basic Knowledge About Cold Sores

Cold sores are small, painful, liquid-filled sores that appear on the lips, mouth, or nose--they are caused by a virus called Herpes Simplex Type 1. The sores can be painful but usually only last a few days. Once you've had your first outbreak of herpes, the virus lies dormant in the nerve cells in your skin and may come out again as an active outbreak at or near the original site. You may experience an itch or heightened sensitivity at the site prior to each outbreak. Fever, menstruation, stress and exposure to the sun may all cause a recurrence, or new outbreak. Unlike with most viral infections, the Herpes virus is never completely eliminated by the body's immune system. For this reason, cold sores often recur over and over again through the years.

Simple Treatment of a Cold Sore

-Clean with a wash cloth and hot soapy water.

-Use a petroleum-based product such as petroleum jelly or neosporin to seal in the virus to prevent spreading to other areas of your skin, minimize irritation, and keep out further infection.

-You can also use topical treatments such as lidocaine or benzyl alcohol (Zilactin) to help reduce or eliminate your symptoms.

*Do Not Touch or Scratch!*

-The less you touch, the faster it will disappear--believe me, I get cold sores, I know how much you want to itch, but DON'T--scratching can spread it all over the rest of your face!

Home Treatments and Remedies for Cold Sores:

A home remedy for cold sore or cold sore home treatments: these are too numerous to mention, and many of them simply do not work. My own experience with home remedies is very extensive since I've tried a great number of things throughout the years--recently I've collaborated with several friends of mine who also suffer from cold sores and we've tried and tested almost everything under the sun...

to see what our results were, have a look at my blog here: Home Remedies for Cold Sores