Denny Bodoh asked:


How to get rid of cold sores, fever blisters and oral herpes quickly and safely is very good to know if you suffer from these uncomfortable and unsightly lesions.

There are a lot of wild claims going around. Many offer to show you how to get rid of cold sores using their costly methods or products. Although you will have varying degrees of success, quite often you are disappointed. Very few live up to their claims.

If you truly want to learn how to get rid of cold sores, first understand what causes the oral herpes outbreaks that we call a cold sore or fever blister.

Type 1 or type 2 herpes simplex virus creates all cold sore, fever blister or oral herpes sores. Nearly 90% of the world population carries the virus since it is so contagious.

And once you catch it, you will carry it for life. The herpes virus is a master at hiding. Even you immune defense system cannot find it when it is dormant.

In the case of ****** sores, the virus is hiding latent in the root cells of your ****** nerves. When it senses that your immune guards are weak or distracted, it rushes to the surface with hopes of creating more of its own kind.

The herpes virus is unable to reproduce on its own, but must force your surface nerve cells to become virus factories to create its offspring. Once the cell has created all the virus possible, it is destroyed to release the new virus.

It is this destruction of millions of adjacent cells that creates the open, weeping wound.

If you want know how to get rid of cold sores as quickly as your body will allow, then here are the three basic steps you must use, even if you are using other cold sore remedies.

1. EARLIEST COLD SORE FOREWARNING.

If you have much experience with cold sore outbreaks, you will possibly have noticed an itching, tingling, burning or dryness in the spot where you normally get the sore.

You are actually feeling the virus moving up the nerve and entering the cells at the surface. If you act fast, you can get rid of cold sores (or at least slow them down) during this period.

There are a variety of cold sore remedies that work well for this. The most convenient, no matter where you are, is ice. It really discourages the virus. Sometimes it just gives up on the idea and moves back into hibernation.

The neat thing about this – if you are able to get rid of cold sores at this early stage, you can avoid the painful and lengthy healing process.

2. CONSTANT STERILIZATION OF THE COLD SORE AREA.

How to get rid of cold sores? Take a hint from your body. As soon as the cold sore opens up, your body creates a thick fluid that weeps constantly from the wound. This is your body attempting to wash away the virus particles.

You can speed this process along very easily.

Soak a cotton ball or tissue in rubbing alcohol, wine or peroxide. Use this to wipe the sore as much as possible. Then toss away. The more you do this, the quicker your body can get the healing underway.

And this will reduce the likelihood of spreading the virus to another spot on you – or to another person.

3. REPAIRING THE COLD SORE DAMAGED CELLS.

When the cold sore was forming, ice was an excellent cold sore treatment. Now it is not.

Do not use ice after the sore breaks open as it will greatly slow down healing by driving blood away. Now you should be applying heat to bring healing blood to help repair the sore.

You can do this by using a hot, wet paper towel – then throw away. Or you can do what many have found very successful – using hot tea bags.

Not only are they cheap and easily available, but every time you use them, you are also bathing the wound with the healing tea fluid. This is an excellent way to get rid of cold sores quickly and permanently.

Learning how to get rid of cold sores is not too difficult. You should know that the methods outlined above are excellent and used successfully by millions.

Just use caution when someone tries to sell you some magic cold sore treatment salve or lotion. You will most often be disappointed.

Perhaps a little more research and you will know as much about how to get rid of cold sores as anyone.

Davion W asked:


Cold sore treatments can be cheap and effective when prepared from home. We call them home remedies for cold sores or natural cold sore treatments. Whatever it is, they can be concocted using simple food ingredients or household products which are readily available at the supermarket. Here are some cold sore treatments to treat your cold sores.

1. Cold Sore Diet

Our diet can be modified to treat cold sores.

a. Arginine Reduction

Herpes simplex virus depends on arginine, an amino acid to grow and proliferate. So we can avoid salty and acidic foods that are rich in arginine such as chocolate, seeds, oatmeal, nuts, almonds, whole grains and peas.

b. Lysine Intake

Lysine inhibits the development and growth of herpes simplex virus. It is an essential amino acid that aids the production of antibodies and can be found in foods like red meat, cheese, soya products, milk, eggs, wheat germ, legumes, vegetables, chicken, fish and brewers yeast.

c. Caffeine Reduction

Cut back on beverages like coffee and tea. These drinks are bad for our skin on the whole.

d. Vitamins Intake

Vitamins and minerals are effective in reducing the cold sore duration; prevent recurrences and enhancing our immunity against viruses. Remember to have daily intake of Vitamin A, B complex, C and E, iron and zinc.

e. Vegetables and Fruits

Eat lots of vegetables and fruits such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, garlic and cabbage.

2. Application of Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis)

Lemon balm is antiviral in nature and is extremely effective against cold sores.

3. Application of Peppermint (Mentha Piperita)

Similar to lemon balm, application of peppermint on the affected area is a good cold sore treatment.

4. Application of Tea Bag

Applying a wet tea bag over the sores is yet another excellent cold sore treatment. Tea contains tannic acid, an antiviral agent.

5. Application of Resveratol

Red grapes contain resveratol which is able to suppress the herpes simplex virus. Crush them into a paste and rub it over the cold sores.

6. Application of Witch Hazel

Witch hazel has also been used as a cold sore treatment at home. It is used as a topical medication over the affected sores.

7. Application of Aloe Vera Gel or Oil

Applying aloe vera gel or oil on the cold sore helps to keep the cold sores from spreading. Repeat this at least 3 times a day. It would also offer some pain and itch relief.

8. Application of Ice

This is one of the oldest natural cold sore treatments. You probably have used it on your cold sores before. It not only slows down the cold sore development, but also alleviates the pain and itchiness.

These are some of most widely used cold sore treatments. Find more effective and natural cold sore treatments at my blog that would help you treat your cold sores quickly.

This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any ezine, newsletter, blog or website. The author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Cold sores are also known as fever blisters. Those small wounds come on your lips and the mouth. Cold sores can be both painful and embarrassing as they appear at random. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) causes cold sores.

Most people think that herpes and cold sores are same. But they are quite different from each other. There are two types of herpes simplex virus, HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV-1 usually causes cold sores. This is found in many people.

Kissing, sneezing, coughing or touching a cold sore will lead to the transmission of the HSV-1 in a person. This virus can be through a common touch also. A child can get this virus through a parental contact.

You will not suffer more than ten days with cold sores. It will go away on its own after a week or ten days. They will not reappear again for many years. Cold sore opens after few days and leaves a clear fluid before drying up. It will disappear that.

Some people need treatment for the cold sores. Otherwise, they will feel embarrassing with the cold sore. OTC and prescription medicines will speed up the process of healing. They are some painful. You cannot prevent cold sores, but you can get rid of cold sores easily. You can use that ways.

Cold sores are highly contagious. There are ample of ways to through these cold sores out of your body.

For faster healing and protecting from further infection, you can cover cold sores with a protective petroleum based product.

If you want to reduce the pain caused by the cold sores then you can take painkillers like aspirin and ibuprofen.

Salty and acidic food will irritate cold sores. It will increase your pain. So please avoid them and make your pain less.

Protect your lips from getting sun-induced cold sores. Apply sun scream to your lips.

Do not give cold sores as gift to others as it is very contagious. So avoid kissing, sharing towels and washing your hands frequently. You should be careful about this.

Give a visit to a doctor if you have frequently suffering from the cold sores.

Warm drinks like tea or coffee will work well for old sores. Orange juice will make you feel better as it will reduce your pain

Apply ice to cold sores. It will make a better solution. It will help in not reaching to other people.

You can place a teabag within the patients reach. The tannic acid will make the healing process faster.

Apply a fresh aloe Vera on the cold sore. Bring a fresh aloe Vera from the plant.

Get lots of vitamin B and B-12 to get rid of cold sores. It is a natural way to heal.

Most people believe that the fastest way to get rid of cold sores is with hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer helps to kill germs and bacteria instantly. You can make use of this.

Hope these tips will help you to get rid from cold sores.

Quinn Black asked:


The internet offers mixed reviews on many of the dozens of cold sore medications on the market today, ranging from statements like “my cold sore was gone in two hours” to “this stuff made it worse!” Some cold sore medications obviously have a better track record than others, but it can be difficult to find the perfect remedy for that annoying and embarrassing cold sore. The biggest factor that will contribute to the effectiveness of your chosen cold sore remedy is noting the stage at which the cold sore has developed when the first treatment is applied to the site. Any cold sore sufferer knows that the best way to treat a cold sore is to nip it in the bud as soon as possible. Once blisters begin to form, you may be out of luck if you are not using the right cold sore medication. I am a frequent cold sore sufferer who has tried almost every home remedy and cold sore medication on the market. In this article I am going to compare two of the most popular cold sore medications: Abreva, the only FDA approved over the counter medication and Zovirax, an FDA approved prescription medication.

Abreva:

Abreva can be purchased in almost any drug-store for $16-$20. Right off the bat, it is important to note that you won’t get much for what you pay. The medicine is in a tiny 2 gram (.07 ounce) tube that is barely an inch long. I have seen many good (and many bad) reviews of Abreva, and my opinion falls somewhere in-between. Healing a cold sore quickly with Abreva is hit-or-miss. I have learned that if I liberally apply Abreva almost every hour as soon as I feel any burning or tingling, it does help tremendously and there is 90% chance that I will avoid a full blown breakout. Often, if caught at that stage, the blisters will simply not develop. However, if I don’t have any when the tingling begins, or I wake up to find that the blisters have already begun to form, the cold sore will generally run its course, lasting 9-10 days regardless of how much I continue to apply. It really is important to apply Abreva immediately upon feeling any tingling or pain. Even an hour can make a big difference.

Zovirax (Aciclovir):

Let me just say that I absolutely love Zovirax and I regret all the years I suffered with cold sores, spending hours researching home remedies and over-the-counter products, when a simple call to the doctor for a prescription was the answer. It is truly a life-saver when it comes to cold sores. Whether it is applied at the first signs of a cold sore or even after bumps and blisters have begun to form, it will zap my cold sore in 24-48 hours. In addition, it does not “dry out” the cold sores which many medications do; shrinking the blisters, but leaving a very hard scab that cracks and bleeds. Zovirax also has something in it to relieve pain and itching. In most cases, if Zovirax is applied during the tingling stage the cold sore does not develop (like Abreva). If it is applied after blisters have formed, it shrinks the blisters overnight and relieves all the redness and irritation surrounding the sore. I have never had a cold sore for more than three days when using Zovirax. The one down-side to using this medication is the cost. A 5 gram tube of Zovirax retails at about $120.00 and is subject to a higher co-pay with insurance because there is no generic equivalent available yet.

Denny Bodoh asked:


©2007 – Denny Bodoh

Cold sores are unsightly, contagious and very painful sores, normally occurring on the edge of the lip or nose.

Cold sores are created by the replication process of the herpes simplex virus type 1 or type 2. Current studies show that about 77% of cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex type 1 and about 23% by the type 2 version of this simplex virus.

Cold sores caused by either type of the herpes virus are identical. They both look the same, hurt the same, are just as contagious, and last about the same amount of weeks.

Cold sores will occur and reoccur in about the same location as the initial infection. For example, if your cold sore appears on your upper left lip, then this is the site of the original infection.

The virus that causes cold sores lives in the nerve cells. It will seek out the nearest nerve fibers at the site where the virus enters the body. That herpes virus will make a home in that particular nerve fiber for the rest of your life.

Now don’t be fooled. You can be infected several times in different locations. If another cold sore appears on your lower right lip, this is a different infection and you now have located another “family” of the cold sore virus living in another nerve fiber.

When you have a cold sore, keep in mind that you are not only very contagious to others, but to other locations on your own body too. Cold sores can appear anywhere on the body where the virus found a ***** in the protective skin layer.

The herpes simplex virus normally is in hibernation farther down the nerve fibers from the surface. If you get a cold sore on your upper left lip, chances are this virus is hiding in the nerve ganglia near your left ear.

Your body defenses create cold sore anti-bodies each time you have a cold sore outbreak. These anti-bodies surround and help keep the herpes virus asleep.

Should there be some stress in another part of your body, these defenses may weaken and the cold sore virus will snatch the opportunity to move to the surface and create new viruses.

The herpes simplex virus cannot reproduce itself. The virus will enter a nerve cell and force the cell to clone copies of itself. When the cell becomes full of new virus, the original virus will destroy the cell to release all the new clones.

This destruction of millions of cells in a close area create those hideous open cold sores.

The open cold sore would be painful enough, but it is even more so because the herpes virus creates the cold sore right on the end of that nerve fiber. The pain is quite similar to a dentist hitting a nerve.

The most common way of infecting others with cold sores is kissing. Doting relatives and friends usually infect children before they are seven.

Remember, you are contagious from the first tingle until about two days after complete healing.

Cold sore sufferers will many times create a new area of infection on their body with contaminated fingers or towels. The fluid that weeps from cold sores is teaming with fresh virus looking for a new home.

If you have a cut on your finger and you get even one virus in that cut, you will likely get cold sores on your finger.

The body will naturally cure your cold sores without any special cold sore treatment but it often takes three to four weeks. A long time to be socially sidelined and feeling poorly.

There are many over-the-counter and prescription treatments for cold sores. The best and quickest relief comes from topical treatments – a salve or ointment that you put directly on the cold sore.

There are some prescription pills that are available but these are generally slow acting, giving no immediate relief for the cold sore sufferer. For the most part, oral remedies from the drug companies have been dismal failures.

Many people have reported great success with oral doses of the amino acid Lysine. Recommended dosage is 1000 mg. twice a day during the cold sores outbreak and 500 mg. per day between cold sores.

Ice is still the most universal and readily available cold sore treatment. Put ice cubes in a zipper type plastic bag and you’ll avoid a lot of mess. Ice reduces swelling, deadens the pain, and helps discourage the cold sores virus.

And applying ice at the first sign of a cold sore often prevents the cold sore from actually occurring or shortens the life-span of your cold sores.

Denny Bodoh asked:


Are you currently treating a cold sore? Using the right treatment at the correct time can save you a lot of grief. In this article we cover the best way of treating a cold sore at all three primary stages.

Cold sores interrupt your life in a big way. Having and treating a cold sore is no fun. And often these sores will last three to four weeks.

Treating a cold sore correctly can shorten the suffering time by 50% or more. That definitely is worth your effort and time.

There are several distinct stages of cold sores but they all fall within these three primary stages for treatment purposes.

Let’s take a look.

EARLY WARNING OF YOUR COLD SORES.

One of the bad things about the herpes simplex virus is that it lives and does its damage in your nerves. That is why cold sores are so painful.

Usually the herpes virus is asleep in the root cells of your ****** nerves. When it becomes active, the virus must travel up that nerve to the surface for replication.

Yes – you can actually feel this virus movement.

It will cause a tingling or itching sensation at the surface target area. Your oral herpes outbreak is now only several hours to a couple days away.

The minute you feel this warning sign, get something cold on it. Ice or a cold can will work. Keep treating a cold sore with this method as often as possible.

This will slow down – or even stop – many outbreaks.

Also, this would be the perfect time to start taking supplements of the amino acid lysine. Normally a safe dosage during an outbreak is 2000 to 4000 milligrams.

COLD SORE DEVELOPMENT STAGE.

You know the herpes virus has reached the surface and entered the cells there when you see the telltale swelling and painful pimple-like bumps.

The creation of new virus causes the cells to expand – and eventually burst.

Ice is still a very good way of treating a cold sore at this stage. It reduces pain and swelling to some degree. Also, you may wish to use your usual pain and fever reducing medicine.

Better than common ice, try wetting some tea bags and freezing them. Using these in place of ice will supply the area with healing nutrients found in tea.

Putting garlic oil on the area is also an excellent way of treating a cold sore now. Garlic has the unique ability to travel right through the skin to the infection.

Use fresh cut or crushed garlic cloves for optimum results.

THE LONG HEALING JOURNEY OF COLD SORES.

Once the cells are full of new herpes virus, they burst open. The virus is still active but will not do much more damage. You are now in the healing stage which may take up to two weeks.

Stop using ice at this point.

It may feel good but it drives away healing blood. Use warm compresses now to bring more blood to the area and greatly speed healing.

The best way to apply heat is to use tea bags warmed up in hot water. Do not use a microwave to heat the tea bag directly. Microwave radiation will reduce its healing nutrients.

You should also continue treating a cold sore with garlic and lysine as mentioned previously. And you should be cleansing the wound with peroxide as often as possible.

For the cleansing process, use cotton balls or paper towels – then throw away.

CAUTION PLEASE.

The herpes simplex virus is extremely contagious. It is primarily passed on through touch or kissing. Treating a cold sore carelessly can spread it to other spots on your face or body.

Remember – when you create a new infection site, it will be a lifetime site for additional cold sores. Do not touch your sores with your bare fingers – wash your hands as much as possible.

Also, if your sores are very painful, you can use pain-relief numbing agents such as lidocaine or benzocaine. Store bought cold sore treatment salves often offer this benefit.

Treating a cold sore quickly and correctly is not difficult as you now know. The best part is getting rid of your cold sore fast and getting back your social life.

But, it is very important to prevent further difficulties by continually cleansing the sore and your hands while treating a cold sore.

Denny Bodoh asked:


Cold sore treatments are always of vital interest for those of us who suffer those burning cold sores. There are new treatments coming out all the time. Many claim to be the final answer to your prayers. Some cold sore treatments are worth the money, and some are not.

You be the judge.

Take a look at some of the more commonly used cold sore treatments that are popular right now. Please understand these are just my opinions made from personal observations. In no way should this information take the place of your personal health care provider.

Campho-Phenique: Camphorated phenol is the active ingredient, which primarily is a pain reliever and will keep bacterial infection out. There are several formulas now. One contains petroleum jelly to keep the scab soft, which greatly reduces the pain of the scab cracking when you move your lips. This has been around for many years and has been a blessing to millions of folks. One of the oldest cold sore treatments.

Novitra: A zinc-based salve using zinc sulfate. Zinc has long been known as the healing mineral. Zinc sulfate is a good choice. Zinc sulfate is more readily absorbed into the sore and cells than most forms of zinc. This is not the total answer. But it does help the healing process, dries up the sore and helps kill the virus. A very good product but it is costly. There is no temporary pain relief so it might be best used along with a pain relief product, like mentioned above.

There is another form of zinc that I like – zinc gluconate. This form of zinc is the base of a product called “Zicam”. It comes in a gel form that is absorbed in seconds through the mucus membrane of the nose. Works great for head colds and you can put it directly on cold sores at any stage. And, it’s about half the price of Novitra. They do not yet market their products as cold sore treatments.

Abreva: The active ingredient is docosanol. Docosanol stops the cold sores from getting any bigger by forming a protective barrier around the healthy cells surrounding the cold sores. Works well in limiting size of cold sores if you catch it early. But, by the time the cold sore blossoms, the damage is already done. A healing cold sore treatment is what you need now. Abreva makers recently paid a million dollars in a court settlement regarding false claims for this product. The studies I’ve seen show Abreva will shorten the cold sores event by two or three days. I’ve seen as good or better results just applying ice as a herpes cold sore treatment.

Releev: This cold sore treatment is based on the active ingredient benzalkonium chloride. The primary function of this chemical is antiseptic. It will cleanse and dry up cold sores. Seems to work quite well. Makers claim that this cold sore treatment is able to reduce cold sore symptoms with just one day of treatment. Maybe it does for some people, but I haven’t seen it. Do not use it if you have an allergy to the daisy flower family Do not use if you are pregnant or nursing. Would make me nervous using on kids too. There are better cold sore treatments.

Zilactin: A cold sore gel that forms a protective film over the cold sore. This is actually a very good idea. It also contains a pain-relieving ingredient called “benzyl alcohol” which gives you about three hours of peace. Also contains boric acid and salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is related to aspirin. Salicylic acid normally is irritating to the skin so I question the value here. It could make the sore worse. Also, if you have an aspirin allergy – don’t use.

Lysine salves: A variety of cold sore salves available in drug and vitamin stores contain lysine. Lysine has a reputation for preventing cold sores and other forms of herpes sores. Studies show this to be true when taken internally. It helps keep you pH normal. Using lysine placed directly on the cold sore has not been very successful, from my personal observance. I would much rather see you try the zinc products mentioned above.

New cold sore treatments are coming out all the time. The market is huge for these products, since nearly nine out of ten people in the world carry the cold sore virus. Medical science has yet to solve this problem, but they are working hard at it.

Right now you will find that natural science is still your best solution to the age-old cold sore problem. Natural home remedies still prove to be the safest, cheapest and most effective cold sore treatments.