How to Cure a Cold Sore Fast
Avoid cold sore triggers., Identify cold sores before they surface., Stop the cold sore in its tracks., Keep your lips protected from the sun at all times., Stay healthy!, Apply topical cream to combat pain and symptoms., See your doctor for...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Avoid cold sore triggers.
There are a variety of things that can cause cold sores and it's a good idea to be extra vigilant if you are susceptible to them.
Even stress and lack of sleep can cause cold sores, so try to get a good night's sleep.If you come down with a cold, fever or flu, your risk of an outbreak may increase because your immune system is compromised.
Make sure you're getting all your necessary vitamins and eating healthfully.
Menses, pregnancy, and hormonal changes may cause cold sores to act up.
Of course, there's nothing women can do to prevent this.
Stress may trigger cold sore outbreaks, so do everything you can to relax.
Set some time aside each day to meditate, take deep breaths or simply have a cup of tea, whatever works for you.
Fatigue triggers outbreaks, so make sure you get plenty of sleep.
Take naps if you need to Too much exposure to the sun can aggravate the area and cause cold sores to emerge.
If you do overexpose your lips to the sun, try to ice them as soon as possible, for several minutes.
Also, look for a lipstick or lip balm with sun protection of SPF 15 or higher and apply it frequently throughout the day. -
Step 2: Identify cold sores before they surface.
Know the signs so you can act before your cold sore has a chance to form.
Tenderness, tingling, burning, itching, numbness and pain around your lips may mean a cold sore is forming.Fevers and other cold and flu symptoms often accompany cold sores, hence the nickname “fever blisters.” Cold sores usually arrive with a warning period of red, irritated skin.
Blisters form, burst, and then crust over before they heal. , It is in its prodromal stage for 6 to 48 hours before it becomes visible.During this time, you may use the following methods to prevent the sore from surfacing.
This is the best time to stop it, rather than having to wait once it gets big and nasty! Ice it or apply a cold compress.Do this hourly, or as frequently as possible.
Steep a teabag in hot water, let it cool and then hold it against the afflicted area.
Cold sores thrive in heat, so be sure to let the tea bag cool beforehand. , Apply lip balm with sun protection of at least SPF
15.
Reapply it frequently throughout the day. , Cold sores are not caused by colds, but a cold lowers your immune system and can trigger them.
When you come down with a fever, cold, or flu, your immune system is compromised and busy fighting something else.
Make sure you're getting all your necessary vitamins.
Eat lots of leafy greens, and colorful vegetables, as well as salmon, nuts, and fruit.
Drink white and green tea.
Both are rich in antioxidants, which strengthen your immune system and cleanse your body of toxins.
Drink lots of water.
Get enough sleep. , Most topical treatments only provide symptomatic relief, and do not in fact accelerate the healing process, so keep that in mind.Try the following topical treatments:
Docosanol (Abreva) is FDA-approved and available over-the-counter.Topical Acyclovir (Zovirax) and Penciclovir (Denavir) may be prescribed to you by your doctor. , These can help decrease the duration of the outbreak, and there are a good variety of them, but you'll need to get a prescription from your doctor.
You can either get pills or creams, but the creams tend to work the best and the quickest.
Try to start the medications as soon as you see signs of a cold sore.
Start Acyclovir (Xerese, Zovirax) before cold sores fully flare and take it five times a day for 5 days.
Alternatively, you can take Valacyclovir (Valtrex) at the first sign of a cold sore and then 12 hours later. #*Famciclovir (Famvir) can be given as a single dose of medicine.
So can Acyclovir buccal (Sitavig), but you place it on your gums rather than swallowing and it lets out the medicine as it dissolves., This won't help make your cold sore go away, but it will help you deal with the discomfort that arises from having a cold sore.
Just remember: just because it doesn't hurt doesn't mean you can't pass it along to another person.
You still need to be careful, as cold sores are very contagious! , Aloe reduces pain and speeds along the healing process, so it's a really good thing to use to help heal your cold sore., This helps reduce swelling and redness and eases the symptoms of a core sore.
Again, it won't necessarily speed up the healing process., This won't really speed along the healing process, but it can help you feel better, so it's definitely a good thing to use for the purposes of symptom relief., This will work to speed along the healing process and protect against bacterial infection. , Leave it there for several minutes as it absorbs and drains the fluid, then rinse.
Repeat the process several times if needed.
This may sting. , Despite the name, cold cores aren’t caused by colds.
The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is most often the cause.
You get it from contact with an infected person’s skin or body fluid.
Once contracted, the herpes virus stays with you for life.
There is nothing you can do to eliminate the virus, but you can reduce the frequency of outbreaks.
The herpes virus damages your skin as it reproduces.
That leaves behind weepy sores that last about a week.
Between outbreaks, HSV-1 hides inside nerve cells, so it’s never completely cured.
About two-thirds of us have been infected with the HSV-1 virus.
Once the skin turns itchy and red, the virus is present and you can spread it.
You’re most contagious when the blisters show – especially just after they burst.
You can’t spread the virus skin-to-skin once they’ve healed again, though you can pass it through your saliva at any time. , The virus usually comes from kisses from relatives or romantic partners – that is, through body fluids.
It’s usually present on an infected person’s lip, even if there’s no obvious sore.
This is why you need to know how to identify the signs of a cold sore appearance, so that you can avoid passing it along to another person.
Never share eating utensils or beverages with anybody, especially when you have an active cold sore.
The virus often lives in saliva, so you can also spread it if you share kitchen utensils or drinking glasses.
Never share towels or razors or toothbrushes.
Never share chap stick, lipstick, lip balm, lip gloss, lip anything.
Avoid kissing your significant other when your cold sore is active.
Switch to butterfly and eskimo kisses for a while, until the coast is clear.
Oral sex, especially during an outbreak, can transmit the herpes virus from the lips to the genitals or vice versa. -
Step 3: Stop the cold sore in its tracks.
-
Step 4: Keep your lips protected from the sun at all times.
-
Step 5: Stay healthy!
-
Step 6: Apply topical cream to combat pain and symptoms.
-
Step 7: See your doctor for prescription anti-viral pills.
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Step 8: Relieve pain with Ibuprofen or Tylenol.
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Step 9: Apply aloe vera to the afflicted area.
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Step 10: Chill the area with ice cubes or a cold compress.
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Step 11: Apply Visine to help reduce redness.
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Step 12: Apply petroleum jelly.
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Step 13: Wet the area with a Q-tip
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Step 14: then dip the Q-tip in either salt or baking soda and dab it onto the sore.
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Step 15: Know that cold sores are caused by several variations of the herpes simplex virus (HSV).
-
Step 16: Take precautions not to spread the herpes simplex virus.
Detailed Guide
There are a variety of things that can cause cold sores and it's a good idea to be extra vigilant if you are susceptible to them.
Even stress and lack of sleep can cause cold sores, so try to get a good night's sleep.If you come down with a cold, fever or flu, your risk of an outbreak may increase because your immune system is compromised.
Make sure you're getting all your necessary vitamins and eating healthfully.
Menses, pregnancy, and hormonal changes may cause cold sores to act up.
Of course, there's nothing women can do to prevent this.
Stress may trigger cold sore outbreaks, so do everything you can to relax.
Set some time aside each day to meditate, take deep breaths or simply have a cup of tea, whatever works for you.
Fatigue triggers outbreaks, so make sure you get plenty of sleep.
Take naps if you need to Too much exposure to the sun can aggravate the area and cause cold sores to emerge.
If you do overexpose your lips to the sun, try to ice them as soon as possible, for several minutes.
Also, look for a lipstick or lip balm with sun protection of SPF 15 or higher and apply it frequently throughout the day.
Know the signs so you can act before your cold sore has a chance to form.
Tenderness, tingling, burning, itching, numbness and pain around your lips may mean a cold sore is forming.Fevers and other cold and flu symptoms often accompany cold sores, hence the nickname “fever blisters.” Cold sores usually arrive with a warning period of red, irritated skin.
Blisters form, burst, and then crust over before they heal. , It is in its prodromal stage for 6 to 48 hours before it becomes visible.During this time, you may use the following methods to prevent the sore from surfacing.
This is the best time to stop it, rather than having to wait once it gets big and nasty! Ice it or apply a cold compress.Do this hourly, or as frequently as possible.
Steep a teabag in hot water, let it cool and then hold it against the afflicted area.
Cold sores thrive in heat, so be sure to let the tea bag cool beforehand. , Apply lip balm with sun protection of at least SPF
15.
Reapply it frequently throughout the day. , Cold sores are not caused by colds, but a cold lowers your immune system and can trigger them.
When you come down with a fever, cold, or flu, your immune system is compromised and busy fighting something else.
Make sure you're getting all your necessary vitamins.
Eat lots of leafy greens, and colorful vegetables, as well as salmon, nuts, and fruit.
Drink white and green tea.
Both are rich in antioxidants, which strengthen your immune system and cleanse your body of toxins.
Drink lots of water.
Get enough sleep. , Most topical treatments only provide symptomatic relief, and do not in fact accelerate the healing process, so keep that in mind.Try the following topical treatments:
Docosanol (Abreva) is FDA-approved and available over-the-counter.Topical Acyclovir (Zovirax) and Penciclovir (Denavir) may be prescribed to you by your doctor. , These can help decrease the duration of the outbreak, and there are a good variety of them, but you'll need to get a prescription from your doctor.
You can either get pills or creams, but the creams tend to work the best and the quickest.
Try to start the medications as soon as you see signs of a cold sore.
Start Acyclovir (Xerese, Zovirax) before cold sores fully flare and take it five times a day for 5 days.
Alternatively, you can take Valacyclovir (Valtrex) at the first sign of a cold sore and then 12 hours later. #*Famciclovir (Famvir) can be given as a single dose of medicine.
So can Acyclovir buccal (Sitavig), but you place it on your gums rather than swallowing and it lets out the medicine as it dissolves., This won't help make your cold sore go away, but it will help you deal with the discomfort that arises from having a cold sore.
Just remember: just because it doesn't hurt doesn't mean you can't pass it along to another person.
You still need to be careful, as cold sores are very contagious! , Aloe reduces pain and speeds along the healing process, so it's a really good thing to use to help heal your cold sore., This helps reduce swelling and redness and eases the symptoms of a core sore.
Again, it won't necessarily speed up the healing process., This won't really speed along the healing process, but it can help you feel better, so it's definitely a good thing to use for the purposes of symptom relief., This will work to speed along the healing process and protect against bacterial infection. , Leave it there for several minutes as it absorbs and drains the fluid, then rinse.
Repeat the process several times if needed.
This may sting. , Despite the name, cold cores aren’t caused by colds.
The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is most often the cause.
You get it from contact with an infected person’s skin or body fluid.
Once contracted, the herpes virus stays with you for life.
There is nothing you can do to eliminate the virus, but you can reduce the frequency of outbreaks.
The herpes virus damages your skin as it reproduces.
That leaves behind weepy sores that last about a week.
Between outbreaks, HSV-1 hides inside nerve cells, so it’s never completely cured.
About two-thirds of us have been infected with the HSV-1 virus.
Once the skin turns itchy and red, the virus is present and you can spread it.
You’re most contagious when the blisters show – especially just after they burst.
You can’t spread the virus skin-to-skin once they’ve healed again, though you can pass it through your saliva at any time. , The virus usually comes from kisses from relatives or romantic partners – that is, through body fluids.
It’s usually present on an infected person’s lip, even if there’s no obvious sore.
This is why you need to know how to identify the signs of a cold sore appearance, so that you can avoid passing it along to another person.
Never share eating utensils or beverages with anybody, especially when you have an active cold sore.
The virus often lives in saliva, so you can also spread it if you share kitchen utensils or drinking glasses.
Never share towels or razors or toothbrushes.
Never share chap stick, lipstick, lip balm, lip gloss, lip anything.
Avoid kissing your significant other when your cold sore is active.
Switch to butterfly and eskimo kisses for a while, until the coast is clear.
Oral sex, especially during an outbreak, can transmit the herpes virus from the lips to the genitals or vice versa.
About the Author
Timothy Long
Experienced content creator specializing in lifestyle guides and tutorials.
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