As the saying goes, “prevention is the best cure” – but sometimes, no matter how hard we try, cold sores can still pop up on their own. When you feel an oncoming cold sore, the best thing to do is to act quickly in order to prevent excessive scabbing and pain.
Here are some of the best cold sore treatments.
Recognise the Early Warning Signs
There are a number of warning signs that may indicate that you have an oncoming cold sore. These include tingling and itching. At the first sign of a cold sore, you may feel an itching burning or tingling sensation around the lips for a day or so. After this a small, hard and painful spot will appear and blisters will begin to spread. This is the best time in which to begin treating a cold sore, which can be done with a cold sore healing patch.
Treating Cold Sores Once They Have Formed
If you frequently get cold sores, you may already have a form of cold sore treatment on hand. You can also consider COMPEED® Cold Sore Discreet Healing Patches. Not only do these make the cold sore less visible, but they also act like a virus shield to help reduce the risk of contamination from the cold sore. In addition to this, COMPEED® Cold Sore Discreet Healing Patches also help speed up the healing process using active hydrocolloid gel technology, while remaining discreet to avoid embarrassment.
Prescription and Over the Counter Medication
Most often, antiviral medications are used to stop the multiplication of the virus. Cold sore antivirals come in two different forms: cream that is applied directly to the area, and pills that are taken orally. Such medications can work to lessen the appearance of cold sores, as well as speed up the healing process.
Home Remedies
There is evidence emerging about the use of essential oils and other natural remedies for cold sores. For example, tea tree oil has shown the ability1 to fight the herpes simplex virus, and peppermint oil2 and lemon balm3 oil were shown to inhibit its activity. You must consult a specialist for advice because essential oils can cause allergic reactions if used improperly.
There are a number of other suggested natural remedies for cold sores that may not be scientifically verified, but are worth trying as they may be useful for the individual based on traditional use. These include ice and aloe vera due to their natural soothing properties.
Try to prevent Cold Sore
You can try to avoid the development of cold sores by getting to know what triggers them.
Common cold sore triggers include stress, illness, lack of sleep, fatigue and sun exposure (always wear sun screen!) or extreme weather conditions. Practicing sport, relaxation techniques or meditation can be a good option if you need to reduce your stress levels.
If you experience several outbreaks a year, it could be a good idea to keep a diary or to write down things, such as diet, activities, illnesses, and other life events. Through this, you will be able to identify the factors that trigger a recurrent infection. Sharing this information with your doctor may also assist with finding you the correct medical treatment and may help with further cold sore treatment.
An added benefit of knowing cold sore triggers is the ability to be even more proactive in taking measures or medications. On top of this, taking care of cold sores that you may currently have may help to prevent nasty outbreaks in the future. If you want to know how to help to stop a cold sore in the early stages, it’s best to never touch an open sore, attempt to pop an open sore, pick at the scab, or wash it aggressively.
Moreover, if you smoke, maintaining a balanced diet and reducing or stopping smoking altogether can help boost your immune defences that will keep the dormant virus under control.
Foods to Help With Cold Sores
Your cold sores may very well be a reaction to your diet. If you are asking yourself “how can I stop getting cold sores?”, the answer could very well lie in what you eat and drink every day.
As the virus and other infectious agents are usually kept in check by the immune system, it is essential to boost the ability to fight infection. Eating a well-balanced diet high in fruit and vegetables helps to reinforce your immune defences and can act as natural remedies for cold sores.
Arginine and lysine are two amino acids that play central roles as building blocks of proteins. Some evidence, sometimes conflicting, exists on these amino acids. They are thought to affect the herpes simplex virus in different ways: arginine-rich proteins are required for multiplication of virus whereas lysine may help to inhibit the virus. Avoiding foods rich in arginine, such as chocolate, peanuts or almonds, may help to minimise the duration of a cold-sore outbreak. Additionally, foods rich in lysine such as eggs, tuna, soy beans or parmesan cheese, may help optimise the duration of recovery. Since data on arginine-avoiding diets is conflicting, you should ultimately rely on a well-balanced diet with good amounts of whole foods that will support your immune systems` capability to fight a cold sore outbreak.
If you are seeking further advice for cold sores, checkout our articles on Cold Sore Myths (Fact or Fiction), Cold Sore Lookalikes, Why Do I Keep Getting Cold Sores and Healing Home Remedies For Cold Sores.