Cold Sore Remedies

I tried applying ice to my current cold sore this week and it did really help soothe and numb the area so I will be trying this treatment more often in future. What a natural and inexpensive remedy; you can’t get much purer than water!

Since trying out the ice remedy, I have researched some more on the internet and discovered that ice is in fact one of the most natural and popular cold sore remedies there is. Applying ice to a cold sore is easy to do, it is a natural ingredient so no chance of an adverse reaction, it is easy to get hold of, it numbs the area and it helps to prevent the virus spreading. Guidelines recommend applying ice for up to 10 minutes at a time and no more than 3 times an hour but this seems like a lot to me, I just applied it for a minute and felt instant relief.

A few sufferers of recurring cold sores on forums I have visited have said that when they applied ice at the first tingling sensation of a cold sore occurring, it sometimes stopped the cold sores from turning into blisters. Unfortunately, my current cold sore was already at a blister stage by the time I tried the ice but next time I will be applying the ice straight away to test this. However, the ice did still help in providing relief from the burning sensation. It is advised not to use ice when your cold sores are healing as it may actually take them longer to heal.

Susan, a girl of about my age who I was chatting to on one of the internet forums who like me, also suffers with recurrent cold sores attacks told me that she swears by lemon balm tea as a natural treatment for her cold sores.

Lemon balm teabags can be easily found where speciality teas are sold. Apparently the lemon balm herb contains anti-viral properties and this makes it a natural cold sore treatment.

Susan said she makes a strong batch of lemon balm tea using bottled water and then freezes the tea bags. When she gets a cold sore she uses these instead of plain ice and gets the soothing effect of the ice and as the tea-bag melts, the anti-viral properties of lemon balm.

So I’m off to hunt down lemon balm tea, what a great idea.

So, I know how to prevent a cold sore attack, but I would now like to know if there is any way of shortening the time a person has a cold sore. It would be great if there was some miracle cure because at the moment my cold sores stop me from going out socially for weeks at a time.

Whilst researching, I have discovered that a topical antiviral is only effective if applied during the early tingling phase of a cold sore. If used any later than this then they are of no use. They are also a little inconvenient because the ointment is messy, expensive and also won’t stop the cold sores recurring.

Over the counter treatment for cold sores can help but only temporarily. These treatments only help to relieve the discomfort caused by cold sores but they won’t prevent them recurring.

For antiviral medication for cold sores you need a doctor’s prescription, which of course means a visit to the doctor's and it is worth being aware that sometimes there can be a negative drug interaction so they are not suitable for everyone.

Natural remedies for cold sore treatment are becoming increasingly popular. The main benefit of natural home cold sore remedies is that they boost your body’s immune system and have no bad side effects. Things to try include:

Ice – ice is believed to minimize the size of the cold sores and relieve the burning sensation, you can place ice into a plastic bag and dab it on the cold sore.

Tea - tea contains tannic acid which contains special antiviral properties. Simply press a warm tea bag onto your cold sore.

After my research I have come to the conclusion that natural remedies do appeal to me. This is because after many years of suffering with coldsore attacks I feel the medications are no longer working for me, maybe I have become immune to them so I am going to do some further research to see what else I can find and I will keep you posted!

So, from my research it appears that I will never get rid of the HSV virus that causes cold sores completely as there is no cure and once you have the virus; it is with you for life. The virus hides in nerves, becoming active when something triggers it causing the cold sores to reappear.

So I need to work on preventing the cold sore attacks naturally with good cold sore remedies and then if they do recur, making sure I do what I can to get rid of them quickly and in a natural way if possible!

There are certain triggers which are thought to trigger a cold sore outbreak including exposure to the sun and wind. The lips and skin can become dry and burned which can result in an outbreak. So it is important to protect your lips and face by using a sun cream and lip balm.

High stress levels are thought to cause outbreaks. This is because when you are stressed, your body burns more energy which can weaken your immune system against the virus. Do relaxing activities such as yoga, massage and meditation to help keep your stress levels low.

Changes in hormones levels during menstruation and puberty can trigger cold sores.

People who are prone to frequent coldsore outbreaks often develop them after illness such as a cold or the flu. This is because the immune system is weakened and the virus overpowers the antibodies that usually help in preventing cold sores.

A supplement of L-lysine will help in preventing cold sores. Lysine prevents the metabolism of the amino acid Arginine that the herpes virus needs to reproduce. It is therefore sensible to avoid foods high in Arginine content and try to eat more foods containing lysine or a supplement. Foods rich in protein are good sources of lysine and these include meat, cheese (particularly parmesan), certain fish (particularly cod and sardines), nuts, eggs and soybeans.

I now know that in addition to finding a good cold sore treatment. it is really important for me to lead a healthy lifestyle low in stress, to avoid getting sick, to eat a healthy diet high in Lysine and to protect my skin from the elements.

Recurrent cold sores are making my life miserable. They are really affecting my self confidence and stopping me from socialising with my friends. I am 18 years old I should be going out and having fun, not indoors staring at my cold sores in the mirror. I have tried to cover them up with makeup but this seems to make them even more obvious. So I have decided to try and find out what’s causing them to see if there are any cold sore remedies I can use to prevent them.

I didn’t know this but a cold sore is a result of Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV). Cold sores occur mainly around the lip area and are fluid-filled blisters that start off with a tingling feeling which then turns to a painful itching / burning and then finally to a cold sore. The cold sore blisters do eventually heal up without leaving a scar but they can recur.

The Herpes Simplex Virus is passed on by close contact. Interestingly, most people become infected by the virus in childhood when they come into close contact with someone with a cold sore but they do not show symptoms until their teenage years. This is because the virus hides in the nerves until it is reactivated.

It is often when a person is feeling run down that the virus and cold sores return. Factors that are thought to make this happen are illness, menstruation, stress and sunshine.

Apparently cold sore medications will not eliminate the virus that causes cold sores and over time the creams may not work effectively as the virus gets used to the medication. There is much argument as to how well these creams work as they do not kill the virus.

I have also discovered that the most important thing while treating cold sores is not to touch them. Touching them can make them spread, so while I am applying make up to cover them up I am not helping myself!

So, at least I now know why I get cold sores and some of the reasons that might cause them to recur. Now I just need to work out what cold sore treatment I can use to prevent them.