Cold sores aren’t just cosmetically ugly; they hurt too. As anyone who’s ever had one can attest, they can be almost overwhelmingly painful. To help you conquer cold sores, we’ve gathered some cold sore tips to assist you in relieving the pain of a current cold sore outbreak, and to help you prevent new outbreaks down the road.
Before we begin, let’s briefly explain what causes cold sores.
Cold sores, also called fever blisters, are caused by a common virus called the Herpes Simplex Virus I (HSV I). You should not confuse this with genital herpes, which is caused by a different form of the virus.
HSV I is a chronic virus that is easily passed from one person to another. It is so common that it is present in 80% of the population, and most people get HSV I before they turn seven years old. Once you have the virus, you’ll have it for life. Most of the time it remains inactive, until something happens to trigger a cold sore outbreak.
When the herpes virus lies dormant, there are no signs or symptoms in a person who has the virus. That is, until the virus is somehow reactivated, resulting in painful and unsightly cold sore blisters around the lips and mouth.
Prevent Outbreaks with these Cold Sore Tips
So, what exactly triggers the dormant HSV I virus to re-awaken? There are a variety of different causes, like:
? Stress ? Poor immune system ? Sickness ? Pregnancy or menstruation ? Injury or irritation of the lips and mouth
Essentially, when the body’s natural defenses are weakened, or a person’s stress level is too high, cold sores can occur. To prevent cold sores, it’s important to control the triggers that cause them.
When it comes to cold sores that may occur during pregnancy or a woman’s period, these hormonally-based triggers can’t always be controlled. In cases like this, you can develop a proactive plan of attack.
There are a variety of supplements and widely available products to prevent cold sores. A healthy diet that bolsters the immune system is vitally important, as is preventing injury or severe chapping of the lips. A good, moisturizing lip balm can calm chapped lips and help minimize the risk of cold sore outbreaks.
Cold Sore Tips ? Treatment
Prevention is all well and good, but what do you if you need to relieve symptoms of an outbreak that’s already under way?
The cold sore tips below can help you calm the pain of your cold sores:
? Use a topical medication to numb the pain. Examples include “caine” medicines, like lidocaine and benzocaine. You can also use preparations like benzoyl alcohol or a phenol-containing formulation.
? Prevent infection of the open sores with an antibiotic cream or ointment.
? Keep the sores from cracking and bleeding with a good lip moisturizer.
? There is evidence showing that zinc and lysine supplements may help end cold sore outbreaks faster. Zinc is also known as an immune booster.
Taking care of yourself with a healthful diet and exercise plan, combined with immune-bolstering supplements is the best way to prevent painful cold sore outbreaks. Be sure to get enough restful sleep, and use stress management techniques to avoid succumbing to stress.
Of course, the best offense is a good defense, as they say. But, if you do suffer an outbreak, use these cold sore tips to relieve pain and shorten the duration of the outbreak.
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