Cold Sore Causes and Treatment
Cold sores can be a real pain in the鈥 lip. Learn what causes cold sores and get a few cold sore treatments to help you get rid of them as quickly as possible!
What are Cold Sores?
First of all, if you have a cold sore, you are not alone. Cold sores are VERY common.
In 2015, the World Health Organization estimating that two-thirds of people under age 50鈥攁pproximately 3.7 billion of us鈥攁re infected with something called 鈥渉erpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV鈥1).鈥
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In other words: If you鈥檝e got a cold sore, you have HSV-1, but the rest of us probably have HSV-1, too!
Don鈥檛 worry. It鈥檚 not what you think when you hear the word, 鈥渉erpes.鈥 The 鈥HSV-1鈥 is the virus that causes cold sores, sometimes called fever blisters. (The closely related herpes simplex鈥2 [HSV鈥2] is the main cause of genital herpes, not HSV-1.)
Symptoms of Cold Sores
Do you know the symptoms of a cold sore? An outbreak usually begins with a tingle, pinch, or itch on the lip, the edge of the mouth, or around the nose.
The site soon erupts with small, somewhat painful blisters that are about as unattractive as a blemish. Typically, the sores weep a bit, then dry up before disappearing within a couple of weeks. (In very rare instances, HSV-1 can infect the eye, which requires immediate medical attention.)
Photo Credit: Harvard Health Publications/Harvard University
By the way, don鈥檛 confuse a cold sore with canker sores or angular cheilitis, a painful crack at the corner of the mouth. Both of those are non-contagious. Find out about canker sore treatment.
Cold sores are not only common, but also highly contagious.
What Causes Cold Sores?
People usually contract HSV鈥1 through small cuts in their skin as a result of contact with the cold sore fluid of an infected person鈥攕uch as by kissing or sharing personal items (e.g., towels, razors, makeup, eating utensils, toothbrush), even shaking hands. However, it can also be acquired when the carrier has no symptoms.
Some people suffer recurrent infections: After the initial manifestation, the virus lies latent in nerves and may re-emerge in times of stress or in response to, for example, dental surgery, hormonal changes, medications, and even allergies.
How to Avoid Getting or Spreading Cold Sores
- Avoid direct skin contact (including sexual) with people who have visible blisters.
- Don鈥檛 shake hands, either.
- Don鈥檛 share eating utensils, toothbrushes, towels, makeup (ever).
- Wash your hands often, especially before touching a baby, a frail elder, or a sick person.
- Wash your hands carefully (always) before handling food, dinnerware, or serving utensils.
- To prevent spreading the virus to another part of your body, wash thoroughly if your hands have come in contact with your cold sore.
Photo Credit: Stockbyte/Thinkstock
Getting Rid of Cold Sores: Home Remedies
There is no cure for cold sores, at least not one that medical research has discovered.
However, a host of medicine for cold sores and natural remedies for cold sores may alleviate symptoms and also shorten the duration of an outbreak or lessen recurrences of the virus.
Here are a few:
- Monolaurin, long an ingredient in foods and body-care products, is a natural constituent of coconut oil and so deemed safe. As a supplement, it can be helpful for preventing frequent outbreaks; work with your physician to develop the proper dosing strategy and monitor your progress while you take it.
- Stress reduction/management such as regular exercise, getting out into natural settings, and meditation may help keep cold sores at bay.
- An ice pack applied directly to the lesions may lessen pain. Learn more about when to use ice packs for pain.
- Zinc oxide ointment applied topically at the first sensations of an impending outbreak may shorten its duration and lessen the symptoms.
- Salve or lip balm containing at least 1 percent lemon balm may provide symptomatic relief.
- Sunscreen applied liberally to the face and around and on lips before going outside may help. (Sunlight seems to activate HSV-1 in some people.)
- Research shows that topical application aloe vera gel may alleviate symptoms and shorten the duration of genital herpes lesions. Learn more about the uses of aloe vera.
Cold sores can be frustrating, but hopefully these natural cold sore remedies will help you to get rid of them. Do you have any trusty cold sore remedies? Let us know below!
Margaret Boyles
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We all know that if you constantly lick a fever blister, it simply will not heal as fast. To prevent this, just smear just a dab of dog poop on the affected area. It won't do anything to cure it, but it WILL keep you from licking it! Hope this helps! LOL
My hubby suffers from cold sores from time to time, especially when under stress. I recently read that thyme, since it is an anti-viral, can help prevent them. I started adding dried thyme to the tea we drink each morning (hot water with lemon juice, cinnamon stick, chopped ginger root, fennel seed and honey) and his outbreaks have almost completely stopped. He said sometimes he would feel the telltale tingling, and then it would go away. We are sold on thyme!
Thyme is an evergreen Herb; this is one reason why Thyme is effective at "getting germs"; many Herbs are evergreens; like Rosemary; "time for thyme";
Famciclovir. Primarily used to treat shingles but it works great for cold sores. Blisters don't even appear and the other symptoms are gone in less than 1-day. I use to take Lysine but I was using so much, I think I became immune to it because it did nothing for me after a while. Ask your doctor about this - I swear by it.
Famciclovir works for me. I can take one day and that鈥檚 all I need.
St John鈥檚 Wort oil is the best treatment I鈥檝e used for cold sores. At the first tingling I dab the oil on the spot & I don鈥檛 even get an eruption. If I don鈥檛 get SJW oil on it right away & the sore becomes advanced, the oil still soothes the pain & helps it heal faster without the prolonged evidence or scarring afterward.
Thanks for the tip; we have an abundance of Native St. John's Wort meadows in Conn.; I was thinking about using the Leaves/Flowers for a cold sore Tea;;
Yep. It works. I learned this second hand through a girl that had severe outbreaks all around her mouth and several times a year. It was before abreva, etc. and a Nurse finally pulled her aside and clued her in.
I didn't have as bad, but would get many throughout the year and was desperate so I tried it too. Works like a charm.
So, the instant you feel that tingle, just take a dab of your own pee and touch it on there. Generally the blister won't surface although you may get a little scab as though it had. You can do this two or three times and probably have it gone before it starts. If you feel that tingle and blow it off and wake up with the blister, you can still do it and keep it from spreading usually, and it will dry up quicker than it normally would.
I've been doing this for thirty years and thank God I learned it. Abreva is great but expensive. If you have a massive breakout, you may need it.
Also, I take the L-Lysine and don't really get them much anymore which i attribute to that and Sam-E mood regulators. Lower stress keeps them at bay. and always try to remember to protect your lips in wind, sun, cold - pretty much always. But don't like camphor because it drys out your lips and could cause them, too - I believe.
Anyway, most of you won't try this, but those that do will probably be glad they did. Remember just a slight dab on the spot. Good luck because those of us that can get them bad need relief!
Thank you this has been working for me ever since I read your comment! When I feel that first tingle I immediately go to the potty and dab some on! Now if only I had known this in high school and when I worked, what a nightmare, at least got them once a month and then a scab for over a week, I know they grossed everyone out. Signed, Miss Peabody (wink!)
