Sunday, November 30, 2008

The Cold Sore Cure Explained!

By Tom Mulligan

It probably won't make you feel any better if you have one yourself, but cold sores are a very common problem. They're unsightly and most definitely uncomfortable. However, you can reduce the length of time a cold sore stays there with some simple steps and you can also prevent them from showing up at all.

A cold sore will usually heal in seven to ten days all by itself. However, this is a lot longer than most of us would like to have a cold sore. This is particularly true given the kind of timing that cold sores seem to have - they seem to know when you have a social obligation coming up and choose that time to appear. To cut down on the healing time, here are a few tips which can help. The first step is to know how cold sores work.

Cold sores are not curable - they're a viral infection (herpes simplex). You can't treat the infection with antibiotics. However, you can treat the symptoms, which cut down on the length of an outbreak.

Don't get discouraged though. Even though you can't cure the virus, you can take some steps to permanently prevent any outbreaks. There are also some easy steps you can take to heal any outbreak you get in less than 24 hours. That was the idea behind starting our website - we understand the hassle they can be and think it's important you equip yourself to fight away cold sores for good.

About 40 million people have an outbreak of cold sores every year. These sores appear on or around the mouth; while there are several things which can contribute to an outbreak, it basically comes down to a weakened immune system. If you have stress, fatigue, poor diet or a cold; this can increase your odds of having a breakout.

Cold sores start with feelings of itching or tingling. Then the area will redden and swell, resulting in the eruption of the sore itself. The sore usually goes through an oozing stage, then dries up and forms a thin scab. Of course, if you bite the sore, break through it, or are prone to scratching, you could do more damage and cause it to take longer to heal.

Most of us would rather not use costly prescription medications to treat our cold sores. Besides, these medications don't work any better than home remedies in a lot of cases and you'll have to go to your doctor to get them. You can use home remedies to get rid of your cold sores quickly.

Vitamin C can boost your immune system, and topical creams like aloe vera, lip balm, and salve can reduce the chance that your cold sore will dry out and split painfully. If it does, try an analgesic. To make your cold sore go away faster, consider taking L-Lysine. This substance promotes the healing of tissue and occurs naturally in the body.

You can also prevent cold sores by eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of sleep and generally staying in good health. Cold sores will tend to come up when you're tired, sick or stressed out. If you treat yourself well, you can prevent many cold sores. - 15634

About the Author: