Cold Sore Treatment: Part 2 Increasing Your Knowledge

In my previous post, I talked about some of the triggers or things which increase the need for cold sore treatments. Here are some more.

3. Local Irritants

Sunburn or physical irritation such as burns, excessive cold have also been identified as leading to outbreaks of the lesions.

4. Sharing of Common Items Such as Eating Utensils, Towels, Etc

Since the sores are contagious, the sharing of eating utensils, towels, or any common item easily spreads the virus from one person to another.

5. Physical Contact with Recurrent Herpes Labialis Sufferers

Physical contact such as touching, kissing and having sex with a cold sore sufferer is a frequent cause of an initial outbreak of the cold sores. It is thought most children acquire the infection initially as a result of a kiss from an infected relative.

6. Diet

Diets high in arginine when combined with other triggers can lead to outbreaks. Arginine is an amino acid used as a necessary building block in the herpes simplex reproduction or replication process. Foods high in arginine include nuts and chocolate.

People with a less than healthy diet also have increased numbers of infections. This is probably due to a stressed body’s defense system as a result of the poor dietary habits.

7. Immune System

People who have weakened immune systems (undergoing cancer treatment, kidney or other organ transplant, HIV, or other autoimmune disease) are more likely to have cold sores. Their bodies are unable to fight off or discourage the herpes simplex from reproducing or replicating and causing the lesion.

Cold Sore Treatment – Many Remedies For Cold Sores Available

Recurrent herpes labialis usually disappear without treatment after going through their life cycle. But most people are unwilling to put up with the pain and unsightly lesions while waiting for the natural cycle to complete.

As mentioned earlier there is no cure for recurrent herpes labialis. However natural remedies for cold sores can relieve the pain and discomfort associated with the lesions.


Over-The-Counter Creams and Medications As Remedies For Cold Sores

Walk through a pharmacy and you will see the many cold sore treatments including creams, salves and drops sold over the counter (OTC). All of these treatments are for symptoms only and decrease the pain of those suffering from the fever blister.

Naturally Easy Remedies For Cold Sores

When you look at natural remedies, the focus is on changing the life of the sufferer to minimize the outbreaks. All natural remedies for cold sore ingredients are natural, not manufactured chemicals. And the ultimate goal of the remedies is to speed healing and relieve pain and itching.

Natural remedies come in three main categories: diet, exercise, and supplements such as vitamins.

Finding the right choice of remedies for cold sores can be a challenge, as not every cold sore treatment works for every person.


Graphic courtesy of Yoshi Aka

Cold Sore Treatment - Understanding Cold Sores, Causes and Treatments

Easy Remedies For Cold Sores-When You Know What's Happening You Can Take Control of Your Treatment for Cold Sores

Cold sores are known by several names including fever blisters, cold sores and in the medical community they’re known as recurrent herpes labialis. Highly contagious and caused by the herpes simplex virus it's important to find a cold sore treatment to decrease outbreaks.

The recurrent herpes labialis sores generally appear where mucous membrane and skin meet-like at the corners of the mouth. However, cold sores can be found on the gums as well.

Symptoms
The first symptoms are a tingling sensation or pain at the location. The virus takes over several nerve cells in its effort to reproduce or replicate itself. As the virus reproduces it breaks down the cell leading to the eruption we see as a fever blister.

From start to completed healing the life cycle is about 14 days. There are two types of herpes simplex virus-Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 causes cold sores, and Type 2 causes genital herpes. Of note, both can cause cold sores on the face or the genital area.

No Cure Only Cold Sore Treatments
With all the advances in healthcare, there still is not a cure for recurrent herpes labialis. The cold sore treatment either treats the symptoms or decreases or minimizes the number and severity of outbreaks.


What Causes Cold Sores?

Some people have repeated outbreaks while other individuals never do. This is surprising given 9 out of 10 people have been infected with the herpes simplex virus during their life.

Certain factors have been identified as triggers for recurrent herpes labialis outbreaks. These triggers include:

1. Stress

Stress whether physical or emotional has been identified as the leading cause of outbreaks.

2. Menstruation

Menstrual cycles and its hormonal changes predispose women to cold sores reoccurrence.


In part 2 I'll cover more ways so you can understand cold sores so you can decide what cold sore treatments can work for you.


Graphic courtesy of Yoshi Aka

Self Confidence One Of Best Remedies For Cold Sores

If you’ve ever had a cold sore on your lip, then you know how self-conscious you can be. You want to call in sick to work, cancel meetings basically anything to avoid having people see you. You search for remedies for cold sores-everywhere.

During your search for a cold sore treatment, you feel like everyone is staring you at you. Your thinking spins out of control. You think other people are judging you and you stick out in a crowd.

Bad Days Happen
Now we all have bad days. Whether it’s a bad hair day, a pimple on your nose like Rudolph or a cold sore. The important part is to remember others have gone through this and we will too.

Cold Sore Treatment: Self Confidence
If you have a cold sore, go for the presentation. People will say you have spunk and know you are someone special who goes no matter what. You will be seen as courageous. Doing this will gain you respect.

Realize people are in their own zones their own worlds. They are also worrying if people like them, if they are going to succeed or why someone didn’t smile at them this morning.

We all have our own worries. Now I’m not minimizing the pain and suffering which goes with cold sores.

If your friends make fun of you; consider if these are the people you want to have as friends.

Find Your Best Cold Sore Treatment Plan
Continue to find ways to reduce your cold sore triggers. Build your immune system with a healthy diet and supplement as needed. You can find a cold sore treatment which will work for you.

Don’t hide. Let people see you know the real you. Remember self-confidence is one of the best remedies for cold sores.

Photo courtesy of Adriana Herbut

Remedies For Cold Sores: Old Time Remedies Work

Wondering which of the remedies for cold sores will work for you? Here are some home remedies you can try.

Vitamin E Capsules For Cold Sore Treatments
Cold sore relief happens for many cold sore sufferers with vitamin E capsules. For price and effectiveness vitamin E can’t be beat. Check out local value stores such as dollar stores in the vitamin section. Buy capsules filled with liquid vitamin E.

Once you get the capsules home take a sterilized needle and poke a hole in the capsule. Squeeze the liquid out of the capsule and apply it directly to your cold sore. Repeat a couple of times a day until the cold sore goes away.

Lysine Stops Cold Sores Where They Start

If you want to stop cold sores from getting worse, then lysine is one of the remedies for cold sores you should know. Lysine is an amino acid used as part of the building block for all cells.

When the cold sore virus tries to reproduce or replicate itself, lysine steps in and stops the process. Lysine supplements should only be used when a cold sore starts the tingling. It is not a preventative supplement.

Remedies For Cold Sores From Bees

Many people use raw honey to heal cold sores faster. Place some honey in a spoon or dish and gently dab on the cold sore. Honey has been used as a healing remedy for thousands of years dating back to Egyptian times.

Cold Sore Treatment From 1930’s Still Works Today

Carmex is an old time cold sore treatment still used today. Invented in the 1930’s Carmex is a blend of 3 ingredients: menthol, camphor, and phenol. The menthol stops the itching. The camphor relieves the pain. And phenol acts as an anesthetic numbing the cold sore.

Myrrh As A Cold Sore Treatment

You may have heard of myrrh as one of the gifts the Wise Men carried in the Christmas story of the birth of Christ. Another remedy from long ago, myrrh is a gum resin and still used in many of the OTC medications you can buy in the store. It's another one of the remedies for cold sores which is effective in speeding up healing.

But you can buy myrrh yourself in many health food stores. Mix 2 teaspoons of powdered myrrh with 1 cup of boiling water. Dab the liquid on your cold sore throughout the day.

There are many choices you can use as one of the many remedies for cold sores. Find the one which works for you.

3 Easy Steps For Cold Sore Treatments

If you have ever suffered from cold sores you know you want relief fast. Here are 3 easy steps you can take for your cold sore treatment.

These are basic, and you don’t need to buy anything to get started.

1. Apply ice pack. The first stage of a cold sore is a tingling or uncomfortable feeling. Some people also describe itching and burning. As soon as you feel the tingling, immediately apply an ice pack to the cold sore.

Never apply ice directly to the skin as you can cause injury, which will speed up a cold sore, not slow it down. Now ice can often stop the progression of the cold sore. In fact it may even go away. This is a real bonus as you shorten your healing time by more than a week or so.

2. Keep the sore as clean as you can. It’s only natural to want to cover the lesion up, but that won’t help the healing process. Using a disposable paper towel clean the sore with hydrogen peroxide or a mild cleanser. Carefully dispose of the paper towels.

If you don’t have paper towels, use a washcloth and towel once and place in the laundry as soon as possible. Do not share your towels and washcloths with anyone else to prevent infecting others.

Your body’s defense system works to get rid of the viruses in the sore. This is why the sore weeps or leaks fluid.

Just remember the fluid leaking from the sore is full of viruses and is highly contagious. You can infect yourself in another area of your body such as your eyes if you are not careful.

If the fluid gets on anything like your hands or the phone remember to use hand sanitizer or soap to clean surfaces. Prevent the spread of the cold sores by remembering to wash your hands carefully.

3. Be patient. Healing of the sores caused by the herpes simplex virus takes time. In the early stage you used cold to stop the spread. During the healing phase you want to use heat to increase circulation and encourage the body’s immune system to clean up the area.

Apply heat cautiously. You don’t want to burn yourself and end up with another cold sore. If you injure the area you could reawaken the virus and start another cold sore right away.

Take some paper towels and dip them in hot water. Hold the towel against the cold sore. Carefully throw away the paper towels to avoid infecting others or reinfecting yourself. After you are done with the heat applications then wash your hands thoroughly or use a hand sanitizer.

These 3 easy steps can speed up your cold sore treatment. Hopefully you can catch the lesion early enough to prevent the growth to full blown stage.
More cold sore treatments are discussed in this e book on decreasing cold sores.


Photo by Andrew C.

Cold Sore Treatment: Finding Your Triggers

What causes your cold sores? Everyone has a trigger starting the cold sore.
Every person is unique, but if you suffer from cold sores there are some common factors to all sufferers. The definite link all sufferers share is sometime in our lives we were infected with the herpes simplex virus.

You don't need to be a skilled detective just a good observer of your own life.

This virus is highly contagious. That explains why 9 out of 10 people have had an infection in their lives. But for some of those 9 out of 10 people it’s more than a one time infection.

The virus has decided to live with us permanently. Most of the time the virus is dormant sleeping away at the root of a nerve cell. But then the virus wakes up.
As it reproduces itself in a process called replication the dreaded cold sore appears. Cold sores are also known as fever blisters or recurrent herpes labialis by health care providers.

Key To Finding Cold Sore Treatment? Is Stress Your Trigger?

Finding your trigger is the key to finding your cold sore treatment. Stress is the leading factor in awakening the sleeping herpes simplex. Why? Well when our body is under stress our immune system the defense part of our body doesn’t work as well.

Now stress is not just emotional stress. Finances, work, new babies, school and family can all be stress causers. Stress can be anything that puts our body out of its normal balance.

With this definition stress can be a really hot or really cold days. When it’s really hot or really cold over a long period our body has to continually adjust. Sometimes our body (and our emotions too) just gets tired of adjusting. This is when the herpes simplex wakes up and goes to work.

Cold And The Flu Your Trigger?

Cold sores also happen when we have a cold or even the flu. Colds and flu happen year round. Now winter is considered the cold and flu season. We get more because we’re cooped up inside and closer to other people and the viruses and bacteria they pass around.

But colds and flu aren’t limited to the winter, as we all have either experienced or know someone who has had one of the dreaded summer colds.

Or Is Sunburn What Causes Your Cold Sore?

Sunlight is good for our skin in small doses. It helps our body get its requirement of Vitamin D. But sunlight in excessive quantities can cause sunburn, cancer and premature aging.

Kissing someone with a cold sore can also cause cold sores as well. So it’s important to protect yourself and your family by knowing the trigger factors.
Now stress by itself is impossible to eliminate. Just by living we encounter stress in our lives. But we can control how we react to the stress and what it does to our body.

A healthy diet, with a vitamin supplement can help our bodies cope with the stresses in our life. Healthy diets build up our immune system so we’re less apt to have the herpes virus wake up.

Vitamin supplements are suggested because often in the rush of everyday life we don’t eat as healthy as we should. The vitamin supplement is the extra level of protection to help our immune system with the building blocks our body’s defense system needs to do its job.

Be aware of the triggers causing cold sores in your life. Eat healthy and control what factors you can. Develop a holistic cold sore treatment plan and eliminate cold sore misery in your life.

Remedies For Cold Sores: Protect Your Family By Knowing The Facts

Bottom line cold sores interrupt your life and are a pain. Generally found at the edges of lip or nose, these lesions can grow anywhere there is a break in the skin.

The virus herpes simplex is responsible for cold sores, fever blisters and oral herpes blisters. The lesions happen when the virus is reproducing or replicating itself.

The virus is a sneaky one. It hides in the root of nerve cells waiting for the time to strike and cause a cold sore. It sits in the nerve fiber ready to pounce during stressful points in our life.

Until you know more about how a cold sores virus works it is almost impossible to discover remedies for cold sores.


What Triggers Cold Sores?

It can be caused by fever, which is why the cold sore is often called a fever blister. Often aggravated by sunlight, the lesion can be a result of sunburn. And the herpes simplex blister can also be triggered by menstruation.

Minimizing the stress in your life is a good start for your life and leaning how to get rid of the virus effects in your life.

The virus herpes simplex does not reproduce like bacteria. The virus reproduces by taking over or conquering the internal workings of a nerve cell. So the conquered nerve cell becomes a factory for reproducing new herpes simplex viruses.

Replicating viruses is tiring for the nerve cell. Eventually the cell becomes exhausted and explodes. This causes more virus particles to go out and infect other surrounding cells. The cell destruction is the open lesion call a cold sore.

Why Are Cold Sores So Painful?

The pain is a result of the herpes simplex building the cold sores on the end of a nerve.


How Do People Catch Herpes Simplex?

This virus is extremely contagious. That’s not to say it flies through the air attacking people, but is easily passed by touch. So kissing an infected person or shaking their hand if they have touched a cold sore is an easy way to catch the virus.

Your first line of defense and one of the best remedies for cold sores is to protect your family is to limit the family's exposure to be with active herpes simplex outbreaks. by limiting exposure you teach kids not to kiss people with mouth lesions or touch hands with body parts.

Herpes virus is contagious from the first tingling sensation till the lesion is completely healed. It is especially contagious during the weeping or drainage phase.

The defense system attacks the cold sore virus and discourages the virus from becoming active. The virus is able to take over the nerve cell when the body is stressed.

Normally the immune system can protect the body from herpes simplex. Triggers for the sleeping virus can be fever. This is why the cold sore is often called a fever blister. Sun exposure and menstruation can also trigger an attack of the herpes simplex.


Prevention And Prompt Treatment Key Steps To Get Rid Of Cold Sores

There are many remedies for cold sores available today. Your body often will take care of a sore by itself. In essence your body has found its own remedies for cold sores. Discover how you can find the cold sore treatment treatment which works. So before you choose look at this
ebook today.

How To Get Rid Of Cold Sores

If you ask ten people how to get rid of cold sores you’d probably get 10 different answers. But to really know how to get rid of cold sores you need to know more about them. Cold sores are caused a virus called herpes simplex.

It can affect anyone who is exposed and is highly contagious. Unfortunately once you are infected the virus stays in your body. This means you will have occasional or repeated episodes. These colds sore episodes are annoying and you need to learn how to quickly regain control.

A few people are fortunate not to have recurring colds sores once they have been infected with the virus. But most of the time those affected end up with repeated episodes of outbreaks.

Breakouts are stressful as the cold sore is unsightly and people tend to either focus on your mouth or just ignore you. And the only thing you want is for the cold sore to go away.

Some Tips For Getting Rid Of Your Cold Sore

Keep your hands away from the cold sores. The most common symptoms are itching and a burning sensation. It’s difficult to totally avoid touching, but keep your fingers away from the infected area. This lets the irritation calm down and prevents the spread of infection.

Keep the infected area clean. Take a clean washcloth and soak in warm water. Using antibacterial soap gently clean the infected area. Once you are done cleaning put the washcloth in the laundry. Do not reuse it. You don’t want to spread the infection.

By keeping the infected area clean you will speed up the healing process
Medications: Many cold sores spontaneous go away. But if your cold sore last for longer than two weeks it’s time to get some additional help from your health care provider. There are a variety of anti-viral medications which often give immediate relief from the burning and itching.
Even though some of the medications only provide temporary feeling better is definitely worth the time invested.

Stay healthy. If you are not eating well, and exercising you are going to have an increased change of getting an infection. So eat healthy nutritious food, get some good sleep, and take vitamin supplements especially if you life is stressful or you are unable to eat healthy on a regular basis.

Living a healthy life means your body will be ready to protect you against diseases and viruses.

If the healthy living alone does not get rid of the cold sores, then I suggest you read this ebook . You’ll discover a natural holistic way to treat your cold sores.

Cold Sore Treatment: Know The 5 Stages Of the Cold Sore Cycle

If you have ever had a cold sore, then you know how people stare at you when people see the blisters on your face. You wonder if you could ever answer the question, "How To Get Rid Of A Cold Sore?" You try and cover them up or even try to ignore them. But it's hard to ignore with the itching and the pain.


If you can recognize the signs and symptoms then you can stop searching and quickly start your cold sore treatment . These painful lesions are the result of an infection from the herpes simplex virus.

Unfortunately for most people once infected the virus sleeps and then reactivates. The reactivation leads to additional outbreaks.

There are five different stages of a cold sore. These are also called a fever blister or in the medical community recurrent herpes labialis. The cycle runs about 12-14 days.

1. Tingling is the first symptom people may notice. People describe it as a burning, itching or tingling sensation under the skin. The sensation can be felt on the nose, mouth or even chin. Occasionally people have reported the sensation on the inside of their mouth.

2. The second stage is blistering. Swelling also results from the infection. The blistering starts 2-3 days after the start of the tingling sensation. Blisters arise around the lip, mouth and surrounding areas.

3. The fever blister will continue to swell until it starts to weep or leak fluid. It will then open or ulcerate revealing a red colored center. At this stage the virus is highly contagious. It is also probably the most painful.

4. The crusting stage follows. The fever blister finishes its cycle of weeping. The edges of the lesion gradually fill in with a yellow or brown looking crust.

5. Finally the end stage of this cycle of recurrent herpes labialis happens. The body is able to overcome the effects of the virus and the healing process begins. The fever blister begins to get smaller. The crust decreases and the skin slowly returns to normal. This starts to happen somewhere around days 9 to 11.

The sooner you recognize the initial stage and its symptoms the sooner you can start your cold sore treatment . It is important to realize early and prompt cold sore treatment can stop the progression and prevent the spread to other people.

How To Get Rid Of Cold Sores Using Home Remedies

If you ever wanted to get rid of cold sores, did you know you could do so at home? Expensive medicines or creams aren’t the only way to get rid of the itching and pain of cold sores.

Cold sore home remedies are probably the first step in taking action against the painful and ugly looking herpes simplex sore. Some of these remedies work best when applied to the sore. Other cold sore remedies need to be swallowed to be effective. In combination your cold sore home remedies can be even more powerful.

Lysine an answer to “How to get rid of cold sores?”
Lysine is the most widely discussed cold sore home remedy. Almost every article will suggest giving lysine a try to either treat or prevent cold sores. Lysine has the ability to keep the herpes virus from reproducing.

Lysine is most effective when swallowed as the lysine cream or salve is poorly absorbed through the skin. And unless lysine gets into your body it cannot stop the herpes virus from reproducing.

Grandmother’s remedies for cold sores still work today
Your grandmother probably would suggest you eat a pound of fish to get rid of cold sores. Not any fish, but flounder. Why flounder? Well flounder has the highest level of lysine naturally than any other food.

For some people a pound of steamed flounder is enough to end a herpes outbreak without doing anything else. Not bad, enjoy a great fish dinner and discover how to get get rid of cold sores at the same time.

Walnut butter one of the home remedies for cold sores
You’ve mostly likely heard of homemade peanut butter. By grinding up peanuts in a blender you get peanut butter. Well you can do the same thing with walnuts. I’m not talking about making a walnut butter sandwich.

Put ¼ cup of walnuts in the blender with 2 tablespoons of water. Blend till mixed. Apply the butter to the cold sore. Store the remaining butter in the refrigerator. Use within 2-3 days.

Aloe Vera is one of the potent remedies for cold sores

Aloe Vera has so many uses. It can help chapped skin; ease dry skin and yes even show you how to get rid of cold sores. Get a live Aloe Vera plant and apply some of the sap from the leaves.

Acidophilus Bacteria One Of The Effective Remedies For Cold Sores
You’ve probably heard of yogurt with live acidophilus bacteria cultures. Acidophilus can be used in its pill form, in yogurt and also applied to the cold sore. Combining it in multiple ways stops the virus from reproducing or replicating itself.

Look for yogurt drinks in the grocery store as an easy way to drink one of these delicious home remedies for cold sores. Make sure you read the label. You want to have live acidophilus cultures.

You can buy acidophilus capsules at any health food store.

Finally one of our surprise remedies for cold sores. One of the remedies you’d least expect for cold sores is clear nail polish. Not on your nails, but on the cold sore. At the first sign of itching, apply a thin coat of nail polish. Use clear polish. Colors work but who wants to have a blue spot?

Discover for yourself how to get rid of cold sores now. You can live without the ugly painful sores. What are you waiting for? Click Here! .


Photo courtesy of Hannah Boettcher