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.