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First, we're going to go over some basic information about cold sores, then how to prevent cold sores, and then how to get rid of cold sore by treatment.
Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1, a virus that once it is contracted will be retained by your body forever, occasionally re-occuring on your face--also, don't confuse herpes type 1 with herpes type 2, of the genital variety, they are NOT the same and having one will NOT cause the other. The virus remains dormant in certain nerve cells of the body until it is activated by one or several of the factors we will cover below. The virus is usually contracted early in childhood. Unfortunately, our body's immune system isn't able to completely get rid of the infection and the virus remains in our body, usually hidden in a nerve located near the cheekbone.
Signs Of An Oncoming Cold Sore:
The better you can recognize an oncoming cold sore the more you will know about how to get rid of cold sore. Symptoms may not appear for several weeks after the first exposure (likely before age 12) to the virus. Adults, however, generally develop symptoms when the virus is triggered. Some people may experience a "prodrome" episode, or the early signs and symptoms before the full-blown syndrome, within 8 to 72 hours after reactivation of the virus. It consists of pain, burning, tingling, or itching before the first blisters appear. (About 25% to 30% of patients do not experience prodrome symptoms, however, and the first sign is the appearance of a cold sore.) Within the next 24 hours, fluid-filled blisters appear, eventually leaking fluid, cracking, and forming a yellow crust, accompanied by itching or burning.
The Stages Of A Cold Sore Outbreak - Cold Sore Stage :
Day 1-2 : The Tingle stage.
In most cases a person's first indication that a cold sore is developing is that they notice a sense of soreness, tautness, or swelling in the location where their cold sore will ultimately form. Sometimes this same area will become slightly reddened.
Day 2-3 : The Blister stage.
The first readily visible sign of cold sore formation is the appearance of several fluid filled blisters. Usually these blisters are very small (smaller in diameter than the thickness of a dime) and they usually form in a cluster that is no larger than about the size of a nickel. In some cases individual blisters coalesce with others so to form a single larger blister.
Day 4 : The Weeping stage.
Cold sore blisters usually rupture soon after they have formed, resulting in a shallow reddish ulceration whose surface becomes gray. This ulcerative phase of cold sore formation can be its most painful stage. This is also the stage during which a cold sore is most contagious.
Days 5 - 8 : The Crusting stage.
In those facial areas where a cold sore lesion is not kept wet by moisture from the mouth the ulcer will become dry and scab over with a brownish crust. This scabbing formation is often accompanied by an itching or burning sensation. The scab itself will often crack or break, which in turn can cause bleeding.
Days 9 - 12 : The Final Healing stage.
As time progresses so will the cold sore's healing. Usually a series of scabs will form on the lesion, each one flaking off before it is replaced by a new one. Each new scab will be smaller than the previous one until finally the cold sore resolves itself fully, in most cases without scarring.
How to get rid of cold sore? Prevention is the best medicine, and it's always easier to avoid one in the first place!
The Five Most Common Causes Of Cold Sores That Can Be Prevented:
1. Sunlight-Many people are very prone to cold sores when they suffer from sunburn or spend too much time outdoors--a good sunscreen applied to the lips is your first line of defense against cold sores caused by the sun, commonly referred to as fever blisters. Limit your sun time--this is a key to cold sore prevention. Avoid 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. when the sun is strongest. Wear sunscreen and lip moisturizer - with UV-A and UV-B protection. SPF 15 or higher is a must. Wear a hat to avoid sun on the delicate skin of your face and mouth. Beware of reflection of sunlight from water and snow.
2. Cold and Wind-Here again, a sunscreen comes in handy. Use it liberally and often whenever you're outdoors. In extreme cold weather cover and protect your face and mouth - both with moisturizers and a scarf. Watch out for conditions that can cause dryness - your home furnace and hot showers or baths. Use gentle extra-moisturizing cleansers and hydrating masks to keep your skin moist. And, MOST IMPORTANTLY: drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated. This will go a long ways towards cold sore prevention.
3. Pregnancy and menstruation-these can trigger a hormonally induced outbreak of cold sores. Hormonal changes due to menstruation can trigger cold sores. It may be that these hormonal changes can weaken your body's immune system. And while we can't control these changes, we can do things to help keep our body strong.
4. Colds or flu-Anything that lowers the body's resistance can trigger a cold sore. For cold sore prevention it all comes down to making your body as strong and healthy as it can be. A fever, a cold or the flu can leave you feeling run down and weaken your body's immune system. And a weakened immune system can lead to a cold sore episode. Avoid contact with people who have cold and flu symptoms. Wash your hands frequently to stop the spread of germs. Keep your immune system strong by eating healthy, taking vitamins and getting plenty of rest.
5. Stress-When your body is under stress, your immune system weakens. This in turn allows you to become susceptible to any nasty virus that is lurking around, including herpes, thereby harming your chance at cold sore prevention.
How To Get Rid Of Cold Sore by Treatment:
Clean the cold sore with hot soapy water (don't scratch it!) and a clean washcloth to clean the cold sore and surrounding area at least once a day. Overscrubbing, however, may cause further irritation and prolong the infection. Avoid touching the cold sore, as skin-to-skin to contact can spread the herpes infection.
Cover the cold sore with a petroleum-based product, such as pure petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to speed healing and avoid additional bacterial infection. A pain-relief product like Neosporin will work to seal in the herpes virus, minimize irritation, and keep out further infection.
The treatments for cold sores have come a long way in recent years. There are several new medications, as well as home remedy for cold sore, that not only offer relief of symptoms, but they also shorten the cold sore's life span. Some are available over the counter (Abreva, Viractin) and some by prescription only (Denivir), and sometimes a home remedy for cold sore can be effectively cooked up on your own.
How To Get Rid Of Cold Sore Through Cold Sore Home Treatment:
A home remedy for cold sores: these are too numerous to mention, and many of them simply do not work. My own experience on home remedies for cold sores is with something concocted by a close friend of mine, and even though I've never been big on home remedies I must say that this cold sore home treatment worked both times for me, and even more impressive is I've seen it work on about 25 other people she's tried it on, consistently! I've got a whole blog covering various home remedies, and I mention my friend Grace's solution for the matter at the bottom of this post:
Cold Sores Home Remedies - Get Rid of Your Cold Sore Now
Best Wishes and Good Luck! |
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