How to Treat and Get Rid of Cold Sores

Awhile back -- something like a year ago -- I blogged about cold sores and Herpes. I'd like to return to that topic today. Last time, I went over what cold sores were, how you get Herpes, and such -- today, we'll focus more on treatment, although first, I'll give a quick overview.

Cold sores (or fever blisters) are a small blister caused by a virus called herpes, which you've likely heard of. It's one of the most common viruses in the world, in fact. There are two types of herpes -- herpes simplex virus one (HSV-1 for short) and herpes simplex virus two (HSV-2). Both of these cause cold sores, but HSV-1 is the one that most commonly causes cold sores around the mouth.

Cold sores around the mouth are a real issue for sufferers, because let's face it -- any type of blemish on one's face is going to cause concern. So let's talk about how to treat cold sores.

• One of the most effective treatments is using a prescription-strength antiviral cream as soon as you feel the onset of a cold sore. I'm putting this one first because, in my opinion, it has the best chance of making it so the sore doesn't even appear, which is really what most people are after. There are several good antiviral creams, including Penciclovir (Denavir) and Acyclovir (Zovirax). Again, these will need a prescription, so ask your doctor or dentist about them.

The way to use these creams is to apply them immediately when the symptoms of a cold sore first appear (the prodromal phase -- aka, that tingly feeling in the lip.) This gives a good chance of nipping the cold sore in the bud, and making it so it doesn't ever appear.

The downside to these creams is the cost -- they are usually pretty expensive, but can be a (figurative) lifesaver when your wedding photos are to be taken in a day. If you have frequent outbreaks, it's probably prudent to have a cream available, even for occasional use.

• You can also use non-prescription based creams in the same manner. However, I have personally found these largely ineffective. Still, maybe you'll react differently -- it won't hurt to try.

• Another "won't hurt to try" are several home remedies I have heard of (trust me, in my long career as a NYC Cosmetic Dentist, I've heard of all kinds of things working, including some that seem to have some merit). These home remedies range from Petroleum Jelly to licorice powder to dabbing some milk or ice on the tingly spot (remember, do this when you first feel it.) I've included a link at the end of this article to a few home remedies.

• For chronic/sever cold sore sufferers, antiviral pills might be the answer. Again, this is a prescription-based solution. But it is effective (at least from what I have personally seen).
One common theme in most of the remedies I wrote about above is the fact that timing is the issue. In short, you have to move fast. Once the cold sore makes its appearance, the chances of it going away quickly diminish greatly. Yes, creams and the like will probably help it heal/ go away faster, but if the big interview is tomorrow, well... (Side note here -- don't put makeup on a cold sore -- it can irritate it).

Ok, two final points on cold sores and treatment -- if you have one, should you keep it moist, or let it dry out and crust? And how long is it infectious to others?

The answers here vary -- if you look online, you'll find both schools of thought in regards to keeping it moist or letting it dry. To illustrate such, I put an e-zine article that recommends both at the end of this post. (Also, if you asked both of your grandmothers, they'd each probably say something different as well!)

Keeping it moist is supposed to deprive the infection of oxygen, thereby helping it heal. Letting it dry is to subscribe to the side that says a cold sore needs a moist environment to thrive. I say do whichever seems to work better for you. Like I mentioned, both seem to be a valid treatment, and each will have their fans, which lends strength to my "whatever works for YOU is best" recommendation.

Last thing on cold sores -- how long are they contagious? Well, the prudent answer (and the only one I'll get behind) is "as long as you can see it, and then probably just a little longer to be 100 percent safe". Really -- if you have a cold sore, don't go kissing anybody, don't share utensils, drinking glasses, or anything else. They can be very contagious, and again, if you can see it, you can probably give it to someone else.

I hope this post has given some insight into these unsightly little things, and perhaps helped someone prevent a cold sore from cropping up before that important event.

Until next time, keep smiling!

More Reading:

http://www.medicinenet.com/herpes_simplex_infections_non-genital/article.htm
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/home-remedies/home-remedies-for-cold-sores.htm
http://ezinearticles.com/?Cold-Sore-Home-Remedy&id=2234280

 

Follow Thomas P. Connelly, D.D.S. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dr_connelly

Comments

[Sandra1988]

01:50 PM on 05/03/2011

I myself have had genital herpes for almost 2 years now. its great being able to talk to other people in the same situation.I personally have found peace and happiness. If you haven’t, you will. Ignorance and denial is not the solution. Be informed… Learn the truth… Here http://www.herpespal.com . Which has more than 680000 memebers according CNN and it have provided many services such as chatting,blogs,test center,STD couselor, forum etc.

[UnRed]

05:48 AM on 04/19/2011

Back when I was a pharmaceutical sales rep, a Derm I called on told me about propylyne glycol. It's considered an inactive ingredient and it's used as a base in many topical creams/ointments. One of my company's drugs happened to use it, which is how the subject came up. That & I used to suffer a whole lot with canker sores (basically the same thing inside your mouth). Then I followed his suggestion and haven't been bothered (too much) since. It gives immediate relief that not only continues but shortens the duration, as well.

In fact, if you look closely at the label of that well-known canker-sore product that costs an arm and a leg, you'll see propylyne glycol listed as an inactive ingredient. You should get the same result from any topical product which contains it. At least, I have.

[drmoldovan]

01:10 AM on 04/19/2011

Laser treatments work well if the cold sore is in it's incipient stages. I have tried this on myself and it arrested the progression or if I caught it early enough, the vesicles never formed! Some dentists who use lasers say that the cold sore will never express itself in that spot again.

[William Waterway Marks]

08:38 PM on 04/18/2011

There are also many homeopathic remedies - one that I found effective is called "Viracon". Regardless - the bottom line of your advice rings true: "Find out what works best for your cold sores through experimentation."

[Mysticalsister]

07:35 PM on 04/16/2011

L-Lysine is the best. I take 1000 mg per day until it disappears -- but I'll be trying the 3000 next time to make it go away faster. Often, it just goes away without ever blooming. Of course, L-Lysine is inexpensive, easy to find and isn't associated with any drug company -- so I'm not surprised that doctors don't recommend it.

[iamjones]

04:21 PM on 04/17/2011

exactly what i was going to write! Lysine taken in large doses at the onset will prevent and then deter. all of the above '"remedies" do not work at all.

moreover, the underlying cause is stress. people need to stop, slow down and think about why they are getting these physical manifestations of stress/unhappiness/dis-ease in their lives. i promise you the self-examination is worth it, may lead to changes in one's life and a lot less stress :^)

[Francois Skinzer]

11:03 AM on 04/16/2011

Disketta, you are incorrect. The cold sores viruse has been linked to Alzheimers disease over and over. Look at the petitions that were posted. They have references to medical studies proving such! That is another reason the US gvt needs to increase HSV research funding.

http://www.petition2congress.com/3875/decrease-us-unemployment-find-cure-herpes/

[Endotoxin]

09:46 PM on 04/15/2011

L-Lysine reduces the amount of time Herpes eruptions occur even when they've already surfaced, and it can reduce the severity of the outbreak as well.

Herpes uses L-Arginine to reproduce so you need to suffocate it by consuming high lysine foods or supplements. Most viruses have a favorite amino acid or protein they use to reproduce. If you can target that protein or element and skew it in your favor then you win.

Also anything that puts your Killer-T cells into hyper mode will help suppress the virus and make it go back into hiding. L-Lysine does just that.

I believe you only need to take about 3000mg daily during an outbreak and 1000mg daily as maintenance afterwards. L-Lysine also helps with Acne and other oily skin eruptions as well as weepy and dry Eczema (It has helped my Dry Eczema in the past).

MSM (sulfur) might be worth a try as well but I typically use that for allergies.

[vlynnieg]

08:17 AM on 04/15/2011

I rarely ever get an outbreak, but here's what has worked well for me. At the FIRST sign of a tingle, I put ice on it for 10-15 minutes. Sometimes, it won't even appear after that. If it does, it's very small. Then, twice a day, I coat it well with buttermilk and let it dry. The buttermilk dries it out and shrinks it. Also, I use either a zovirax ointment/cream or Quantum lipclear, which has herbal ingredients, throughout the day. And MOST IMPORTANTLY, I'm VERY careful not to touch anything else before I've washed my hands THOROUGHLY to prevent spreading it to other areas of my mouth or elsewhere. My rare outbreaks last three days or less and I've only ever had outbreaks it that one spot.

[Butch Whitmon]

07:34 AM on 04/15/2011

I've been getting cold sores around the mouth for more than 60 years. I conquered the pain, discomfort, and embarrassement many, many years ago with the discovery that Camphor Spirts (Spirits of Camphor) works best. A few negatives...very slight negatives: Brief burning, particularly if the sore is open. After the initial burning, THERE WILL BE NO DISCOMFORT!! I promise. You will also forget you have it as long as you keep the camphor applied. Best way to apply is just dab your finger, from the bottle, than dab it on the sore. I got it at Walgreens, where they have discontinued it!!!!! I don't know what I'll do!??? It has been a very long time since I've had a "bad" sore. As soon as I feel the tingle, before it breaks out, I grab my camphor and put it on. Nips it in the bud, Period!! Some will not like the medicinal like odor. I don't mind it at all, and it goes away rapidly. Also, if you get it in your mouth, it does not taste all that great.....briefly. Even with the negatives I've mentioned, I think it is a terrific treatment.
Once a sore breaks out, seems you are stuck with it for several days.......but camphor makes it completely bearable until it is gone. You can beat that miserable suffering.........just use camphor.

[Butch Whitmon]

07:32 AM on 04/15/2011

About Camphor Spirts.
Walgreens has discontinued it, so I have considered buying Campho Phoneque.
Problem is........I have never used Campho Phoneque for anything and do not know if it will work.
It also costs EIGHT DOLLARS OR MORE for a small tube!!
Woe is me..........what will I do???

[bluegrit]

07:07 AM on 04/15/2011

Dr. Jack Thuna used to say that the best natural way to avoid cold sores was to eat oatmeal regularly. He believed that digestive harmony was the goal and that stress in the stomach caused eruptions on the lips.

[akolough]

06:49 AM on 04/15/2011

My dentist's great advice: as soon as you feel that tingly sensation when you realize a cold sore is coming on, take L-Lysine (found in any drugstore). Continue taking it for about 48 hours. It's an amino acid that somehow blocks the cold sore from forming in the first place. It absolutely works. The trick is having it on hand so that you take it asap.

[Disketta]

10:09 PM on 04/14/2011

I thought this article was too basic to be any use, but I have to answer ncyim's false implications. As a Lyme survivor, let me correct the statement that "herpes is linked as a co-infection to Lyme disease." Lyme disease attacks the immune system. Whatever you have in your genetic profile is more likely to crop up if you also have Lyme. For herpes, one of the world's most common viruses, ditto. If you have Lyme, it weakens your immune system and you will be more likely to have herpes outbreaks, whether oral or genital, or herpes zoster, the chicken pox virus which causes shingles later in life. The author of the post left that one out, btw.

Also, herpes is not linked to Alzheimer's either. Herpes is so common that one almost cannot have one without the other, but that speaks of how common the virus is, not of a link of any kind. Finally Lyme *is* linked to Alzheimer's, but the link may be through the immune system, not direct.

In fact, ncyim's comment seems to be a plug for whatever a rife machine is.

[Francois Skinzer]

10:05 PM on 04/14/2011

Cold sores come with more than just sores. Facial herpes (hsv1) has been strongly linked to Alzheimers. HSV2 (genital cold sores) has been linked to Prostate Cancer in men and also increases the likelihood of catching and transmitting HIV - threefold. The government has ignored this disease way too long.

Please sign these petitions to increase cure research funding. Note: Many researchers say a marketable cure is on the horizon if they can get the funding. Further, these petitions are free and anonymous and take less than 1 minute each to complete.

http://www.petition2congress.com/3986/fund-peregrine-pharmaceutical-to-test-bavi-herpes/
http://www.petition2congress.com/3875/decrease-us-unemployment-find-cure-herpes/
http://www.petition2congress.com/3738/increase-herpes-research-funding/
http://www.change.org/petitions/please-increase-herpes-research-funding#?opt_new=t&opt_fb=f
http://www.petition2congress.com/4231/get-our-legislators-to-make-hsv-testing-routine-part-annual-exams/

[ncyim]

09:19 PM on 04/14/2011

There is a link between herpes virus and Alzheimer's Disease so better to try and kill the damn thing completely. I friend of mine used a Rife Machine a few times and never had an out break again. Also, herpes is linked as a co-infection to Lyme Disease - which is very difficult to test for and to cure using conventional methods.

[Pete59]

04:42 AM on 04/15/2011

You cannot kill herpes viruses completely once they are in the body.

[ncyim]

11:27 AM on 04/16/2011

That's true using conventional medicine. There is no $$ in it for them because the methods are not in the control of big pharma. Don't give up - never give up! And don't let the most powerful financial interests in the world tell you what reality is supposed to look like.

[OverseasVet]

11:14 AM on 04/16/2011

There is exactly one article in Pubmed with both lyme and herpes in the title and it is a single case report of concurrent disease. That is hardly grounds to claim a link between the two diseases.

[ncyim]

11:41 AM on 04/16/2011

After getting 2 master's degrees in medicine I've learned that PubMed and the big medical journals only publish information that is consistent w/ their biz plan. The best way to find out what is really going on is to join patient blogs. There is some misinformation there too -mostly propagated by specific medical interests. I would have died a long time ago if I confined my personal healthcare pursuits to dominant Western medicine.