How To Treat A Cold Sore Properly

How to treat a cold sore

There are 3 approaches that you can take when it comes to the question of how to treat cold sore, each cold sore remedies has its own pros and cons. Sometimes you just have to experiment to see which treatment your cold sore responds to fastest. The best way to do this is every time you have an infection keep a diary and use the different approaches each time to see how your skin reacts. The best remedy will be those where the lifespan of the infection is shortened and the pain as well as any scar that forms is low, if the remedies keep the sores from swelling and itching this is a added bonus.


Prescription Medication


This would be medication such as Abreva, this contains the active ingredient Docanosol which has been proven to prevent the virus herpes simplex from replicating. If you are able to catch the virus during the tingling sensation and apply Abreva then the lifespan of the cold sore should be significantly reduced. Abreva acts as a envelope to contain the herpes virus so it cannot grow and therefore it is stopped in its track, usually within 3 days you see the difference.


Over The Counter Medication


Over the counter medication such as Denavir works differently from Abreva, Denavir is a antiviral and kills the virus, it does not stop the virus from growing, this can and should be used if the cold sore passes the tingling stage and you can see a blister forming. By using Denavir you can stop the virus from spreading somewhere else however the only drawback is it cannot stop the virus from replicating, so if the virus replicates faster than Denavir kills the virus then the healing process is prolonged.


Natural Course


Some people often opt to let the infection take its natural course and concentrate on finding out what the triggers are and how to avoid them. The most common triggers are sunshine, change in weather and stress, sometimes pregnancy can bring out the herpes infection due to the surge in hormones. If you are able to pinpoint exactly what the trigger is and then avoid it then you can avoid the virus altogether.


Herbal Remedies


Herbal remedies are becoming more and more popular, the most common herbal remedies are Tea Tree Oil and Aloe Vera, Tea Tree oil is a potent antiviral that kills the virus and Aloe Vera is a healing remedy, if used together can form a formidable combination when it comes to cold sore remedies. There are many people who swear by this remedy however I feel that everybody is different and finding the right cold sore remedies is a matter of experimentation.


The best way to approach this is every time a sore appears try and keep a diary and each time use a different approach as outlines below. Monitor the progress that you make and find the best cold sore remedies that work for your skin.