Cold sores are small clusters of blisters that really hurt. They are typically found around the mouth and lips. They are caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1). About 90% of people carry the virus, but not everyone will be affected.

The virus is most commonly passed from person-to-person through touch. For example, drinking out of the same cup as a carrier, or skin-on-skin contact. Skin and saliva contact are the only ways the virus can be spread. That can happen in a multitude of different ways, including oral sex.

They can be triggered by everything from stress to sun exposure, or even dental problems or other health issues. In fact, cold sores can initiate other symptoms of illness during the primary outbreak, including nausea and vomiting.

Cold sores typically don’t last that long. They will usually ‘crust over’ within four days. The appearance should be diminished, if not gone completely, within ten days.

Due to the unfortunate stigma of cold sores, most people will do whatever they can to get rid of the visible symptoms. Cold sores can be painful, irritating, and embarrassing. So, treating them quickly with HERP-B-GONE cream is one of the best things for reducing the appearance of the sores.

What’s Good for Cold Sores?

Not only can cold sores blister, bleed, and ooze, but no one wants to deal with the embarrassment. So, instead of waiting up to ten days for them to start to fade away on their own, there are several things you can do to help not only reduce the appearance. You can take away the pain and discomfort that typically goes along with them.

Vanilla

The same ingredient you use in baked goods can also work wonders. You’ll need to make sure you’re using 100% pure vanilla extract, instead of imitation vanilla. All you need to do is apply the extract directly to your cold sores with a cotton swab to start the process.

The alcohol content of the vanilla makes it hard for the virus itself to continue to grow and can prevent a further outbreak while lessening the severity of the current one. Try to repeat the process with vanilla up to four times each day.

Change Your Toothbrush

This is something many people overlook when they have a cold sore outbreak. If you have even a single cold sore, using the same toothbrush can turn that brush into a lasting vessel for the virus, causing additional outbreaks. This is a preventative measure, but one to keep in mind if you find that you’re more prone to cold sores.

Milk

Milk has been found to have healing properties when it comes to several skin conditions and viruses, and the same rings true for cold sores. The proteins and antibodies within whole milk can help to heal the cold sores faster and prevent an outbreak.

Milk also contains L-lysine, which is one of the most active combatants against cold sores you’ll find. L-lysine speeds up the healing process, and fights back strongly against the virus itself, preventing it from growing.

Soak a cold compress in whole milk, and hold it against the cold sores for several minutes at a time. Also, you can make whole milk a staple of your diet. This will prevent or lessen the severity of future outbreaks.

Hydrogen Peroxide

The same bubbling, fizzing solution your parents may have put on your scraped knee as a kid can also help heal cold sores. Hydrogen peroxide may provide an initial ‘sting,’ but it works wonders as a disinfectant. This makes it far less likely that the cold sores will spread.

Keeping the area around your mouth, and the cold sores themselves ‘clean’ will help to remove them faster. So, by applying a bit of hydrogen peroxide directly onto the blistered sores with a cotton swab or Q-Tip, you can be assured you’re on your way to a healthier mouth, and better skin as the virus dies out.

Vitamins C & E

While your body needs these essential vitamins for a multitude of reasons that keep you healthy and happy, they are especially important when it comes to blocking off cold sores, and healing them faster.

Vitamins C & E encourage the production of white blood cells, which fight off viruses and areas of the body that need it most. By sending some more white blood cells into battle against the cold sores, it can reduce their appearance faster, and prevent new ones from forming.

To make sure you’re getting enough vitamins C & E in your diet, you can always take over-the-counter supplements, or choose foods that are rich in these vitamins, such as leafy greens and whole grains.

Cornstarch

This acts as a neutralizer for cold sores since they are extremely acidic. By making a paste of cornstarch and water, and applying it to the sores before you go to sleep each night, the cornstarch will work it’s neutralizing magic, balancing the pH of the cold sore, and causing it to fade away faster.

Aloe Vera

Whether you choose to use an aloe plant or an organic gel, aloe is known for its healing and soothing properties, and by applying just a bit directly onto your cold sores, it will fight back against the virus.

Aloe not only will help your cold sores to feel less painful, but it can block off additional bacteria from entering the sores. This will help them to heal faster, and reduce the risk of an even more significant outbreak. It’s a great idea to have an aloe plant in your home, but an organic gel can also work very well.

How to get rid of cold sores

How to Take Care of Cold Sores at Home

The most important thing to understand about cold sores is that they are a virus. They’re just like any other virus in the body you might get when you’re sick, etc. The only difference is the appearance that goes along with them and the unfortunate stigma.

In addition to these home remedies, there are plenty of over-the-counter treatments and topical medications for cold sores. As long as you choose something that will fight off the virus, it’s probably a safe bet.

Avoid Touching Cold Sores

The most important thing you can do if you see a cold sore on your skin is never to touch it – this can cause spreading exceptionally quickly, and if you touch one of your cold sores and then make contact with someone else, you can pass on the virus to them.

Start Treatment Immediately

Begin treatment as soon as you see the cold sores – even if you only notice one. Like any other virus, cold sores can come in the form of an outbreak. So if you’re lucky enough to have just one, start using a treatment, such as HERP-B-GONE cream, immediately. This will help to prevent more from showing up. At the very least, it can lessen the severity of the outbreak.

Clean Everything After Usage

Wash and clean anything that comes in contact with your mouth. It’s a good idea to toss away things like a toothbrush and things that you use on a daily basis. This includes items that might touch your mouth, including silverware, pillowcases, etc. You don’t need to throw these things away, of course, but be sure to wash them frequently.

If you have the herpes virus that causes cold sores (i.e., if you’ve experienced cold sores before), it will always live dormant inside you. That’s not meant to be a frightening fact. Most of the time it won’t mean much unless you have a flare-up. There is no known cure for the herpes virus at the moment. The fact that it remains dormant most of the time means that living with it is more manageable.

Most of us are susceptible to cold sores and are already living with the virus that can cause them. You can find many different treatments that are good for cold sores. This will help to keep them under control and keep the pain and discomfort at bay. It’ll also lessen the appearance of future outbreaks.