Treating a cold sore correctly is the key to the fast relief of your pain and embarrassment. If you will let me, in this short article I would like to share with you some time-proven ways of treating a cold sore.
Treating a cold sore is something you hope to not do too often. No matter how you treat them, they are quite a bother and they interfere with your life in a big way.
But treating a cold sore correctly can greatly shorten the duration and provide you freedom much sooner. Left alone, cold sores often take weeks to heal completely.
Fortunately the cold sores always appear on the surface where you can easily treat them.
Cold sores occur in stages and each stage should be treated slightly differently for fastest healing times. Following are the three main stages of cold sores and the best treatment for each.
INITIAL STAGE OF YOUR COLD SORES.
The herpes virus that causes cold sores lives in the roots of your nerves. When active, this virus squirms to the surface through that nerve fiber. You feel it as a tingling, itching or burning sensation.
As soon as you sense this pending outbreak, hold ice or other cold object to the area. This greatly discourages the herpes virus. It can delay or prevent the actual blister from further development.
Lysine supplements can be very helpful in stopping cold sores fast. Start taking them now through final healing.
DEVELOPMENT STAGE OF YOUR COLD SORES.
Formation of the actual sore begins when the virus gets to the surface and infects the cells. This is painfully obvious with the appearance of red pimple-like bumps and considerable swelling.
Applying ice is still a good choice for treating a cold sore at this stage. You will find it helps reduce the pain and swelling, as well as discouraging the herpes virus from doing further damage.
Treating a cold sore with garlic oil at this stage is also very powerful. It is best to use fresh, live garlic. Cut or crush and apply to the area. Garlic is a strong anti-viral and will go right through the skin.
REPAIR STAGE OF YOUR COLD SORES.
The herpes virus has completed the damage once the sore bursts open. From now on your body will be repairing the damaged skin and nerve cells.
Stop using the ice now. It will give comfort but will slow the healing process. Keep using oral lysine supplements and apply the garlic oil often.
During the healing period, applying heat will greatly speed healing and comfort. Using a hot tea bag is an excellent choice for this purpose because you also benefit from the anti-viral properties of tea.
Do not use the microwave to heat up the tea bags as it destroys the nutrients in the tea. You can also drink some tea for internal benefits.
Keeping the area sterile is important too. Sanitize the wound with tissues wetted with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, then throw away. Then apply the garlic oil followed by 15 minutes of heat.
After a heat session, applying aloe vera gel to the wound can really help speed the healing process. It helps skin grow back amazingly fast.
Your best choice for aloe vera gel is not from a bottle. You want fresh, active gel from a live plant. Many folks grow this plant in their home. You should too.
PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS.
When treating a cold sore, use extreme caution so as not to spread the virus to other spots on you or someone else. People with a lip full of sores started with one and spread the rest.
Probably the worst place to infect with this virus is your eyes. Corneal cold sores can cause a lot of eye damage.
Keep your fingers and the cold sore area as sterile as possible while treating a cold sore. Wash your hands religiously, and avoid touching the sore with your fingers. This virus is a direct contact virus.
For additional pain relief during the cold sore event, you may wish to use a drug store cold sore treatment. Many of these have numbing agents - like benzocaine - that help give additional comfort to the damaged nerves.
Treating a cold sore does not have to be complicated. Simply use cold to slow the sore and heat to heal it quickly. And to prevent new infection sites, wash your hands regularly when you are treating a cold sore.
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Tags: aging, aloe vera, cold sores, herpes, Skin Conditions