subject: Cold Sore Alert - How To Treat And Prevent Cold Sores Effectively [print this page] Periodic cold sores are a way of life for millions of folks throughout the world. The root cause of all outbreaks is the herpes simplex virus. Once it takes up residence in your body, it is there for life.The good news is that there are powerful and proven ways to treat and prevent cold sores through pharmaceutical or natural remedies.Cold sores are painful blisters that usually occur around the mouth or nose but can show up elsewhere. These sores are very contagious and you can pass them on through direct contact and virus contaminated saliva.Symptoms of one starting include burning, tingling and itching after which a red blister will appear.Outbreaks usually occur when your immune system is weakened because of illness, injury or other stressful situations. If you can keep your defenses high, then you can reduce the chance of having the sores appear.Taking top shelf multi-vitamins each day with high content of the B and C vitamins will greatly help you from getting sick.Another very powerful remedy provided by nature is lysine. This is a common amino acid that you can get from diet and supplements that works to stop the herpes simplex virus from multiplying.If you get cold sores frequently, you should consider taking lysine as part of a daily supplement program. If you only get an occasional outbreak, you can start taking lysine when you feel the initial beginning symptoms.Zinc tablets are quite popular for treating current blisters and preventing future ones. You should take zinc tablets orally to greatly improve your immunity and healing and to also prevent future blisters.You can make a paste for direct application to your herpes outbreak by crushing the tablet and mixing with water or olive oil. Even better, get a zinc lozenge or rapid melts, wet and apply this to the wound area. This form of zinc is much more able to be absorbed through the sore.One popular remedy available from your local pharmacy is an acyclovir containing salve. This treatment requires you to apply the cream five times a day for five days.Penciclovir is also an FDA approved anti-virus remedy. It can be quite a hassle too as you have to apply it every two hours for a minimum of four days to speed healing and reduce symptoms.These commercial anti-viral creams work by slowing down the spread of the herpes simplex virus infection.They are a lot of work and usually do not work as safely or as quickly as many natural cold sore remedies.There are also prescription oral tablets that you can take to treat cold sores. These anti-virus pills usually contain famciclovir or valacyclovir.You need a doctor's prescription to take these medications. They can be hard on your liver.Other treatments commonly available over the counter can include nerve deadening agents that can greatly reduce the initial burning or itching discomfort prior to another outbreak.Cold sores are quite painful and very annoying because they usually occur at the worst possible times. There are several over-the-counter remedies available containing natural or medicating agents, both of which can give some measure of relief.The secret to keep in mind here is the quicker you start treating them the better results you will achieve.It would be wise for you to experiment with different cold sore remedies and prevention treatments to find which ones work best for you.If you constantly get outbreaks, you may wish to talk to a doctor or naturopath for more in depth information relating more directly to your personal situation.But, before that, it may be wise for you to visit some good web sites where you can find answers to your questions and naturally safe cold sore remedies.
Cold Sore Alert - How To Treat And Prevent Cold Sores Effectively
