Cold Sores Treatment Advice

from: http://naturalhealthmagazine.net/skin-care/cold-sores-treatment/

Finding a good cold sores treatment is really necessary especially if you are always suffering from those unsightly pinkish bumps.

Sometimes, these bumps would appear at the wrong place and time, just when you need to present yourself in the most pleasing manner.

According to How Stuff Works, many people get confused about whether they have a cold sore or a canker sore. But that confusion is easily cleared up.

Cold sores, also called fever blisters, are caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1, which is usually acquired in childhood through contact with infected saliva. The type 1 virus is believed to lie dormant in certain nerve cells of the body until it is activated by stress, anxiety, a cold or excessive exposure to the sun.

It causes sores on your external lip or near your mouth or nose that last anywhere from seven to 14 days.
Source: How Stuff Works

Below you will find a list of treatments that you can apply in order to treat cold sores. These treatments are provided by Skin Therapy Letter. According to it, most cold sores will clear up on their own after 7-10 days. Most treatment options are focused on reducing the discomfort and pain associated with cold sores and reducing the length of the outbreak.

Some treatment options may even help prevent cold sore blisters from forming.

Topical
Skin protectants
Analgesics/anaesthetics
Abreva (docosanol)
Lipactin (zinc, heparin)
Oral Analgesics
Skin Protectants and Analgesics

Skin protectants and lip moisturizers with allantoin, dimethicone, cocoa butter, white petrolatum or glycerin provide moisturization to keep the cold sore moist as well as a mechanical barrier to guard the skin and lips from irritants

Topical analgesics/anaesthetics including benzocaine, lidocaine, benzyl alcohol, camphor, menthol and phenol help provide local pain control and may help reduce the itching.

Oral analgesics such as ibuprofen and acetominophen also provide temporary relief from the pain Other Products Other non-prescription products containing zinc and heparin (Lipactin, topical gel) are also available.

This product may help shorten the duration of the cold sore if used early during the outbreak, applied 3-6 times a day for up to 14 days. Topical Zovirax (acyclovir) Source: Skin Therapy Letter

These cold sores treatment will always help in treating those bumps that would cause you pain and discomfort. Just choose the one that you believe will be the most beneficial for you.