Cold sores are timeless and always present, we give you 6 tips to get rid of it and get on with your life.
If you are prone to cold sores, you know that a tingling sensation on the lip usually only means one thing: a new blister will burst.
WHAT IS LABIAL HERPES?
Cold sores are usually caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), a strain closely related to type 2 error responsible for genital blisters. These are just two of the eight types of viruses in the herpes family that affect humans; Another well-known causes chickenpox (herpes zoster). It used to be that HSV-2 was the most-seen virus in genital herpes. But today, HSV-1 is often a cause; Oral sex can transmit HSV-1 to the genitals. It can also transmit HSV-2 to the mouth.
There is no doubt that cold sores are very uncomfortable. On their own, they usually go away in two to four weeks. But they are two or four weeks that are a kind of ballast: the blisters are red and ooze and form crusts. Fortunately, there are some cold sore treatments that can speed up the healing process, especially if you get a cold sore early. But before you need them, take a look at how you could prevent these troublesome outbreaks altogether.
AVOID LIP HERPES
Once you detect the cold sore virus (many people contract HSV-1 in the first six months or three years of life), it remains dormant in nerve cells. In fact, the word herpes comes from the Greek word “crawl,” as the virus tends to crawl along a nerve pathway and sit at the end until a trigger prompts it to rear its ugly head again. So the best way to avoid an outbreak is to reduce your exposure to certain triggers.
Classic Triggers: Exposure to sunlight, stress, physical stress, illness with a common cold or fever, minor injury or cracking of the lips, and use of steroids.
One thing about cold sores is that they often give you a clue through symptoms like tingling, itching, swelling, or pain where the fever blister is about to appear. Doctors call this the “prodromal stage,” and it actually does you a favor. If you catch it in the early stages and call a doctor to get an antiviral medication, you can prevent a cold sore from occurring or at least prevent it from staying for so long.
WAYS TO REMOVE LIP HERPES QUICKLY
USE ANTI-VIRAL DRUGS
“Over-the-counter topical medications don’t work as well as prescription antivirals like cold sore treatments,” says Bruce Robinson, a private practice dermatologist in New York City and a clinical dermatology instructor at Lenox Hill Hospital. Over-the-counter creams can relieve tingling and burning, but they’re not the best option if you want the sores to go away quickly.
“The best way to treat cold sores is to start treatment early, at that prodromal stage, with a prescribed oral antiviral medication like valaciclovir,” says Lorraine Young, co-director of clinical dermatology services at UCLA.
A common medical regimen is to take 2,000 milligrams in the morning and again during the day. This “slows down virus replication, so it will help you heal faster,” says Dr. Young. You can even prevent a cold sore rash in the first place.
Prevention of virus replication prevents it from following its normal course. The result? You can reduce the time it takes for the blisters to heal, or even prevent them from appearing in the first place.
There is even a new way to get this medicine; There is a form of acyclovir that you can place between the lip and gum on the side of the erupting cold sore. It sits there and slowly dissolves throughout the day, offering your body a steady stream of medications to tame the virus.
ADD A LITTLE CREAM WITH STEROIDS
A topical steroid cream (such as cortisone) can help reduce the inflammation associated with sores, which can make pain, redness, and irritation feel a little better.
Important note: steroid creams are only an option if you are taking antiviral medications. Remember the steroids that trigger breakouts? Steroids decrease your body’s ability to fight infection, so be careful with them.
“If you had just used the cream without viral therapy, you would be fueling the cold sore infection,” says Young. “But if you are taking antiviral drugs, that could help decrease symptoms.” Do not put any type of coverage on top of the vial; The air accelerates the healing of these.
CREATE YOUR OWN REMEDY
Dr. Robinson advises making a cold sore treatment solution with Domeboro, a drug available from pharmacies that is used to help with skin irritation (many people use it to calm poison ivy rashes). Simply dissolve the tablets or powder in approximately 450 ml of water. You will notice some dirt on the bottom of the glass, okay.
Then dip a thin cloth, such as a scarf or pillowcase. Squeeze it and place it in the blistering area for about 15 to 30 minutes. Repeat two or three times a day until the sores dry. (Make a new batch of the solution each application).
“It sucks up the moisture and water from the blister,” says Dr. Robinson. “I can get someone who has an outbreak to get it in 3 days using that, which might take anywhere from a week to 10 days.”
Once dry, stop washes and keep the area moist with a topical antibiotic ointment like Neosporin. This helps prevent secondary bacterial infection, which means it prevents any opportunistic bacteria from jumping onto your skin and causing you more trouble and aids the healing process. Also keep those bacterial infections away by not trying to burst the blister. “People put anything on their skin, so it can be tempting to do that,” says Dr. Young. If you have an additional infection, that not only makes the sore last longer; It can also cause scarring.
USE COLD PADS
Reduce swelling and irritation with a cool, wet towel. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using a cold pack for 5 to 10 minutes several times a day while you wait for the blisters to heal. Avoiding particularly acidic foods like tomatoes and oranges also helps keep irritation to a minimum.
CONSIDER USING LYSINE
This amino acid comes in pills and ointments, and there is some evidence that it is helpful in chasing cold sores. But it’s not for everyone – it can cause stomach pain, diarrhea, and it can change the way your body absorbs calcium, so don’t use this amino acid and calcium at the same time.
GO FOR ALOE VERA
While it won’t clear up cold sores at night, aloe vera has been found to reduce the pain associated with cold sores. It also contains vitamins A, C, and E, which can help speed up the healing process.