Cold sores break out on the edge of the lip. They are itchy and painful and, when they scab over, unbelievably unsightly. The herpes virus causes them, and doctors don't know how they are triggered. Treatments vary from folk medicine to prescriptions. They all work because the cold sore eventually goes away. It reappears once again, leading doctors to believe that it is merely in hiding somewhere in the body. Try any or all of these and hope your cold sore stays hidden for years and years.
Instructions
1. Apply ice to the lip when tingling is first noticed. Ice will set up its own counter pain, and so does heat. They are both effective in lessening the symptoms of burning and itching but will not cure a herpes cold-sore outbreak.
2. Consider Abreva and Herpaflor. Both are over-the-counter medications that claim to end the suffering from cold sores. They are applied topically and lessen symptoms. They are not cures for cold sores.
3. Learn the correlation between certain foods and the outbreak of cold sores. Foods rich in the amino acid arginine seem to cause some people to have an outbreak. Some foods rich in arginine include coffee, chocolate and nuts. Lysine added to the diet seems to help eliminate problems. Add lysine-rich brewer's yeast to your diet.
4. Add vitamin C to your daily diet. Dab on zinc. Eat yogurt with live bacillus. Smooth Vitamin E onto the affected area. All are accepted treatments and may work.
5. Homeopathic medicine offers several different remedies. None of them cure herpes, but are effective in relieving symptoms. Check out the health food store for natrum muriaticum, the most recommended remedy.
Tags: cold sores, cold sore, cure herpes