How to Treat a Cold Sore at Home

Cold Sore Home Remedies

       Cold sores, people known as fever blisters, are lesions on or near the mouth (cold sore on lip) caused by the herpes simplex 1 virus (HSV-1). They may be painful or itchy, but some medications and remedies can help.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 48.1% of humans aged 14-49 years have HSV-1 infection. The predominancy raise with age, from 27.0% of humans aged 14-19 years to 59.7% of adults aged 45-49 years.

Cold sores are the primary symptom of an HSV-1 infection. They normally form on or around your mouth (cold sore in mouth) but can also develop inside the nose or on the chin or cheek.

HSV-1 can trigger genital sores in both women and men, although another herpes virus is commonly responsible for this problem, people known as genital herpes.

The first symptoms of a cold sore include a itching, tingling, or burning sensation. Within around 2 days, a sore will show up. It normally heals within 1–2 weeks.

There is at present no cure for cold sore medicine, but you can faster your healing and raise the time between outbreaks with a various of over-the-counter and prescription medicines. Home remedies and specific methods may also help.

Medications are particularly effective if you are uses them as soon as symptoms arise.

What Are Cold Sores?

Cold sores are painful, small, fluid-filled blisters or sores that appear on your lips, mouth, or nose that are triggered by a virus. The sore is painful and normally lasts a few days. Different with most viral infections, the cold sore virus is not completely reduces by your body defenses. For this reason, cold sores frequent recur.

Cold Sore Causes

The virus that make cold sores show up is called the herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are 2 kinds of HSV, type I and type II. Cold sores are normally triggered by type I.

Herpes simplex is a contagious oral virus. The virus is spread from human to human by kissing or another close contact with sores or even from contact with seemingly normal skin that is shedding the virus. One of the means of spreading the virus is through infected saliva. The most contagious period is when a human has active blister-like sores. Once the blisters dry and harden (within a few days), the risk of transmission is significantly reduced. But, a human infected with HSV can pass it on to another human even when a cold sore is not present. This is because the virus is sometimes shed through saliva even when there is no sore. Despite some myths, it's nearly impossible to catch cold sores from contaminated surfaces, towels, or washcloths.

Cold Sore Treatment

There are several that you can do at your home to soothe the sting of a cold sore, such as: 

Lemon balm

The antiviral properties of lemon balm, also referred to as Melissa officinalis, may help reduce the redness and swelling associated with blisters or protect against future infections — at least according to some older study.

Apply a lip balm with at least 1% lemon balm. Or, as an alternative, a compress made of a lemon balm infusion (tea) may offer similar advantages. (healthline)

Vitamin C and vitamin E. 

Both of these vitamins have been known to fight against cold sores. Researches have indicate that vitamin C can inactivate the herpes simplex virus, the virus that trigger cold sores. Other study has shown that vitamin E can support cure cold sores.

Use cold milk compresses to cold sores

Have you ever thought milk could be a cold afternoon remedy? A home remedy with a real household staple, a compress with milk is easy to apply and generally readily available.

Just grab a strong tissue and make a cold compress soaked with the white stuff. Milk consist antibodies that help fight the virus whilst also speeding up the healing process. That’s how to treat a cold sore at home with milk, and by consuming it frequently you can help forestall them too.

Other essential oils

In researches, eucalyptus, tea tree and thyme essential oils have also shown promise in treating the herpes virus. This is, in part, because their antiviral activity. Geranium oil is also good, while study shows chamomile oil can be helpful in “treating drug-resistant strains of herpes”

Some essential oils are so powerful they can irritate or even burn the skin, so liquefy a few drops in a carrier oil such as almond oil before applying straightly to the impacted area. Don’t ingest orally.

Ice pack

Ice is definitely the most cheapest of the natural cold sore remedies.

To soothe the painful swelling from a cold sore, take an ice pack, or maybe a bag of frozen peas, and wrap it in a flannel or hand towel.

Apply to your mouth area for a few minutes at a time over the course of a few hours. This could help decrease inflammation in the cold sore and minimize its size.

Salt water

Salt water is an age-old cure-all, give thank to its mineral content. And it may also support heal cold sores.

Washing the area gently with salt water can help. Though keep in mind to dry the area gently but thoroughly after washing.’

According to medical brand Zovirax salt water have an impacts on the environment around the virus so it can’t thrive, which might help dry up the cold sore.