Helpful Home Remedies Cold Sores - Cold Sore Treatments

Home remedies for cold sores are the safest and most effective treatments available today. They are much easier to use and the herpes virus does not build an immunity to these home remedies for cold sores.

Fortunately, you do not have to suffer in silence with your outbreaks. There are many home remedies cold sores. This article will look at a few of the most useful.

Some people confuse cold sores (aka fever blisters) and canker sores.

A canker sore is different. A canker sore is inside the mouth and is a wound in the mucous soft tissue. There is no definitive cause of a canker sore. It is suspected that food allergies can cause these. Canker sores are not caused by a viral infection and are not contagious.

Cold sores are caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV-1). They are very contagious and can infect others through direct contact with your saliva or sore. Herpes simplex virus (HSV-2) is known as genital herpes but can cause facial sores too.

Both herpes types can be sexually transmitted. If you have a cold sore, precautionary measures are necessary to avoid passing it on to your partner.

Once you have had your first cold sore, you are more likely to get repeated outbreaks in the same area. The herpes virus hides in the nerve root cells and can occasionally become active.

If you have frequent or severe cold sores, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral, however these have not proven to be of significant help. The anti-viral pills are also quite hard on the liver.

For the occasional cold sore attack, you can buy several different over-the-counter cold sore treatment products.

These are usually considered comfort treatments. Some of them contain numbing agents like lidocaine for reducing pain and discomfort. Do not expect them to speed recovery and healing by very much.

There are quite a few home remedies for cold sores being used today!

Let us take a look at a few of the most common ones. Please keep in mind that this is not intended as medical advice. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns or questions about your cold sore.

Ear wax and/or oils from your own body are said to completely stop cold sores in their tracks. Advocates of this method advise putting ear wax directly on the cold sore when you first feel it coming on.

If you prefer to use body oils, the suggested method is getting them from behind your ear and then applying it to the cold sore. Nobody seems to know why this works, but some people swear by this method.

Another method recommends using drying agents ranging from alcohol to hydrocortisone to nail polish remover to white stick deodorant to hemorrhoid cream to the bubblegum pink medication you take for a sour stomach.

According to this method, you are supposed to apply the drying agent two or three times a day. It is said to work best when you begin quickly, at the first sign of tingling.

Then there are the dietary methods home remedies cold sores.

People who use dietary methods repeatedly suggest taking lysine tablets at the first sign of a cold sore coming on. Also, at this time it is wise to avoid arginine foods such as chocolate, nuts and grains.

Some people claim to put a garlic and salt mixture on the cold sore and say they get good results. They recommend you apply it two or three times a day.

Others insist that melting one ice cube on your cold sore reduces the swelling. After the ice cube melts most people use one of the methods discussed above.

Some apply Tea Tree Oil, warm tea bags or facial masks on the sore.

As you can see the home remedies cold sores treatments are quite varied. What most of them have in common is the use of a drying agent. Often this is in combination with other remedies.

Usually it is necessary for you to try these home remedies to sort out which works best for you. Keep in mind that we are all unique. What works for others may or may not work for you.

What is most important is to develop your own plan. You must find, by trial and error, which cold sore home remedies work best for your particular needs.