Cold Sore Remedies: Put A Stop To The Torment Of Your Cold Sores
Article Source: HealthSnare.com
Good cold sore remedies are no mystery. They can give you great relief in a very short time. Read this article to discover the best cold sore remedies for your needs.
Cold sore remedies are important first aid for quickly resolving these miserable outbreaks. Not too many things can ruin your day as fast as that warning itch or tingle on your lip.
It is the announcement of a soon to arrive cold sore. As uncomfortable and unsightly as these sores are, some great cold sore remedies will reduce their impact.
The herpes simplex virus is the one and only virus that causes cold sores. Once this virus infects you, and it becomes active, it will create some miserable symptoms.
Just before your sore appears, you will often feel a tingling discomfort at the target site. Soon thereafter one or several small blisters will rise up.
Your immune system fills these blisters with a clear fluid. After forming, the blisters will break then drain before creating a healing scab.
Some folks feel it speeds the healing process to prick the blisters and let them drain. Be careful as this can be painful. The draining fluid is teaming with virus particles and very contagious to the touch. It is always best to let them break open on their own.
As of yet, medical science has not been able to find a way of removing this virus from your body. They are extremely small viruses and experts at hiding. When this virus is latent, your immune system cannot detect where it is.
They usually pop up during mental or physical stress, such as weddings, fever, sunburn and injury.
Even though these sores come at the worst times, you can reduce their impact on your life. You can heal them fast, and even prevent them from occurring, the more you know about these sores.
Some foods will strengthen as well as weaken the virus. Arginine is a protein that feeds the virus. It would help to reduce foods containing arginine during an active outbreak.
Arginine is an amino acid found in chocolate, peanuts, other nuts, grains, peas, seeds, oatmeal, wheat and meats.
Lysine is another amino acid that works in your favor. It tends to neutralize arginine in your system. Foods high in lysine include dairy products such as yogurt and cheese. The majority of folks, however, use lysine in supplement form. They take from 2000 to 5000 milligrams daily.
When this virus attacks you, there are a few good cold sore remedies you can use to cut healing time effectively.
Because a cold sore is a type of herpes virus, once it starts it will usually run its course. Your body will heal them without your help, but it takes two to three times longer than if you use some good cold sore remedies.
When the blisters are present, avoid touching them with your hands. It is also wise to avoid kissing and any type of intimate activity. This is an extremely contagious virus that you will normally pass on by touch.
Duration of most outbreaks vary from 15 to 25 days. You can reduce this to less than half with use of proper remedies. If they last longer, consult your physician.
During this period, keeping the affected area coated with petroleum jelly will speed the healing process and help keep secondary infection from gaining access.
The use of topical salves containing benzocaine or lidocaine can aid in lessening pain and discomfort. Other over the counter products such as aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen will offer different degrees of relief as well.
When outside in the sun, it is often recommended that you use sunscreen on your lips. Zinc lozenges and genuine licorice are two very popular cold sore remedies.
An outbreak can be quite a stressful event. When possible avoid additional stress and stressful situations. This will help healing. After the cold sore has passed, change your toothbrush, or you can sterilize it in the dishwasher.
Keep in mind, however, not all cold sore remedies will work as well for you as they might for others. You have unique needs and may have certain weaknesses toward outbreaks that need attention.
Do not be discouraged. You must try different things until you find the perfect cold sore remedies that work best for you and then design an effective plan for yourself.
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Denny Bodoh
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Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2010 Time: 2:06 AM
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