Treating a Cold Sore - Fast Relief of Your Cold Sores

Treating a cold sore with these time-proven methods will give you quick, lasting success. Read this informative article now. You will get some proven and excellent techniques for treating a cold sore.

Treating a cold sore is really a pain. They are unsightly and usually quite painful. Cold sores really interrupt our social lives. And they seem to show up at the most inconvenient times.

Unlike many diseases that do their damage internally, cold sores only occur on the surface. Because of this, they can be easily cured. If this same damage occurred internally, cold sores could be a threat to your life.

In treating a cold sore, it is important to know the various stages. Each stage or symptom requires a different care procedure.

Here are the best treatments for your cold sore based on the symptoms.

1. The first cold sore symptom is the itching stage. This tingling sensation indicates the movement of the herpes virus to the surface to replicate. This virus enters thousands of nerve cells, each one becoming a virus factory.

At this stage you should put something cold on the area. Ice cubes in a plastic bag work well. You can also use a cold can of soda. Cold really discourages the virus and can cause it to give up before it actually creates the sore.

2. Once the virus actually enters the cells, swelling begins to occur. Cold application is still the best treatment at this stage. Apply for 15 minutes at a time. This always helps swelling, and does give some comfort.

3. If you did not stop the virus before this point, the cold sore will now break open and start weeping fluid teaming with new virus. This is caused by the destruction of thousands of nerve cells. From now on, your cold sore is in the healing phase.

Ice will still provide great comfort, and reduce swelling. But, unfortunately, it slows down the healing process by driving blood away from the area.

Treating a cold sore at this stage primarily requires you to cleanse the wound as often as possible with alcohol or peroxide. I prefer peroxide because it also adds some extra healing oxygen to the sore.

Applying a drug store product with a numbing agent, like Campho-Phenique, can greatly improve comfort without using ice.

4. Treating a cold sore, from this point on, calls for applying warmth as much as possible. This will speed healing by bringing more blood to the area.

Continued cleansing of the sore will speed healing and help prevent re-infection. Keep using the comfort treatment of your choice. These drug store treatments may not speed up the healing process, but do provide blessed relief.

HEAT APPLICATION. A damp washcloth warmed up in the microwave will work fine. Use care not to burn the area or you will take longer to heal.

A better way of treating a cold sore is by the use of a warm tea bag. This not only provides healing warmth, but also applies some great anti-viral ingredients found in the tea plant.

WORD OF CAUTION. Your cold sores, and the herpes virus responsible for them, are very contagious. This is true not only for infecting others, but other spots on your body as well.

Each cold sore family creates cold sores in the same area. If you have a cold sore on your nose, and one on your lip, these are caused by two separate cold sore infections. The most troublesome is spreading it to your eyes. This can cause permanent vision loss.

While treating a cold sore, try not to contaminate your fingers by touching the area. Always clean your hands thoroughly after treatment. Use cotton balls, swabs, or tissues to apply any liquids and for cleansing the sore. Use a hand sanitizing gel too.

Remember, apply cold when the cold sore is forming, and warmth when it is healing. Keep it clean and keep from touching the area with your bare fingers while treating a cold sore.

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