cold sores, or fever blisters as they are sometimes
known, are very uncomfortable, painful and
embarrassing. If you have ever had to deal with cold
sores, you are most likely searching for a reliable
cold sore remedy. It's bad enough to have to deal
with them once, but the particularly irritating
aspect of cold sore affliction is that if you've
dealt with them once, they are almost certain to
recur.
One of the worst things about cold sores is
that, not only are they painful, unattractive,
highly contagious, and make simple daily tasks like
talking and eating more difficult - there is also a
strong social stigma attached to having an outbreak
of cold sores.
This most likely stems from the fact that the
virus that causes
cold sores is Herpes Simplex Virus
Type-1, an alternate strain of the virus that causes
the sexually transmitted disease Herpes. Even though
cold sores, in the vast majority of cases, have
nothing to do with sexual contact, there is still
the stigma attached.
All of these undesirable characteristics of cold
sores - the pain, the ugliness, the contagious
nature, and the social stigma - make it even more
attractive to find a cure for cold sores.
There are a few home remedies that can be
somewhat effective in stopping the spread of a cold
sore when it has begun. An added benefit of many of
these remedies is that they work in tandem with
stopping the spread of the cold sore and relieve
some of the pain, as well.
Using a Tea Bag - One method is to steep a tea
bag in hot water for a few minutes (just as you
would when making a cup of tea), and then press the
hot tea bag to the cold sore as a compress. This
should be repeated several times a day.
Using Ice - The tea bag method utilizes heat to
soothe the cold sore, and the ice method goes to the
opposite extreme. Pressing a cold compress with ice
inside to the cold sore as soon as it begins to
appear can, by many accounts, stop the cold sore
from becoming a major outbreak.
Using Dietary Restrictions - As a preventative
measure, you can restrict certain foods in your diet
to keep cold sores from appearing in the first
place. You should steer clear of foods high in acid,
and also caffeine. Therefore, this would mean
cutting out your daily coffee. Also, choosing fresh,
healthy foods over processed and packaged foods can
make a big difference.
These remedies can definitely help prevent
cold sores and make them better once they've begun to
break out.
