You know the signs: a slight irritation on your lip or face, an invisible bump beneath the skin, and the growing urge to poke and prod at your pores. And soon, there it is: the dreaded cold sore -- that blistering potrusion that leaves you thinking of creative ways to cover your mouth for weeks.
Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1, a highly contagious virus that, once contracted, will stay in your nervous system forever, occasionally rising from dormancy to make an appearance on your face. (Herpes type 1 is not to be confused with herpes type 2, of the genital variety). Because of this, once you've had once cold sores you can't stop recurrences for good, but you can read the following suggestions to learn how to get rid of cold sores quickly, and how to avoid triggers and outbreaks of herpes type 1 as much as possible.
Cold Sore Treatment
Identify cold sore symptoms to get rid of your cold sore faster. Many people confuse cold sores with canker sores, which are small white bacterial infections inside the mouth. Cold sores, on the other hand, are red, pussy blisters on or around the mouth or nose. Cold sores start out in the prodromal stage as a small irritation (symptoms include itching, burning, and tightening) then spread and grow into larger clusters of fluid-filled sores lasting for 1-2 weeks.
Avoid touching, scratching, and rubbing cold sores as much as possible. The less you touch a cold sore, the faster the cold sore will disappear. Cold sores are spread through physical contact, and itching or rubbing a cold sore will spread the herpes virus and any pus or fluid to the rest of your face (or another person). Cold sore can be extremely irritating -- itchy and burning -- and sometimes it feels impossible to resist scratching a cold sore. The suggestion below offers a relatively more sterile way to react to the irritation of a cold sore without spreading it further.
Clean a cold sore using a washcloth and hot, soapy water. Instead of picking at or scratching a cold sore blister, use clean washcloth, hot (the hotter the better) water, and antibacterial soap to gently soak and scrub the cold sore and surrounding area. The hot and water soap act to minimize infection and cleanse any pussy fluids that will further spread the cold sore. Be careful not to overscrub, which can irritate the cold sore and cause further infection.
Cover cold sores with a petroleum-based product for faster healing. Pure petroleum jelly, or a pain-relief product like Neosporin will work to seal in the herpes virus, minimize irritation, and keep out further infection. To apply a product to your cold sore, wash your hands with hot, soapy water (before an dafter) and gently dab a generous amount to the surrounding area and directly on to the cold sore, working your way inwards to avoid spreading the virus out.
Recognize and avoid your cold sore triggers to prevent and shorten cold sore outbreaks. Specific triggers are different for everyone, but stress, anxiety, menstruation, salty or acidic foods (such as potato chips or citrus foods), overexposure to extreme weather (bright sun or cold winds), or other health problems such as the flu or a cold are common causes of cold sores. Monitor your outbreaks to determine your most common triggers and take action to 1) avoid triggers, 2) anticipate an outbreak and take start cold sore treatment ahead of time to get rid of oncoming cold sore as fast as possible.Cold Sore Medication
If your cold sores persist for longer than two weeks, even with home treatment, you should consider seeking professional medical treatment, especially if you experience frequent symptoms of the herpes type 1 virus or suffer irritation in the eyes.
Prescription-strength antiviral medications, such as Denivir, are available to help you get rid of cold sores as fast as possible. These medications are usually topical ointments applied at the first sign of a cold sore. If you suffer from cold sores frequently, a prescription-strength ointment like this will make a huge difference, helping you get rid of your cold sores faster and avoid the addition (cold-sore triggering) stress of dealing with more cold sores.
