Thursday, November 27, 2008

Tips and Tricks For Curing Cold Sores

By Tom Mulligan

It probably won't make you feel any better if you have one yourself, but cold sores are a very common problem. They're unsightly and most definitely uncomfortable. However, you can reduce the length of time a cold sore stays there with some simple steps and you can also prevent them from showing up at all.

Typically, a cold sore will go away on its own in a week or so. But if you happen to have a cold sore, you'd probably like it to go away a lot faster than that. If you get cold sores, you know how they have a habit of showing up at the most inopportune times. To get rid of cold sores faster, you can do a few things to help. It all begins with an understanding of how cold sores work.

You can't cure cold sores per se, since they are a viral (herpes simplex) infection. The infection can't be treated with antibiotics; but you can treat the symptoms and make your cold sores go away faster, even prevent them.

You can prevent outbreaks even though you can't actually get rid of the virus. Outbreaks can be healed quickly; sometimes as fast as 24 hours. We started this website in order to help people treat and prevent cold sores - we know what a hassle they can be.

About 40 million people have an outbreak of cold sores every year. These sores appear on or around the mouth; while there are several things which can contribute to an outbreak, it basically comes down to a weakened immune system. If you have stress, fatigue, poor diet or a cold; this can increase your odds of having a breakout.

Cold sores start with feelings of itching or tingling. Then the area will redden and swell, resulting in the eruption of the sore itself. The sore usually goes through an oozing stage, then dries up and forms a thin scab. Of course, if you bite the sore, break through it, or are prone to scratching, you could do more damage and cause it to take longer to heal.

Most of us don't want to resort to prescription drugs to deal with our cold sores. They're expensive, may not be much more effective than other remedies, and require a trip to the doctor. However, there are a few simple things you can do to make having a cold sore a lot shorter and easier.

You can help fight off a cold sore with immune boosting supplements like vitamin C. You can also use lip balm, aloe vera gel and other soothing agents to prevent your sore from getting too dry and splitting. L-Lysine can also cause your sore to heal more rapidly; it promotes healing.

To prevent cold sores, take good care of yourself. Watch your diet, and get enough sleep. Be on the lookout for these sores if you've been feeling ill or tired - take extra measures to treat yourself well. Hopefully, you'll be able to avoid these inconvenient blemishes entirely! - 15784

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