Tuesday, November 25, 2008

How To Prevent and Treat Cold Sores The Natural Way!

By Tom Mulligan

Cold sores are pretty common, but that doesn't make them any less uncomfortable or unattractive. However, there's no need to be upset because you have a cold sore - there are things you can do to reduce the length of time you have it. If you feel one coming on, you can even try to prevent it.

A cold sore will usually heal in seven to ten days all by itself. However, this is a lot longer than most of us would like to have a cold sore. This is particularly true given the kind of timing that cold sores seem to have - they seem to know when you have a social obligation coming up and choose that time to appear. To cut down on the healing time, here are a few tips which can help. The first step is to know 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.

Don't get discouraged though. Even though you can't cure the virus, you can take some steps to permanently prevent any outbreaks. There are also some easy steps you can take to heal any outbreak you get in less than 24 hours. That was the idea behind starting our website - we understand the hassle they can be and think it's important you equip yourself to fight away cold sores for good.

Every year, about forty million people are affected by cold sores appearing on or around the mouth. There are a lot of things that can cause a break out, but at its simplest, a cold sore is caused by a strained immune system. That means that if you have anything that's causing your immune system to be more compromised than usual - a cold, stress, fatigue, sleeplessness, a change in hormones or even eating badly lately - you have an increased likelihood of a breakout.

An outbreak is often preceded by a tingling sensation or itching. This is followed by swelling and redness and then the sore itself emerges. There will be a brief period of oozing after which the sore will scab over. Try not to scratch the scab as this will slow down the healing process.

Most people would rather not have to use prescription medications for their cold sores. They're costly and in many cases are no more effective than are non-prescription remedies; and of course, they require a trip to your physician. There are some home remedies which can make a cold sore's stay a much shorter one.

Vitamin C can boost your immune system, and topical creams like aloe vera, lip balm, and salve can reduce the chance that your cold sore will dry out and split painfully. If it does, try an analgesic. To make your cold sore go away faster, consider taking L-Lysine. This substance promotes the healing of tissue and occurs naturally in the body.

Generally speaking, you can help prevent cold sores by staying in good health, eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of sleep. If you have been ill or overworked, a cold sore could be on its way. Treat yourself well and you can keep these sores from coming up in the first place. - 16004

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