Saturday, November 29, 2008

Tips and Tricks For Curing Cold Sores

By Tom Mulligan

While cold sores are a pretty common complaint, knowing this isn't going to make too many people feel better about having this unattractive, uncomfortable condition. Even if you happen to suffer from cold sores, you can cut down on the length of time it sticks around; and you may even be able to prevent one form happening in the first place.

On its own, it usually takes eight to ten days for a cold sore to heal without any intervention from you. That's longer than most people want to wait, especially because cold sores have bad timing - it seems you always get one right before a major event! To reduce the healing time, there are a few tips and tricks you can use. However, one of the biggest helps is understanding how a cold sore works.

You can't cure this condition. It's caused by a viral infection caused herpes simplex that sets up housekeeping inside your body. If you've noticed that you mostly get cold sores in the same spot, it's because the virus is concentrated there. Since antibiotics don't work on viruses, all we can do is treat the symptoms and encourage our bodies to heal more quickly.

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.

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.

You can also prevent cold sores by eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of sleep and generally staying in good health. Cold sores will tend to come up when you're tired, sick or stressed out. If you treat yourself well, you can prevent many cold sores. - 15266

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