Four Easy Ways to Prevent Cold Sore Outbreaks

Once you have a cold sore, there's little you can do besides try to ease the pain it causes, and wait for it to go away, which takes about ten to fourteen days.

True, there are a few home remedies that might make a cold sore go away a little faster. But wouldn't you rather not have a cold sore pop up in the first place, and avoid the pain, discomfort, and embarrassment they can cause?

The best home remedy for cold sore breakouts is prevention. When you know what to avoid, you can cut down on your chances of suffering from this condition.

Here are some ways to prevent cold sores.

Use a Sunscreen

There are many things that can trigger cold sores, and sunlight is one of the biggies.

Applying sunblock with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15 to areas where cold sores are likely to pop up, like your lips, chin, and nostrils, will prevent many cold sore breakouts. You can find lotions, moisturizers, and lip balms that contain sunscreen.

Don't use lip balm if you already have a cold sore, because that will just spread the virus that causes cold sores to the other, unaffected parts of your lips.

Get a New Toothbrush

When you get a cold sore, you should replace your toothbrush twice, first when the cold sore first appears, then after the cold sore has healed. If you don't change toothbrushes, you could end up reinfecting yourself, and causing more cold sore outbreaks.

What Are You Eating?

Foods that contain arginine, an amino acid, could cause cold sore outbreaks. If you suffer from frequent cold sore outbreaks, try to cut down on, or even eliminate, foods like peanuts, cashews, and chocolate from your diet. You also want to avoid certain beverages, like beer and cola.

Wash Your Hands.

Cold sores are contagious. If you already have a cold sore, you can easily spread them to other people, or even to other parts of your own body, like your eyes and hands. So, try not to touch cold sores.

If you do touch them accidentally, thoroughly wash your hands immediately. You should also wash anything you may have touched while your hands were "contaminated."

There is nothing pleasant about having cold sores. By taking a few preventative measures, you can cut down on the amount of cold sore outbreaks you have to deal with.