Natural Remedies for Cold Sores

Cold sores can be a big problem, especially if the condition is chronic. Chronic cold sores are ore than an annoyance. In most instances, it is a real health problem. Aside from being embarrassing, cold sores can be really, really painful.

Anyone who has experienced having a cold sore knows how unpleasant it can be. The worst thing about cold sores is that they seem to pop up at the most inappropriate of time like when you have a big date, a major presentation or before you go on a long vacation. This is why an effective and lasting cure is greatly in demand.

Why do cold sores pop out during important moments? The answer is simple. It is because stress can cause cold sores. Important moments like weddings or office presentations can cause a lot of stress in a person's life. When a person is stressed his immunity level is decreased. This makes him more susceptible to diseases and infections. Another cause of cold sores is overexposure to sunlight, fevers and other illnesses and eating too many sweets like candies.

Cold sores usually appear on the outside of the mouth. This is what differentiates it from canker sores which appear in the inside of the mouth cavity. It is only during rare times that cold sores will appear on the inside. Another difference between cold sores and canker sores is that that the former is caused by a virus while the latter is caused by bacteria.

Individuals with cold sores must remember that it is extremely contagious. If you have cold sores it would be best if you refrain from kissing and sharing your toothbrush or drinking glass and cup to another person.

Cold sores do not have a fixed lifespan but some can last up to two weeks. This happens when treatment is not made available at the onset of the disease. When immediate treatment is given, it would only take a matter of days before cold sores are healed. So when you start feeling that there is some pain and discomfort, then immediately do something about it.

There are many commercial cures for cold sores available but most of them do not work or work only for a short time. What's worse is that most of these cures have harmful side effects. Not to mention that they can be really hard on the budget. Because of these reasons, more and more individuals who suffer from cold sores are turning to natural home remedies.

What turns people to natural home remedies to cold sores is the fact that they are safe and effective and are often cheap. What makes natural home cures effective is the fact that they attack the infection from both the inside and the outside. This makes healing cold sores faster. Commercial products on the other hand, simply treat cold sores from the surface.

Probably the most common and affordable treatment to cold sores is putting ice on it. By applying ice on the area for at least five minutes will greatly minimize soreness. However, ice alone will not get rid of the virus which is the root cause of the disease. And ice is only effective when cold sores are just on the early stage.

More effective natural home remedies for cold sores include lemon balm, tea tree oil, Echinacea and tea bag (applied directly to cold sores). These cures are known to have antiviral qualities.