Treating a Cold Sore

Winter is not the only time for a cold sore. Cold sores come from a virus. That virus can be activated by a lot of different factors. You do not need to have a cold to have a cold sore. You should know what you are doing while treating a cold sore. If you want to be positive you have the virus you can check with your doctor.

The bad news that you should know is that your cold sore is incurable with today's medicine. That is to say the virus that gives you the cold sore cannot be totally eliminated from your body. But almost 90% of all humans have this virus. So what do you do?

It would be best to avoid certain foods. The same foods that should be avoided anytime you have an open wound on or around the mouth. These foods are salty, spicy and acidic. So it is best to avoid all foods that contain tomatoes, oranges, etc. If you do eat these foods and it causes discomfort then just rinse the area with cold water before using warm water and soap.

Certain over the counter medicines are good with reducing the pain. In trying to reduce the pain of the drying scabs, you should look for medicines that contain either emollients or phenol. One of the recommended over the counter medicines you can use for treating a cold sore is Abreva. Abreva does seem to be effective for some people in speeding the healing process and reducing the pain. It is said that a warm moist tea bag applied to the cold sore will also help ease the pain. It may also help with the healing process.

Here are some things that you should do and should not do. Do NOT rub your eyes after you have touched your cold sore. If you get the virus on your hands then touch your eyes you can get an ocular herpes infection. This can lead to blindness if left untreated. Do NOT touch your genitals after touching your cold sore. This can lead to genital herpes. Which also means that while treating a cold sore you do not touch your partner or let your partner touch you when either of you have an outbreak. In keeping with not kissing or having oral sex with your partner during an outbreak also do not use the same towels, razors, knife, spoon, etc. It is in this way that cold sores can and is considered a sexually transmitted disease or STD.

Please remember, it is highly recommended that you keep the cold sore clean by washing it gently with soap and water. It is important that you wash your hands anytime you touch the cold sore.

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