Saturday, November 29, 2008

How To Get Rid of Cold Sores

By Louis Soul

Cold sores or fever blisters, as they are sometimes called are caused by viral infection which strikes the skin and nervous system. They are usually caused by herpes virus, which can lay dormant in the body and becomes active later when something triggers it - and they're contagious. The color of the impetigo fluid is like honey and it looks cloudy. A kind of ulcers, canker sores which are not infectious and they grow in the soft tissues of the mouth which is devoid of sores.

As a preventive step to stop sores from propagating, always wash your hands well. To bridge the time gap of the infection outbreak you could take the help of a drug by the name of Acyclovir (Zovirax). Treatment options could span over creams, ointments and even some antiviral drugs like acyclovir or famciclovir. Prompt and effective pain relief is available from paracetamol or applying witch hazel locally on the sore. This medication of applying directly on the skin acts like a wonderful anesthetic also. You should also make your diet rich in vitamins A, C, E, zinc and iron to fortify your immune system and make it more healthy and balanced. At the same time it is a good idea to avoid salty, spicy or acidic foods and drinks which can irritate the sore.

o fend off the ailment do with out salty or spicy foods. It is best to have no or very moderate quantum of foods which are as follows: chocolates, peanuts, grains, peas, seeds, oatmeal and whole-wheat rich in arginine. Go completely without tea and coffee and make your diet vitamin-rich.

Rubbing ice on the infected skin for few minutes, repeated this every hour, is a very good home remedy for cold sores. Another way is to try putting tea bags on the sore area for few minutes and then repeating the exercise every hour. Consider holding a warm tea bag and press it on the blisters for about 30 minutes.

Witch hazel application on sores can yield very satisfactory relief. If outdoors during daytime, apply sunscreen on lips to take care from cold sores created by the sun and prevent re-appearance.

Help from coconut oil: mix the following ingredients 100ml of coconut oil, 2ml of disinfectant, and 3ml of carbolic acid. While some people recommend this for boils and mosquito bites, for cold sores apply this 2 times daily directly on the cold sores.

A tried and tested home remedy for cold sores is having tea tree oil as a drink with herbal sage and violet. What you need to do is to mix all these with a couple of sage leaves and some ginger powder and then put the whole mixture in a cup of boiling water. For rapid disappearance of cold sores within a couple of days, drink this 2 to 3 times a day.

If nothing seems to be working for you, try 3 acidophilus pills twice a day in the morning and evening for rapid action. When sores bother you often try taking 2 pills a day. Though this list of home remedies for cold sores is not complete, but many of the frequently used methods nevertheless.

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