Cold Sore Remedies
Cold sores can be very painful. They tend to pop up over night and without treatment can turn into a blemish that looks awful. There are methods to speed up the healing process as well as ways to help prevent spreading the cold sore virus to others. Here are some home remedies that will help reduce the healing time of the cold sores.
Cover the cold sore area with a petroleum-based product to increase the healing time. The jelly will also help to reduce the cold sore from progressing into a more serious infection and limit the bacteria growth. Avoid applying makeup on the area of the cold sore. Do not try to camouflage the infection since that chemicals in the makeup will only add to the infection. Do not apply makeup with unwashed hands or fingers, and do not share the lipstick or makeup to avoid spreading the virus of the cold sore.
When you first spot the cold sore, get a new toothbrush since the bacteria and virus are more than likely infected into the toothbrush. The toothbrush holds bacteria so with each use you are only adding to the infected area. After the cold sore is gone, change to a new toothbrush again. Use pain relievers when you have a cold sore. They are painful and tend to swell. The pain relievers will help your body fight infection and fever. Your body will heal faster when you do not have a fever. Natural herbs to help with the healing process include Oregon grape root, chamomile, Lemon Balm, and Echinacea as well as St. John’s Wart to help kill off the virus of the cold sore. Apply the St. John’s Wart several times a day to keep the sore from spreading. This approach will help kill the virus. Orange grape is an anti-viral product that helps to reduce the virus and speeds up healing and decreases the possibilities of spreading the virus. Echinacea increases the body’s ability to fight off the virus and infection. Echinacea also has the protection of the collagen to keep the skin smoother and reduce scaring.