Cold Sores – symptoms, signs and treatment

Anyone that has ever had a cold sore will tell you that they are painful. The skin around the sore is sensitive and red. As the cold sore starts to heal, it gets a crusty surface that looks awful. Cold sores will heal naturally without any medication but this is a longer process than if you use an antibacterial treatment. Cold sores often appear over night. This is due to the virus that causes the sore seems to work faster at night when the body is resting. Stress, weather, flu, and cold viruses activate the virus. If you are around anyone that has a cold, you increase your chances of forming a cold sore. There are methods to reduce your risks for the cold sore as well as treating them effectively.

Apply an antibacterial ointment on the surface of the cold sore after washing it with warm soapy antibacterial soap. Pat gently the surface of the cold sore then apply a liberal amount on ointment. Avoid touching the sore as it is a virus and can easily spread to other areas of your body and to other people. Wash your hands after touching the sore too. Apply a petroleum based ointment to the cold sore if you do not have an antibacterial ointment. The petroleum jelly will reduce the spreading of the cold sore and aid in healing. The jelly also reduces the bacterial growing in the cold sore.Avoid adding makeup or any other type of foundation to the face or sore. The chemicals in the makeup will irritate the sore and add to the levels of bacterial growth. Avoid applying even lipstick or lip-gloss that may bleed into the cold sore. Also do not share anything with anyone that is exposed to the cold sore, remember it is a contagious virus.
When you first see the cold sore forming, change your current toothbrush to a new clean one. The current toothbrush is filled with bacteria so it will spread the virus. It is a good practice to change toothbrushes every three to six months for this reason too. After the cold sore is healed, change to a new toothbrush to avoid reinfection.

Use pain relievers to help you deal with the potential fever, pain, and infection. Your body will naturally have a fever as it fights the virus and infections so provide the pain reliever to help fight of the virus. Take Echinacea to add to the fight of the virus. Echinacea is a natural supplement to build your immune system as well as helps to keep the skin smoother and reduce scarring from the cold sore. You may want to take other supplements and vitamins to boost your immune system as well.