Treating a Cold Sore - For Amazing Relief of Cold Sores

Treating a cold sore is not a pleasant experience.  They are painful, embarrassing, and generally quite a hassle.  And they always seem to come at the worst possible time for treating a cold sore.

Cold sores, fortunately, are created on the surface where you can treat them.  If they were internal, as some diseases are, they would be life threatening.

Treating a cold sore successfully means you must adjust the treatment based on the stage of your cold sore symptoms.

Here are the best treatments for your cold sore based on the symptoms.

1.  Itching or tingling is the first sign of a cold sore.  This tells you that the herpes simplex virus has come out of latency and has moved to the surface to replicate.  It replicates by entering the cells and forcing them to create clones of the virus.

A quick application of ice is most successful at this early stage.  Put the ice in plastic zipper bags to avoid a mess.  The herpes virus cannot replicate when the area is cold.  Often, in fact, you will either delay or prevent further development of your sore.

2.  Once the virus actually enters the cells, swelling begins to occur.  Cold application is still the best treatment at this stage.  Apply for 15 minutes at a time.  This always helps swelling, and does give some comfort.

3.  Now the cold sore appears as an open, weeping wound.  This is the result of many cells being destroyed by the herpes virus.  This now begins the healing period of your outbreak.

Ice will still provide great comfort, and reduce swelling.  But, unfortunately, it slows down the healing process by driving blood away from the area.

During the open wound stage, treating a cold sore includes keeping it as sterile as possible by cleaning with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide often.

Applying a drug store product with a numbing agent, like Campho-Phenique, can greatly improve comfort without using ice.

4.  Treating a cold sore during the healing period calls for application of a warm compress of some sort.  Applying warm, moist heat greatly shortens healing time since it brings extra blood and oxygen to the wound.

Continued cleansing of the sore will speed healing and help prevent re-infection.  Keep using the comfort treatment of your choice.  These drug store treatments may not speed up the healing process, but do provide blessed relief.

HOW TO APPLY HEAT.  To apply healing warmth, you can use a washcloth or paper towel dipped in hot water.  You also can dampen the washcloth and warm up in your microwave.  Just be careful not to burn your skin.

You might want to try treating a cold sore by applying a warm, wet tea bag.  You get the benefit of healing warmth to shorten the cold sore duration.  You also will find the tea plant has ingredients especially good for quickly healing cold sores.

WORD OF CAUTION.  Your cold sores, and the herpes virus responsible for them, are very contagious.  This is true not only for infecting others, but other spots on your body as well.

If you have seen folks with numerous cold sores around their mouth, these are likely spread from the original sore.  Spreading it to your eyes is especially dangerous.  It can cause permanent vision damage.

When you are treating a cold sore, protect your fingers from being contaminated.  If you must itch or treat the sore, use a tissue or cotton ball.  Wash your hands after treatment.  The use of hand sanitizing lotion is an excellent way of preventing the spread of the disease.

In conclusion, keep in mind to apply cold when the sore is being created and heat during the healing phase.  Continue to cleanse the wound and wash your hands often when treating a cold sore.