How to Stop Getting Cold Sores?

A cold sore usually begins with a tingling, itching, or burning feeling. Over the following 48 hours, one or more painful blisters will appear on your face. Cold sore blisters are usually small and fluid-filled. Blisters can occur anywhere on the face.

What is a cold sore? A cold sore is a fluid-filled blister (or collection of blisters) that usually appears on the lips or around the mouth. It can also affect your cheeks, nose and chin. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) causes the vast majority of cold sores. Cold sores may occur several times a year or only once or twice in your life. This varies from person to person.

Other names for cold sores are oral herpes, fever blisters, and herpes simplex labialis. Although people use the name oral herpes – and HSV-1 can spread to your genitals – HSV-1 is not the same as HSV-2. HSV-2 is a sexually transmitted virus that causes some cases of genital herpes.

How do you know if you are suffering from cold sores? If you've had it before, you'll probably recognize the symptoms: a tingling sensation followed by redness, swelling and blisters around your lips. You can visit your doctor to get a diagnosis, although this is not always necessary.

How to Get Relief from Cold Sores?

You cannot cure cold sores. The goal of cold sore treatment is to cure the outbreak, but it cannot cure the virus. Once you have it, you will have it for the rest of your life. Although cold sores may take time to heal, some methods and medications can shorten the healing time and make the symptoms less painful. Cold sore treatment might include:

- Oral antiviral medication: To treat cold sores, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication that you take by mouth (orally).

- Over-the-counter medicines (OTC): You can buy cold sore medicine without a doctor's prescription. This is an ointment that you can apply directly to the wound. If you start using this cream when you first feel tingling or itching – before the onset of cold sores – you may be able to prevent them from occurring.

- Intravenous (IV) antiviral medication: If other medications don't work, your doctor may need to prescribe an antiviral medication that will be given to you through an IV. In this case, your doctor will closely monitor you throughout treatment.

How to Prevent Cold Sores from Recurring

After a cold sore heals, it can recur again. No medicine can prevent cold sores. However, there are some actions you can take to reduce the chances of suffering from cold sores again. Here's what dermatologists recommend:

- Reducing Stress. Stress can reactivate the virus that causes cold sores, resulting in another outbreak. Finding ways to reduce stress may prevent an outbreak. Common stress busters include exercise, meditation, and spending time in nature. It will take time to find the best ways to reduce stress for you.

- Don't touch someone's cold sore or items that may have touched their cold afternoon. The blister and liquid are contagious. To prevent getting infected, do the following until the blister dries completely:

Do not share items that could have been touched by a person's cold sore such as silverware, dishes, cups, towels, washcloths, makeup, and food.

Avoid kissing and other activities that could cause you to touch the person's cold afternoons.

- Getting enough sleep. Sleep enhances your immune system's ability to fight viruses and other germs. Being constantly sleep deprivation triggers cold sores for some people.

- Find and avoid your triggers. If you often get cold sores, it can be helpful to keep track of what you were doing before an outbreak. Did your lips chapped and dry? Have you got enough sleep? Did you spend time in the sunlight without sun protection for your lips? Knowing what you were doing can help you discover what triggers an outbreak for you.