Fever blisters or cold sores appear as fluid-filled blisters on the lips, inside the mouth, or around it. They can be painful, and they’re not really pretty to look at. Cold sores can ruin your smile, and so it’s understandable if you want to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Although there’s no permanent cure for fever blisters, there are many remedies you can try to end a cold sore outbreak quickly. From prescription medications to essential oils, here are some of the best-known ways to get rid of herpes blisters.

Overview

Cold sores can last from several days up to a couple of weeks. If you’re able to treat it during the early stages, you may be able to stop the sores from actually forming. Caused by HSV-1 or the herpes simplex type 1 virus, cold sores usually break open several days after they appear.

When the blisters break open, the fluid inside them oozes out. That’s actually viral fluid, which means it contains the virus. The stage when the fluid seeps out of the sores is actually the most contagious.

Once you’re past the stage when the fluid inside your cold sores ooze out, the blisters will then crust over. After a few days, the crust will just naturally fall off and then the cold sores will disappear. That usually signals that your outbreak is over.

When cold sores heal, it doesn’t mean that the virus is no longer inside your system. The herpes virus actually lays dormant inside your nerve cells. Certain triggers can cause another cold sore flareup.

If you’re lucky or if you’re taking precautions to prevent another cold sore outbreak, it could be months before you experience another flareup. However, if you’re always exposed to various cold sore triggers like sunlight, stress, and other infections, then you might end up having frequent recurring cold sore outbreaks.

Prescription Medication for Cold Sores

If your cold sores are recurring too frequently or if they’re causing you too much discomfort, visit your doctor so you can get a prescription for cold sore medications.

The most commonly prescribed medications for cold sores are oral antiviral medicines such as penciclovir, valacyclovir, acyclovir, and famciclovir. These antiviral medicines may also come in topical cream form or in injectable form.

Prescription antivirals are typically administered in order to shorten the length of an outbreak. However, these medicines are also great for preventing future outbreaks. If you already have a prescription cold sore medication on hand, try to take as soon as you feel an outbreak is about to occur, even when the herpes blisters haven’t formed yet.

Over-The-Counter Antiviral Medications for Cold Sores

Not all antiviral medications for cold sores require a prescription. Those that are available over-the-counter include docosanol and benzyl alcohol. Docosanol is typically sold as a topical cream that you can apply directly to your cold sores.

Docosanol works by preventing the herpes virus from entering your cells, thus inhibiting the replication of the virus. If you use docosanol topical cream, it can help speed up the healing of fever blisters. Docosanol can also provide relief from the tingling or burning sensation that usually occurs at the onset of a cold sore outbreak.

Benzyl alcohol and other topical anesthetics can provide temporary relief from the pain and itching caused by herpes blisters. Applying benzyl alcohol on your cold sores can also shorten the time it takes for your fever blisters to heal.

Many people also take lysine tablets whenever they have a cold sore outbreak. It’s actually an amino acid, but it’s been shown to help inhibit the replication of the herpes virus. Lysine can help reduce the duration and severity of a cold sore outbreak.

If your herpes blisters are causing too much pain, you can also take ibuprofen or acetaminophen to lessen your discomfort. There are also cold sore creams that contain topical anesthetics, and these are also good for reducing pain.

Home Remedies

There are certain essential oils and other home remedies that are known to help provide relief during a cold sore outbreak. Here are a few.

Lemon balm

Scientifically known as Melissa officinalis, lemon balm is known to have antiviral properties. You can use a lemon balm lip moisturizer, or you can apply lemon balm oil on your cold sores. You can also make a compress using lemon balm infusion or tea. Lemon balm is best used at the onset of a cold sore outbreak.

Ice or cold compress

Although this home remedy won’t be able to reduce your healing time, applying ice or a cold compress on your cold sores can provide temporary relief. It can also help reduce the inflammation and redness caused by cold sores.

Aloe vera gel

You might want to consider growing Aloe vera in your garden. Aloe vera gel is helpful in accelerating the healing of cold sores. Plus, it’s also good for reducing pain and inflammation.

Things to Keep in Mind

• To keep your lips from chapping, use a lip moisturizer. Better yet, apply lemon balm on your lips frequently.
• Whenever you go outside, make sure to apply sunblock on your face and lips. Sunlight is a known trigger of cold sores.
• Avoid kissing and oral sex. Since the virus can be transmitted through skin contact, you should refrain from engaging in oral sex and kissing during a cold sore outbreak.

Is It Alright to Have Sex When You Have Cold Sores?

You don’t have to completely abstain from sex whenever you have a cold sore flareup. However, to prevent the virus from being transmitted to your partner, you may want to take certain precautions such as wearing a mask during sex.

This way, even if you accidentally touch your lips to your partner’s skin, the mask can prevent direct skin contact and lessen the chances of your partner contracting the disease. If your sex drive is affected by the pain and discomfort that usually accompanies a cold sore outbreak, you should try taking Male UltraCore.

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