Cold sores aren’t just cosmetically ugly; they hurt too. As anyone who’s ever had one can attest, they can be almost overwhelmingly painful. To help you conquer cold sores, we’ve gathered some cold sore tips to assist you in relieving the pain of a current cold sore outbreak, and to help you prevent new outbreaks down the road.

First, we’ll begin be explaining the cause of cold sores.

Cold sores, also called fever blisters, are caused by a common virus called the Herpes Simplex Virus I (HSV I). You should not confuse this with genital herpes, which is caused by a different form of the virus.

Up to eighty percent of population has the HSV I virus. Most of those with the virus were exposed to it before reaching seven years of age. There is no way to get rid of this highly contagious and almost universally prevalent virus. Once you have it, it’s in your body permanently. Most of the time it is dormant, without causing cold sore symptoms.

Cold sores are painful, ugly blisters that form on or near the lips and mouth. Outbreaks occur when the normally latent herpes virus becomes reactivated due to some type of trigger.

Cold Sore Tips ? Preventing Outbreaks

So, what exactly triggers the dormant HSV I virus to re-awaken? There are a variety of different causes, like:

? Stress ? Weak immune system ? Illness ? Pregnancy or menstruation ? Injured or irritated lips and mouth

In a nutshell, anything that creates too much stress or overburdens the body can cause the formation of cold sores. So, the way to prevent cold sore outbreaks is to control these environmental triggers.

When it comes to cold sores that may occur during pregnancy or a woman’s period, these hormonally-based triggers can’t always be controlled. In cases like this, you can develop a proactive plan of attack.

A variety of supplements and drugstore products exist that can aid in preventing cold sores. Your strategy should include avoiding injuries to the lips and mouth as a result of overexposure to the sun and chapping. You should also eat a healthy diet that reinforces the immune system, and use a natural lip balm to soothe dry lips.

Treat Outbreaks with these Cold Sore Tips

Prevention is all well and good, but what do you if you need to relieve symptoms of an outbreak that’s already under way?

The following cold sore tips can help you get relief:

? Try applying a numbing medicine like lidocaine, benzocaine, benzoyl alcohol, or a product that contains phenol.

? Apply an antibacterial product to prevent the sores from getting infected.

? A good lip balm should be applied to avoid cracking and scabbing of the open sores.

? Consider taking zinc and lysine supplements. These compounds may allow for faster healing of cold sores. Zinc is also a known immune system support.

The best route to cold sore treatment is preventing them from occurring in the first place with a good diet, exercise, and supplement program that keeps your immune system in tip-top shape. Make sure to get enough rest, and to learn to manage stress.

While prevention is really the best treatment plan, if you do end up with painful cold sores, use these cold sore tips to minimize the associated pain and help get rid of your outbreak sooner.

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