Home Remedies for Cold Sores

You wake up and it’s there—that tingling feeling around your lips that means only one thing: Hello, cold sores. Although they often go away on their own, they can take up to two weeks to disappear entirely. And who wants to the world to see that cracking, oozing blister for one second longer than necessary? It’s time to look for safe, effective, and practical home remedies for cold sores.

That unsightly blemish is caused by the herpes simplex virus. Often found near the lips, these painful brownish or reddish blisters can also pop up around nostrils, fingers, and even the genitals. They frequently appear during times of illness, but they also can occur during periods of stress. Since they’re contagious, a cold sore can also make you feel a bit like a leper.

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Home remedies for cold sores generally fall into two categories:

Traditional Topical Treatments

Prescription drugs: Health care professionals might prescribe Denavir or Zovirax, two FDA-approved cold sore creams. These drugs are anti-viral medications designed to stop the herpes virus from replicating. They can limit the duration of a cold sore if they are applied early enough—as soon as you feel that tingling sensation. But like other drugs, they can be expensive, especially if you don’t have insurance. Since a prescription is required, you’ll also have to take time out of your busy schedule to visit your medical professional.

Over-the-counter ointments: Your local drugstore will usually have a shelf-full of treatments designed to banish those blisters. The problem is that they often contain harsh chemicals that also leave the skin an uncomfortable, itchy, peeling mess that’s not much more attractive than the blister itself. Other over-the-counter ointments might relieve the pain caused by the sore, but they don’t do much for the sore itself. As a result, you feel less discomfort, but you’ll still be too embarrassed to go out with that big ugly herpes blister emblazoned on your face.

Grandma’s Treatments

While your grandma may bake a mean macaroni and cheese, chances are there’s not a lot of science or research behind her home remedies for cold sores.

Tea bags: Apply a warm tea bag on your blister for up to 15 minutes, about two or three times each day. Tannins in the tea are reported to have anti-viral properties that may knock out the cold sore. The challenge is that those of us with a super-busy lifestyle might not have the total of 30-45 minutes throughout the day to use this treatment effectively.

Ice: Some advise applying ice to the sore for up to fifteen minutes of every hour. Not only is this impractical—think of treating yourself this way as you wrangle three kids into the SUV—it’s not clear how the ice is supposed to remove the sore. If you need quick pain relief, however, the ice remedy might be one option for you.

Petroleum Jelly: This medicine cabinet staple is another cold sore treatment in grandma’s bag of cures. And although petroleum jelly might relieve the cracking and discomfort of a healing sore, it cannot prevent or cure the virus.

Find safe & effective home remedies for your cold sore

There are home remedies that are safe, effective and backed up by scientific research. Look for an all-natural program that can prevent the ugly sores from forming and will treat those that have already erupted.

Cold sores are embarrassing, but you don’t have to live with them anymore. Home remedies for cold sores can provide practical relief that works—without the use of harsh, drying chemicals.