Do you have a cold sore, but you’re not sure how to deal with it? Afraid of getting a cold sore, but don’t know how to prevent one?
Never fear because we can help you. We have a few handy hints on how to prevent and treat cold sores.
Cause
Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus. It is highly contagious and spread by having contact with other people’s cold sores. Once you catch the cold sore virus it stays with you for life. Luckily, this doesn’t mean that you will always get a cold sore, it just means that the virus is dormant in your body and that when you do get one it’s probably triggered by stress, menstruation, dental surgery or overexposure to the sun.
Prevention
Avoid kissing people with cold sores and avoid sharing drinks, utensils and anything that comes into contact with other people’s cold sores. However if you do touch a cold sore make sure you wash your hands to avoid spreading the virus. Avoid spending long periods in the sun because sun exposure can trigger cold sores. If you do go out in the sun, make sure you wear lip balm that contains sun block. Try not to get stressed because as I mentioned before stress also triggers cold sores – so make sure you take time out to relax and laugh.
Treatment
Unfortunately, there is no cure for cold sores. So how do we deal with cold sores? You could go to your doctor, and they can prescribe you an antiviral treatment. You could also try aciclovir or penciclovir, (please check with pharmacist or your doctor to check if they are right for you) which are over the counter cold sore creams that you apply to affected areas. To help soothe the pain of cold sores and top reduce to swelling, apply ice to cold sore. Last, but not least, do not pick at your cold sores, no matter how tempting, as they well only get worse and last longer.
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