What are cold sores?

Cold sores, also called fever blisters are primarily caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and are normally the main symptom for oral herpes or herpes labialis. The HSV-1 is a highly contagious virus that usually affects the lips, the mouth and the face. People who contract the virus usually feel some amount of pain and discomfort caused by the blisters as well as embarrassment when the sores appear all over their lips and face.

These home remedies have different advantages. You can take action quickly just by using home remedies for cold sores when you feel a cold sore is coming. This will help decrease the amount of time you'll have to put up with the cold sore. There are several of natural treatments for cold sores that have been proof to be effective in relieving the symptoms of cold sores.

1. Cold compress. One of the best home remedies for colds sore is to simply apply ice every 5-10 minutes of every hour at the onset of a cold sore. When ice is applied early enough in the cold sore cycle it can slow down the metabolism of the affected area, which slows the growth. This has been seen to help ease the pain and can prevent the virus from moving from the nerves to the skin.

2. Staying healthy. The best way to fight viral infections like this is to protect and boost your immune system and prevent further outbreaks. Take your daily vitamin supplements, most especially the B complex vitamins, and get enough sleep and rest.

3. Food to avoid. Certain foods can prolong the occurrence of cold sores, while some can trigger their recurrence. Limit your consumption of processed foods, sugar, caffeine, those high in salt content, soft drinks, and citrus fruits as they can likely trigger an outbreak. Limit your intake of arginine-rich foods such as grains, peanuts, chocolate and wheat products as virus tend to feed on arginine. Changing your diet and taking vitamin supplements are two of the best home remedies for cold sores.

4. There is one popular treatment in Europe due to its effectiveness is lemon balm. Lemon balm can reduce the severity and duration of an attack and is believed to reduce the tendency of cold sore recurrence.

Those who suffering from cold sores regularly knows how unpleasant an attack can be. Taking care of what we eat and look after our own well-being have proved to be an effective treatment for cold sores for many cold sores sufferers.