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What is a cold sore? It is one of the eight strands of the herpes virus. There is no known cure for the herpes virus. Once you become infected, you will carry the virus for life reguardless of how many outbreaks you experience. There are medications and treatments which may reduce the amount of outbreaks you have, as well as shorten the length of each outbreak.

How can you avoid getting a cold sore? Over 60% of Americans have suffered from a cold sore, which means that over 60% of the population is infected with the virus. The only way to keep yourself from becoming infected by the virus is to avoid physical contact with those who carry it.
Avoid kissing or touching cold sores on others. The virus may also be passed through saliva, even without any visible signs of the infection.

What do you do if you already have a cold sore? Different medications or treatments available are:
Zolviraz
Abreva
Orabase
Lipac tic Gel

Before taking any medication it is always best to consult your doctor to determine which is the best treatment for you.

What else can you do? Avoid foods that may cause irritation to your cold sore such as citrus fruits or foods containing a great deal of salt such as chips or pickles. It has also been found benificial to cut down or eliminate alcohol, sugar, and cafeine from your diet.
Eat a well balanced diet, including a multi-vitamin to help keep your imune system running at its best. Vitamin C has been shown to reduce the length of outbreaks, as well as bioflavonoids.

There are non-perscription treatments which may help ease the pain or discomfort of an outbreak once it occurs such as: Blistex medicated lip ointment or anbisol.

50% to 80% of those who suffer from cold sores experience a period of time before the outbreak occurs lasting from a couple hours up to a couple of days with warning signs such as: a tingling feeling, a burning sensation, or an itch in the area where the outbreak will occur. To prevent the spread of the virus to others it is best to avoid skin to skin contact with others as soon as you feel the onset of these symptoms.

Learn more about this author, Katrina Norman.
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