by Vin Stross

Created on: August 15, 2008

Cold sores are a very common, recurrent, and contagious problem and therefore, a cold sore cure is desired. Unfortunately, a cold sore cure only means keeping the symptoms under control. It does not mean eliminating them for good because the virus stays in the body.
What is the best cold sore cure for eliminating the painful and often embarrassing symptoms of cold sores? Often cold sores will heal on their own in a week or two. However, it is best to try to speed up the healing with a treatment. A suitable treatment will also help prevent infections of the sores, which will only lead to more health problems. Keep the cold sore area clean as a way of preventing infections.

There are a variety of cold sore cures. Generally, it is best to practice an early treatment regime. When the initial symptoms such as tingling or burning become evident then applying a cold sore cure immediately may prevent the blister from forming or at the very least help the cold sore heal faster.
There are several cold sore products available. These can be non-prescription over-the-counter type products or drugs that require a prescription from a physician.

Some commonly used non-prescription products for cold sores include Abreva (docosanol) cream, Blistex , Carmex, and Lipactin gel that contains the active ingredients of zinc and heparin.
Skin protectants can also be an effective cold sore cure or cold sore remedy. These skin protectants and lip moisturizers usually contain some or all of the following ingredients: allantoin, dimethicone, cocoa butter, white petrolatum, or glycerine. These ingredients act to keep the lips from drying out and to protect the cold sores from irritation, which would aggravate the outbreak and slow the healing process. They also form a barrier that helps prevent a secondary infection of the cold sores.

For pain and discomfort, topical products that may contain benzocaine, lidocaine, benzyl alcohol, camphor, or menthol and phenol will bring some relief. Oral pain medication such as ibuprofen can be given when the cold sores are causing significant discomfort.

A home or all natural cold sore treatment is similar to a canker sore remedy and is possible without the use of medical drugs. For example, some medical research studies have indicated that cold sore outbreaks can be caused by deficiencies in vitamin B12 or calcium. Therefore, increasing the intake of these components may help. Increasing vitamin C intake and using vitamin E or zinc containing creams can also help speed healing.

Other all natural cold sore cures include the application of the following to the cold sore: aloe vera juice or gel, the herb Chaparral, DMSO, grapefruit seed extract, lemon balm extract, mint extract, or tea.

There are cases when a cold sore cure is not effective. If cold sores are not healing within the 10 to 14 day window, if the symptoms are severe, if there any signs of eye problems, or if there are signs of infection, then a visit to a medical doctor is recommended.

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