by Sharon Brook

Created on: March 29, 2009

Cold sores are a common problem for millions of people. Most people will know the signs of an oncoming cold sore, the slight irritation of the skin, the small bump beneath the skin and the temptation to poke at your face.

Cold sores are very contagious and once you have been unfortunate enough to catch a cold sore then it will remain in your system for good, they will continue to reappear from time to time, although you will not stop them from appearing you can use certain techniques to get rid of them quite quickly, they are caused by herpes simplex, virus type 1.

If you drink out of the same cup as someone who has a cold sore then the chances are you will catch it too.

You will not stop the reoccurrence of a cold sore, however you can learn how to get rid of them as quickly as possible when they do appear on your face.

Cold sores symptoms are quite easy to recognize, once you can identify the symptoms of a cold sore then this will allow you to get rid of your cold sore quicker. Cold sores are red blisters on or around the mouth area so be careful not to confuse them with a canker sore. A cold sore can last between one or two weeks and some of the symptoms include redness, burning of the skin near your mouth, and itchiness.

If you do unfortunately end up with a cold sore try not to touch the infected area, it will disappear more quickly and by touching the area you could end up spreading the cold sore to other parts of your face.

Keep the cold sore as clean as possible by cleaning with a face cloth and soapy water, wash the cold sore gently with the face cloth but don't scrub the cold sore as this can irritate it even more.

There are certain things that will trigger a cold sore, these could be stress, anxiety or acidic or salty foods, so try to avoid these triggers were possible, the triggers will differ for everyone, other times that you might find that a cold sore will appear is when you have a cold or flu obviously you cannot avoid this situation, (or of course if you have an important occasion to attend such as a wedding, a christening or even just a night out are the usual times when you will be unlucky enough to end up with a cold sore)

There are many treatments available, however if you experience the same symptoms after two weeks of using an over the counter treatment then you need to seek medical advice, some treatments include lemon balm, tea bag applied to the area, or tea tree oil.

These tips should help to clear up your cold sores, however they will not completely cure the cold sore, but by following these tips and using a cold sore treatment then they should clear up more quickly.

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