Cold sores always seem to appear at the most inopportune times. They can be painful as well as unsightly in some cases. Cold sores are one of life’s nuisances that you would rather do without. It is not severe enough to see a doctor but you just want it gone. Luckily there are natural remedies for cold sores that can help you speed up the healing and get rid of it.
Prevention
Perhaps prevention is the best thing you can do to avoid a cold sore. When you go out in the sun or in the cold during winter always use some type of lip balm to keep your lips protected. Just as your body, your lips can suffer from extreme weather. Too much sun can parch and crack the lips as can very cold weather which in turn can cause cold sores. This can all be avoided when you wear protection on your lips.
Cleaning a cold sore
When you are cleaning a cold sore always clean in towards the center of the cold sore. Do not clean towards the outside. This can result in spreading the cold sore and making it worse. Take a cloth with the hottest water you can stand and clean gently with inward strokes. Do not try and touch your cold sore you may start another bacterial infection by doing so. Picking or squeezing the cold sore could result in transferring it to other areas.
Licorice
Licorice can be very helpful in healing cold sores. You can purchase pure licorice and eat it or you can purchase a licorice powder and apply it directly to the sore. If you find that the licorice power is not staying where it is needed add a little oil to the powder to make a paste and using a q-tip apply the paste to the cold sore.
Ice
Perhaps the most painful part of a cold sore is when it is starting to break out and just after it is visible. Ice packs can take the sting out of cold sores quickly. Place an ice cube in a sterile cloth and place it on your cold sore to bring you sweet relief. You can also get the same effect from a Popsicle or try a very cold icy drink. This can bring quick relief from pain.
Cold sores are common and affect many people. There are ways to help with the discomfort and promote healing. Vaseline is a wonderful product that you can apply to keep the cold sore contained and spread healing. The next time you are confronted with a cold sore try natural remedies to make it feel better and speed the healing.