Home Remedies for Cold Sores

Caused by the herpes virus, cold sores or fever blister is a contagious disease that is characterized by the appearance of small inflamed and painful blisters on the lips and the mouth. The virus enters the body through the mouth or the nose and then remains dormant around the lips and the mouth.

Excessive exposure to the sun, cold, fever, infections, stress and anxiety are some of the common causes that trigger off the viral infection and result in the of the appearance of cold sores on the mouth. Sometimes salty and acidic foods such as oranges and lemons can irritate and aggravate the cold sores.

While antiviral medicines, painkillers or local anesthetic ointment with benzocaine can be used for treatment these are not known to be very potent and often end up aggravating the problem significantly. As opposed to this simple home remedies can help you get rid of painful cold sores and reduce the pain considerably.

A simple home remedy for cold sores that are quite effective in reducing the inflammation and pain are ice compresses. Applying these on the affected area not only reduces the pain but also help in restricting the infection from spreading further.

In addition to this, herbs such as Echinacea, lemon balm and licorice containing antiviral properties are quite effective in reducing the severity of the cold sores. Lemon balm which can be used both externally and internally has polyphenols and antiviral properties that fight the infection while Echinacea strengthens the body’s immune system and protects the collagen protein of the skin against the virus.

To reduce the inflammation you can apply tea tree oil, cooling peppermint oil or olive oil on the affected parts. Dabbing some witch hazel, licorice powder or chamomile on the affected blisters can help in speeding up the drying up process. Zinc lozenges or applying some milk on the blisters can reduce the inflammation considerably.

As this infection is contagious it is important to change your toothbrush after the blisters have cleared up. It is also vital to protect your lips from the wind and sun by applying a good sunscreen lotion. Do not touch the blisters or try to pinch it as it can aggravate the infection. Instead wash your hands after accidentally touching the blister to avoid spreading the infection.