Cold Sores – Treatment For Cold Sores
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Cold sore treatments are a great interest for all of us. We are all looking for that magical cure that will free us from this virus that continues to show up when we need the least. Cold sore treatments are often categorized into two broad groups, over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and home remedies for cold sore. We will look at OTC medications as well as home remedies for cold sores available for our use. But first lets have a look at what happens when you get a cold sore. Cold sore is caused by the herpes simplex virus. They are sometimes called fever blisters, and are groups of small blisters on the lip and around the mouth. Cold sores do not usually occur inside the mouth except during the initial episode. The blisters usually rupture soon after they have formed, resulting in a shallow reddish ulceration whose surface becomes gray, and most often occur on the lips which distinguishes them from the common canker sor which which is usually inside the mouth.
Cold sores, although a virus that you will carry for life, are generally not serious, but the infection could be life threating to someone that has AIDS, or whose immune system is depressed by other disorders or medicines. Cold sores represent a common problem for many individuals, and appear 3-10 days after exposure and may last up to 3 weeks, but generally only 7-10 days. They s are often feel unsightly to the owner. They will usually stick around for a week or two before they dry up and go away. Cold sore symptoms are quickly relieved, and are spread by physical contact with an infected person. So what treatments are there? Well as you might well guess with such a common condition, there are a lot of treatments available, here we will just look at a couple, one chemical and one natural for both cure and pain relief. Acyclovir is in a class of antiviral medications called synthetic nucleoside analogues. It works by stopping the spread of the herpes virus in the body. Acyclovir and a newer drug calledpenciclovir may reduce the pain and help the sores go away faster. However, research indicates that most remedies, even the expensive antiviral ones, make little difference to the course of the condition.
If you are pregnant and have concerns about using drugs please note that Acyclovir is considered safe in pregnancy and has not been associated with birth defects in more than 20 years of use Lysine seems to be most effective to control outbreaks when taken internally, lysine and arginine Are both amino acids. They come in 500 mg and 1000 mg tablets and capsules. Lysine and zinc are better used as internal support supplements. There have been some tests done on these supplements and results were very favorable compared against OTC chemical treatments. Pain is also present during a cold sore. This pain is due to a component found in the body known as prostaglandin. Pain can be treated with painkillers, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol (both are available in liquid form for young children). However, you should not take ibuprofen if you are asthmatic, or if you have, or have ever had, stomach ulcers. Ice, or similar, is free and available just about everywhere you might be when you suddenly feel a cold sore coming on. Put the ice in a plastic bag for less mess. Ice, when applied to cold sore will help to discourage the herpes virus from replicating. Ice helps in relieving the pain, reducing the swapping as well as restricting the herpes virus from spreading.
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Source by Paul Rooney
