Cold sores usually disappear without any type of medication in about a week to ten days. Many people choose to wait out their cold sores, just ignoring them until they go away. Others decide that ten days is too long to have a large, painful, embarrassing facial blemish near their mouth and seek out medicine or other treatments to make the cold sore easier to deal with. There are many different types of cold sore treatment available, from antiviral pills to over the counter and prescription creams. Many people also use conventional pain relievers like aspirin and acetaminophen as cold sore treatment.
People suffering their first cold sore outbreak are often recommended to take antiviral medications. These pills are only obtainable by prescription, so the cold sore sufferer must consult a doctor first. Cold sore medication such as acyclovir or famciclovir can provide pain relief and reduce the healing time of a cold sore. Antiviral medication is most effective if people start taking it when the cold sore first appears.
There are several types of creams used to treat cold sores. Creams containing docosanol are particularly useful. Docosanol is used to fight against the HSV-1 virus that causes cold sores and it can relive pain as well as help heal the cold sore sooner. Other types of cold sore treatment include creams designed to numb the area around the cold sore and moisturizer creams that help revitalize the skin around the cold sore. Lip balm can prevent the cold sore from cracking open.
Many conventional pain relief medicines like acetaminophen, aspirin, and ibuprofen are great cold sore treatments. These medicines treat the inflammation, providing pain relief. While there is no cure for cold sores, there are several types of cold sore treatment that make having a cold sore a shorter, more bearable experience.
Related Articles of Interest :
-
Home Remedies for Cold Sores
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
There are a large number of home remedies for cold sores. In some cases these traditional treatments have been known to work as well as antiviral pills or numbing creams. One advantage of using a home remedy for cold sores is that treatment can begin...
-
What Exactly is a Cold Sore?
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Cold sores, also called fever blisters, are small wounds that appear on the lips or around the mouth. These sores seemingly appear at random and can be both painful and embarrassing. The reality is that the herpes simplex virus (HSV) causes cold sores. Most people...
-
Is There a Cure For Cold Sores?
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
One question on the minds of many people who frequently suffer from cold sores is “is there a cure for cold sores?” Sadly, the answer is no. But while there is no cold sores cure, there are numerous preventive measures people can take to keep...
-
What Cause Cold Sores?
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Cold sores are caused by a virus, the herpes simplex virus or HSV. There are two kinds of herpes simplex virus, called type 1 and type 2. While both types can cause cold sores, type 1 is the variety usually responsible. Type 2 HSV is...
-
Are Cold Sores Contagious?
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
When someone gets a cold sore or knows someone who has one, it is not uncommon for them to wonder, “Are cold sores contagious?” And the answer to this question is yes, cold sores are contagious in more ways than one. The herpes simplex virus...
-
Osteoarthritis Medication
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Medicine is an important component of the treatment of Osteoarthritis. A healthy alternative is to combine over the counter pain relievers with alternate treatment and medicines prescribed by physician. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting nearly 20 million Americans. Each affected person...
-
Back Pain Analgesics
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Many people suffer from back pain for many reasons. Pregnancy is one factor. Bad posture is another. Working for long hours in one position, without ample back support and protection also contributes to pain. If you experience back pain, you can relieve yourself by taking...
-
A Look at Various Wart Treatments
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
After you’ve been to the doctor and been diagnosed with some type of human pappilloma virus (HPV) infection that has caused an outbreak of warts somewhere on your body, you’ll eventually get around to discussing the possible treatments. From simple creams and lotions designed to...
-
Arthritis Treatments
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
The best course to solve the problem of arthritis is to take it seriously the moment it crops up. Since arthritis is the next most prevalent disease after heart attack, you can very legitimately suspect your pain to be related to arthritis. So the moment...
-
Cold Lasers
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Light has been considered to have healing and stimulating effects on the human body since the dawn of humankind. Cold lasers follow this line of thought and are used in the treatment of injuries related to the human tissue. Treatment effected by cold lasers is...