Cold sores cause misery for millions of people by causing both physical discomfort as well as the mental anguish that goes with having an unsightly facial blemish that usually lasts from seven to ten days. The bad news is that there is no absolute cure for cold sores because the virus remains in your body once infected, but by modifying your lifestyle you can reduce the frequency of cold sore attacks as well as help them heal faster.

Phase 1: boosting the immune system

Phase one of treatment for cold sores is therefore to try and prevent them from arriving in the first place and to do this may require some lifestyle changes. While the virus is always in our bodies once we are infected, most of the time it lies dormant in the nerve cells because our immune systems are able to keep it at bay. However, when our immune system is weakened the virus can begin to replicate and move from the nerve cells to the surface of the skin, causing a fluid filled blister that bursts and becomes the cold sore. Our priority is therefore to keep our immune system in good shape, which can be achieved by the following:

1. Eat a healthy, well balanced diet
2. Take regular exercise, such as 30 minutes walking every day
3. Ensure you get adequate sleep and don t get overtired
4. Avoid periods of prolonged stress

All of these contribute to keeping your immune system in good shape and will help reduce the number of cold sore attacks you have. However, there will still be times when the dreaded cold sores appear, despite following all this advice, at which point you need to move to phase two of the treatment of cold sores.

Phase 2: effective cold sore treatments

As previously discussed while it is not actually possible to completely cure cold sores, there are two main ways of how to treat cold sores: cold sore medication and natural remedies.

The medicinal route is by taking an anti-viral medication containing either penciclovir or acyclovir, which acts as a suppressant to the cold sore virus. If it is first applied when you feel the tingling sensation it can interfere with the virus s ability to replicate and so the cold sore attack will not be as severe as if untreated.

In addition to the cold sore medications there are also a number of home remedies for cold sores, some of which date back to Roman times. Taking L-Lysine supplements can act to reduce the severity of attacks, while many people swear by applying ice to the infected area as soon as the tingling sensation appears. Other useful tips include covering the cold sore with a petroleum product such as Vaseline to both prevent secondary bacterial infection and also to lessen the chances of spreading the virus to other parts of your body or to someone else.

This article is not intended as a replacement for medical advice and so if your cold sore persists you should see your physician or a qualified pharmacist, particularly if you suffer from a weakened immune system through HIV infection or cancer.

For more information on how to get rid of cold sores see the guide to effective cold sore treatment with a variety of tips and tricks to help you heal your cold sores fast.

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