7 Tips to Deal with Cold Sores

Whether you just caught the herpes virus or you’ve had it for a long time, you have probably been looking for the perfect cold sore remedy. Don’t bother, there isn’t one – yet. They are getting closer though.

In the mean time here are seven tips to deal with cold sores. These suggestions come from readers and should not be considered medical advice. If you never get a cold sore again…great, you’ll never have to seek a cold sore remedy.

1. Stay away from chocolate and nuts, they contain arginine. It causes cold sores to flare up.

2. Lysine has been shown to suppress cold sore breakouts. You can get it from acidophilus milk, yogurt or in tablet form. Amounts range from 500mg to 3000mg (3 grams).

3. Keep your hands out of your mouth. The herpes virus is very contagious, so avoid contact and don’t touch it. It could spread around.

4. Throw away or sterilize your toothbrush. There are UV lights that sterilize the virus on your toothbrush but you may be better off just replacing it once a month.

5. If the scab falls off that makes it slower to heal and the cold sore can spread. Keep cold sores dry. When you get in the shower, either keep it dry or put some Vaseline on it to repel water.

6. Sunlight activates the herpes virus. Either stay out of the sun or put a sunblock on your lips.

7. Since stress causes cold sores to flare up, relax. Do what you can to reduce the stress in your life.

8. Less argenine…less breakouts

9. Lemon Balm liquid

Add Your Cold Sore Tips

Subj: First outbreaks suck!
Date: 1/23/2007
I just started taking l-lysine tabs 3000MG a day and have seen a significant decrease in pain and it seems that the lesion I starting to heal. L-lysine is a blocker of argenine (what is required for either the herpes virus to live or breed…one of the two) … less argenine…less breakouts…hopefully it’ll suppress the herpes…first outbreaks suck!

JustDiagnosed

Subj: Cold sore tip
Date: 1/23/2008
My cold sore tip works 100% of the time! I apply Lemon Balm tincture, which you can purchase on line or thru just about any health food store. It is a dark brown liquid and a very slight bitter taste but it the second I feel the “tingle” or itching on my lips where I break out I apply Lemon Balm liquid on with a q-tip to not contaminate the eye dropper. Apply it 3-4 times through out the day. Once you have a sore, apply it directly onto the sore and the pain ceases within about a 1/2 hour. It stops growing, and begins to dry. keep applying several days past the time the scab comes off. Lemon Balm cost about $10 for a 2ounce bottle and is well worth it! And as the Doctor recommended, nuts, chocolate and sun are big causing factors for me. Peanuts and salt especially!

AEmery

AskDocWeb: Please read the possible side effects and warnings for Lemon Balm.

Cold sore transmission?
Date: 7/23/2016
Hello last night my 2 yr old touched my cold sore by accident while sleeping a cleaned her hands with hand sanitizer about 2 times, clean them with a sanitizer wipe then used hand sanitizer again and baby wipes cuz I didn’t want her to get it. Will it still be transmitted after I did all that? I didn’t want to wake her up and go wash her hands so I just sanitizer her hands a few times.

Denise

AskDocWeb: We believe that unless the child had an open wound on her hand then the risk of transmission would be very low.

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