Useful Cold Sore Tips To Stop Cold Sores!

Cold sores not only cause ugly sores around the lips and mouth, they can also hurt so much that it becomes disabling. To provide welcome pain relief and treat a fresh outbreak, and to prevent new cold sores from occurring, try the following useful cold sore tips.

Let's get started by going over the triggers that cause cold sores.

Cold sores, also known as fever blisters, are the result of the Herpes Simplex Virus I (HSV I). Note that this is different from the genital herpes virus.

HSV I is highly contagious and very common. Up to 80% of the population has the virus, which lies dormant in our bodies while no outbreak is present. The vast majority of those infected with HSV I contract the virus by the time they are seven years old. Once you've got it, there's no way to get rid of the virus.

Cold sores are painful, ugly blisters that form on or near the lips and mouth. Outbreaks occur when the normally latent herpes virus becomes reactivated due to some type of trigger.

Prevent Outbreaks with these Cold Sore Tips

So, what exactly triggers the dormant HSV I virus to re-awaken? There are a variety of different causes, like:

? Stress ? Poor immune system ? Sickness ? Pregnancy or menstruation ? Injury or irritation of the lips and mouth

In a nutshell, anything that creates too much stress or overburdens the body can cause the formation of cold sores. So, the way to prevent cold sore outbreaks is to control these environmental triggers.

When it comes to cold sores that may occur during pregnancy or a woman's period, these hormonally-based triggers can't always be controlled. In cases like this, you can develop a proactive plan of attack.

There are a variety of supplements and widely available products to prevent cold sores. A healthy diet that bolsters the immune system is vitally important, as is preventing injury or severe chapping of the lips. A good, moisturizing lip balm can calm chapped lips and help minimize the risk of cold sore outbreaks.

Cold Sore Tips for Effective Treatment

As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but what happens if you need to soothe the symptoms of a current outbreak?

Use the following helpful cold sore tips for symptom relief:

? Use a topical medication to numb the pain. Examples include "caine" medicines, like lidocaine and benzocaine. You can also use preparations like benzoyl alcohol or a phenol-containing formulation.

? Apply an antibacterial product to prevent the sores from getting infected.

? Keep the sores from cracking and bleeding with a good lip moisturizer.

? Consider taking zinc and lysine supplements. These compounds may allow for faster healing of cold sores. Zinc is also a known immune system support.

The surest way to prevent cold sores is by taking care of yourself with a whole-foods diet, exercise, and good supplement program that keeps your immune system strong and healthy. Sleep well, and make sure you learn to deal effectively with stress.

While prevention is really the best treatment plan, if you do end up with painful cold sores, use these cold sore tips to minimize the associated pain and help get rid of your outbreak sooner.