Is there a real and effective way to prevent getting cold sores?
Posted on Saturday, April 25, 2009 in Skin Conditions
jenny asked:
I get a cold sore every couple of moths. They are sore and look horrible. Sometimes i get one and it isnt so bad and fades away within a few days but others it can be really big and last for ages. On the night of my prom i had 4 coldsores on different parts of my mouth. I got a coldsore for the first time when i was about 3 and have been getting them regularly ever since. Basically i am sick of it. Does anyone know of a treatment that will effectivley decrease if not stop the regularity and size of the cold sores? I use zovirax and although it does usually make it smaller and not last so long it doesnt prevent getting them and it isnt always effective. Please help
Lois
I get a cold sore every couple of moths. They are sore and look horrible. Sometimes i get one and it isnt so bad and fades away within a few days but others it can be really big and last for ages. On the night of my prom i had 4 coldsores on different parts of my mouth. I got a coldsore for the first time when i was about 3 and have been getting them regularly ever since. Basically i am sick of it. Does anyone know of a treatment that will effectivley decrease if not stop the regularity and size of the cold sores? I use zovirax and although it does usually make it smaller and not last so long it doesnt prevent getting them and it isnt always effective. Please help
Lois
Herman
If anyone could do what you ask, they’d be rich… no, sorry, there is no known preventive. If the zovirax isn’t working, ask your doctor about valtrex, it tends to be a bit more effective in treating the problem.
Tyler
The problem with cold sores is that they never go away, but they do decrease in their popping up. With your prom I am not surprised as it would have been a stressful yet exciting time and this would have caused the outbreak. When you get a cold or flu, you’ll probably break out again. Cold sores tend to happen with stress and when your immune system is down a little. The best thing now is to be careful not to spread the virus to other nerve endings. The virus lives in your nerves and breaks out at the afflicted nerve endings. Try not to spread it to other neighboring nerve endings, because next time they will join in on the break out. Cold sores tend to like places that have moisture and warmth, like mouths, noses and eyes, and genitals, and can be spread easily from one of these areas to another. But I would try tea tree oil or the stronger manuka oil, dabbed on with a qtip, when you feel them coming on, these essential oils are anti-viral, and cold sores are viral. The essential oils should dry them up a little and hopefully go away sooner. The good news is that as you get older you’ll get less outbreaks. Don’t kiss anyone and be careful around babies, as their immune systems are weak.