As I mentioned in my last post, I’m a firm believer in natural methods of treatment whenever possible. When it comes to the best cold sore treatment; I’m sure it must be a natural treatment.
This time I will assume that your cold sore has already blistered and in fact, may have popped open. Although each treatment won’t work for everyone, here’s how to heal a cold sore.
Keep It Covered
.The sore can be covered by something as simple as petroleum jelly. Some say Carmex works well. Still others recommend Neosporin
so that there is little chance for a secondary bacterial infection. Some even say that toothpaste works the best. No, I’m not kidding!
Keeping the sore covered is very important at this stage because when the sore breaks, this when the virus can spread.
Aloe is also a very popular way to keep the sore covered. Break an Aloe leaf directly over a cold sore and make sure the gel from the leaf covers the sore completely.
Honey can also be a good substance for covering cold sores because has antiviral properties.
Keep It Clean
Wash the area frequently with soap and water. You could also try hydrogen peroxide
. This will disinfect the area while cleaning it. Dry with something disposable like a paper towel because a washrag could cause the virus to spread. You want to dry it right away because keep water and saliva create an environment that is conducive to the virus growing.Once the sore breaks, be careful not to touch it and be sure to throw away anything like a paper towel or cotton swab that does touch it. The last thing you want to do is spread the virus around and start all over again.
Along these lines, get a new toothbrush after your cold sore episode has ended. You don’t want to give the virus back to yourself.
Lysine vs. Arginine
Lysine for cold sores is a very popular treatment. Lysine is an amino acid that inhibits the growth of viruses. Arginine is also an amino acid that promotes the growth of viruses. To heal a cold sore properly the level of Lysine in the body should be increased while the level of arginine should be decreased.
Lysine supplements
are available. You should take up to 1,000mg three times a day during an outbreak. Also you should avoid foods that are high in arginine like chocolate, almonds and peanuts and eat food that are high in Lysine like fish, meat, milk, eggs and cheese.Lysine
lip balm is also available for topical use with some good results reported in a study at the Southern California University. These good results are somewhat puzzling since the Lysine molecule is too big to enter skin cells easily and most other people say that Lysine only works when taken internally.Once they heal their cold sore, some people take 500 mg daily of Lysine as a preventative.
Zinc
I’m sure that everyone reading this has heard of Zinc
. This can be used internally or externally, but most people have the best luck using it internally.Lemon Balm
This is a topical cream that proved in a study conducted in Germany that patients who used this, saw their cold sores heal in half the time. Lemon balm
has become a very popular way to treat a cold soreCalcium
Most people have a cold sore flare up because of stress. When you are stressed out, you’re adrenal glands start pumping out chemicals that turn the fluids in your body from alkaline to acid in just a matter of minutes. This makes an ideal environment for the viruses to thrive. Calcium
is a buffer chemical. In other words, calcium, which is alkaline, can neutralize more than its weight of an acidic substance.Some green vegetables are also alkaline. Try to avoid acidic foods like tomatoes or citrus fruits and you’ll be able to heal a cold sore much faster.
The bottom line is that calcium and alkaline foods can not only help to heal a cold sore, but can also help to prevent future outbreaks.
Caution: Calcium and alkaline foods may boost your immune system. Talk to your doctor first because you may be taking medications that depend on a weak immune system.
Licorice
This is for real. Licorice has a chemical in it called glycyrrhizic acid that will stop the cold sore virus so that you can start to heal. The only problem with this is that I’m talking about real licorice. Not the artificial kind that you find in most candies. Check the list of ingredients of any product. You’re looking for the words, “licorice mass”. If they’re there, you can eat it.
You could also sprinkle licorice powder
directly on the sore. Heat
It’s common knowledge that you should use ice when you feel a cold sore outbreak coming on, but what a lot of people don’t know is that to heal a cold sore after it has broken open, you should use heat. Hear draws more blood up to the skin cells. Viruses don’t like the blood and the heat so they will retire back to the nerves. The increased blood flow also helps the skill cells to rejuvenate.
Isopropyl Alcohol
This is a may be a home remedy for cold sores, but it is a very hazardous one so it should only be done under a doctor’s supervision. The alcohol has very strong fumes so a fan should be set up close to the face. Some kind of goggles should also be worn to keep the fumes out of your eyes.
The alcohol should be applied directly to the sore. This really hurts at first, but some people say that this really helps to heal their cold sore.
Conclusion
If you want to know how to heal a cold sore, there are quite a few techniques out there.
As I said before, I believe that natural treatments are the best. I’m fairly certain that a home remedy for cold sores will work best for you.
If you agree with me that natural is best, then be sure to check out this information about the book Cold Sore Freedom In 3 Days by Grace Melgarjo.
Disclaimer
I am not a doctor. Be sure to discuss it first with a licensed medical practioner before beginning any form of treatment.
