Leading Cold Sore Remedies
There are literally dozens of cold sore remedies available to the estimated 145 million Americans who suffer from Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1), or "Oral Herpes" as it is sometimes called. Treatments range from a wide variety of home remedies, to over-the-counter medicines, to prescription drugs.
It should be pointed out that, in all cases, treatment affects only the symptoms of HSV-1, as no cure is available for the virus that causes oral cold sores. Additionally, there is no universally agreed-upon "best" treatment for every individual, as the severity of symptoms, and duration of outbreaks, can vary greatly from one person to the next.
Hopefully, this article can help point you in the right direction to find the oral herpes treatment that best suits you. It is important to remember, however, that none of the remedies discussed herein will eliminate the HSV-1 virus from your body. What they can do, is effectively reduce the severity and duration of your cold sore outbreaks.
Leading Home Remedies
As any quick search on the internet will show, everyone has their own home remedy for treating cold sores associated with the HSV-1 virus. Because it would be impossible to prove or debunk the effectiveness of each of them (or even to list all of them), we will focus on only those recognized as legitimate by the medical community. The following home remedies have been proven to reduce discomfort from cold sores, as well as their healing time:
* Mouth rinse that contains baking soda
* Using a cold, wet towel as a compress
* Use of L-lysine ointment, or taking of L-lysine pills (1,500 mg - 3,000 mg/day)
* Topically applying Vitamin E to the cold sores
* Taking Zinc tablets (max. 60 mg/day during outbreaks) or topically applying Zinc Oxide cream
* Taking Ibuprofen or Tylenol (not recommended for those under age 20)
Best of the Over-the-Counter Cold Sore Remedies
You'll find a wide range of creams and topical ointments designed specifically for treating cold sores at your local drug store. While each brand has its relative strengths and weaknesses in comparison to its competition, none have been proven unequivocally superior to the others. There are, however, ingredients contained within certain products that have been proven highly effective at lessening the symptoms of cold sores. Therefore, any topical ointment or cold sore cream you purchase should contain one of the following:
* Docosanol 10%
* Benzocaine 5% - 20%
* Lidocaine 0.5% - 4%
* Tetracaine 2%
* Dibucaine 0.25% - 1%
Cold Sore Remedies Available by Prescription
In severe cases, where cold sore symptoms are extreme enough to impact your daily life, it is possible to receive a prescription for either topical cream or pills from your physician. While topical cream is usually the quicker option for relieving cold sore pain and irritation, pills are regarded as the better alternative for speeding up the healing process, and reducing the duration, and severity, of symptoms.
These three FDA-approved drugs are prescribed in pill form:
* Acyclovir (Zovirax)
* Valacyclovir (Valtrex)
* Famciclovir (Famvir)
Regardless of which of the aforementioned cold sore remedies you decide to use, keep in mind that you will only be treating the symptoms of the HSV-1 infection - not eliminating the virus itself. On the bright side, as is the case with all herpes viral infections, the frequency and severity of future outbreaks will diminish over time as your body's immune system builds up a tolerance to the virus.
Looking for more information? Visit www.herpessymptoms-inmen.com or Devin Brindinshire's site www.herpessymptoms-inmen.com/cold-sore-remedies/ for additional details on herpes, cold sores remedies, and other related issues.
It should be pointed out that, in all cases, treatment affects only the symptoms of HSV-1, as no cure is available for the virus that causes oral cold sores. Additionally, there is no universally agreed-upon "best" treatment for every individual, as the severity of symptoms, and duration of outbreaks, can vary greatly from one person to the next.
Hopefully, this article can help point you in the right direction to find the oral herpes treatment that best suits you. It is important to remember, however, that none of the remedies discussed herein will eliminate the HSV-1 virus from your body. What they can do, is effectively reduce the severity and duration of your cold sore outbreaks.
Leading Home Remedies
As any quick search on the internet will show, everyone has their own home remedy for treating cold sores associated with the HSV-1 virus. Because it would be impossible to prove or debunk the effectiveness of each of them (or even to list all of them), we will focus on only those recognized as legitimate by the medical community. The following home remedies have been proven to reduce discomfort from cold sores, as well as their healing time:
* Mouth rinse that contains baking soda
* Using a cold, wet towel as a compress
* Use of L-lysine ointment, or taking of L-lysine pills (1,500 mg - 3,000 mg/day)
* Topically applying Vitamin E to the cold sores
* Taking Zinc tablets (max. 60 mg/day during outbreaks) or topically applying Zinc Oxide cream
* Taking Ibuprofen or Tylenol (not recommended for those under age 20)
Best of the Over-the-Counter Cold Sore Remedies
You'll find a wide range of creams and topical ointments designed specifically for treating cold sores at your local drug store. While each brand has its relative strengths and weaknesses in comparison to its competition, none have been proven unequivocally superior to the others. There are, however, ingredients contained within certain products that have been proven highly effective at lessening the symptoms of cold sores. Therefore, any topical ointment or cold sore cream you purchase should contain one of the following:
* Docosanol 10%
* Benzocaine 5% - 20%
* Lidocaine 0.5% - 4%
* Tetracaine 2%
* Dibucaine 0.25% - 1%
Cold Sore Remedies Available by Prescription
In severe cases, where cold sore symptoms are extreme enough to impact your daily life, it is possible to receive a prescription for either topical cream or pills from your physician. While topical cream is usually the quicker option for relieving cold sore pain and irritation, pills are regarded as the better alternative for speeding up the healing process, and reducing the duration, and severity, of symptoms.
These three FDA-approved drugs are prescribed in pill form:
* Acyclovir (Zovirax)
* Valacyclovir (Valtrex)
* Famciclovir (Famvir)
Regardless of which of the aforementioned cold sore remedies you decide to use, keep in mind that you will only be treating the symptoms of the HSV-1 infection - not eliminating the virus itself. On the bright side, as is the case with all herpes viral infections, the frequency and severity of future outbreaks will diminish over time as your body's immune system builds up a tolerance to the virus.
Looking for more information? Visit www.herpessymptoms-inmen.com or Devin Brindinshire's site www.herpessymptoms-inmen.com/cold-sore-remedies/ for additional details on herpes, cold sores remedies, and other related issues.