How to get rid of cold sores with cold sore remedies? If you have been suffering from cold sores, then you would know how disgusting they are looking at and the same time, the intense pain that comes with it. They come in various forms, either individually or as a cluster that ranges from a deep red to transparent clusters with fluid collections within. When they break they tend to crust and look even worse.
No matter what we do, we can never find a cure for cold sore virus, however, it is quite easy to curb the outbreak of such sores or at least make it less painful. Now there are remedies that can be bought from the stores or when you can’t go to the store, you can just use some of the items that you have at home. Simple everyday items that you couldn’t have really had a second thought about, can actually help relieve the pain and make the inflammation reduce really soon.
What Causes the Cold Sores?
Cold sores, as we all know, is caused by a virus called the Herpes Simplex Virus. Yes, it is a form of the herpes virus that causes it. Unlike other viruses, the herpes virus is next to impossible to get rid of. This virus usually would attach itself to our nervous system. Killing it thus becomes a problem and every so often it would rear its ugly head up to remind us that it is still there. Whenever it rears its ugly head up, it surely is a very painful experience and it is also equally unappealing to look at. These cold sore viruses would lay in hibernation and wait to be triggered. There are many reasons that can trigger these viruses, some of the known causes are, lack of sleep, suppressed immunity, malnutrition, stress, PMS and more such reasons can be compiled into volumes.
Here, you are going to find out about some of the simplest of remedies that are available for you to get rid of cold sores at the earliest.
How to Get Rid of Cold Sores with Cold Sore Remedies?
1.) Build Your Immunity to Get Rid of Cold Sores
Like the other herpes viruses, the Herpes simplex virus waits for your immunity to drop. When it does, these viruses immediately activate and try spreading by all means possible. Times when you catch a cold or fever is when your immunity would be compromised and this is when these annoying sores can also be found to break out on your face, neck and other parts of your body. Always make it a point to keep your immunity uncompromised by eating a lot of vitamin c rich foods.
Study has shown that every single one of us has caught this virus one way or another. There may not be a way to get rid of them completely, but you can keep them at bay by ensuring your immunity is top notch and always take preventive measure against flu and cold.
2.) Rest and Hydrate to Get Rid of Cold Sores
One of the simplest remedies to get rid of cold sores would be to rest well and keep your body well hydrated. If 8 ounces of water is what is required to live on a daily basis, you can hydrate your body with 12 to 15 ounces on days you have cold sore outbreaks. The more water goes into your body, the faster the virus can be flushed out of it.
Also when your body rests well during the nights, it becomes easier for your body to fight the virus and flush it out with the excess fluids. When you do not sleep well, your body has to concentrate upon a lot of things including putting you to sleep. So when you sleep at least for 8 hours, on a day you get cold sores, your body has one less thing to worry about and it will flush the virus out soon and effectively.
3.) Eat Right and Reduce Stress to Get Rid of Cold Sores
The outbreak of cold sores can also be attributed to the kind of diet a person consumes. Some people are allergic to food items that are either very salty or very acidic. It would be best to not eat much of the canned or processed and packaged food items like canned soups and vegetables and processed chips of any brand. Even though fruits are supposed to be really good for one’s health, highly acidic food items like citrus fruits, tomatoes, grapefruit and pineapples should be avoided. These fruits should not be eaten fresh, cubed and canned, dried, or in pickled forms either. It would also be good if you can stay away from such fruit juices also.
You would also have to take care of yourself from over stressing. Cold sore outbreaks are directly linked to the amount of stress a person undergoes. Meditate or perhaps chooses yoga to help you deal with your stress better.
4.) Do Not Share to Get Rid of Cold Sores
Cold sores are prone to activating upon immediate contact with the skin. When you share your toiletries or any other personal items, the herpes Simplex Virus will spread and the moment it comes into contact with your skin, it will start acting up.
If you are having guests or friends over at your place, then make certain that you have separate towels and toiletries for them to use. Never share your shaving kits or even makeup for that matter. If your friend or guest has an active cold sore episode, the virus would attach itself to one of the shared items. When you use the same item, it will attach itself to your skin and find a pore to get into your nervous system. Once, it does that you would be forever plagued by this virus. Be on the safe side and do not share your items.
5.) Avoid Skin Contact to Get Rid of Cold Sores
If you think that sharing items made it easy for the virus to spread, then think again because when your skin comes into direct contact with someone else’s skin, the virus jumps and spreads even faster. Kissing someone who has cold sores or exchanging body fluids with the same person only makes matters even worse. The Herpes Simplex is as opportunistic as any other virus. It waits for the right to make its move and there is no better a time for it than sexual encounters. Ensuring your partner is disease free would make things a lot easier for you.
6.) Keep Your Hands Clean to Get Rid of Cold Sores
Thankfully, the virus that causes cold sores is just as simple as any other virus at times. This particular virus can be killed and curbed from passing on to another person by simply keeping your hands clean. All you have to do to kill the virus would be to wash your hands with soap at all times. If you do not have access to water or soap, then always have a bottle of hand sanitizer with you at all times. If you had intentionally or accidentally touched a person’s cold sores, then wash your hands with soap or use the hand sanitizer immediately. Upon such a contact, if you put your hands on your body, you can be rest assured of contracting the cold sore yourself.
7.) Pain Killers and Anesthetic to Get Rid of Cold Sores
Even if you cannot cure the cold sores easily, because killing the herpes simplex virus is impossible, you can still ease the pain and help your body heal itself sooner. One of the best ways to ease the pain would be to use generic pain killers that you can get over the counter or ones that are prescribed by your doctor. You can even try anti-itch creams that are available over the counter and they can definitely help remove the pain that comes with the cold sores. Also, ibuprofen and aspirin are the simplest remedies to take care of such pain. A cold compress or simply applying ice upon the cold sores is a simple yet effective home remedy that can take care of the pain as well. The chillness of the compress would numb out the pain and remove the discomfort easily.
8.) Tea Tree Oil to Get Rid of Cold Sores
If you want to get rid of cold sores really very quickly, then you must try the tea tree oil. We all know that tea tree oil does work magic for the skin and it sure does work wonders upon a cold sore as well. Just remember to mix the oil in a dollop of the petroleum jelly for it last you for a very long time. Also remember that the oil by itself could be too strong for your skin, hence you need to be careful with the amount that you use. Keep a measure of one for ten – for every drop of oil you would have to use ten drops of the petroleum jelly. This would help you dilute the tea tree oil to the right concentration.
9.) Vanilla Extracts to Get Rid of Cold Sores
Just like the hand sanitizer, vanilla extracts are also known to contain small amounts of alcohol in it. It might be in small amounts, but it sure is lethal for the virus, thereby killing it and healing you to get rid of cold sores really soon. You might have a question now that if this home remedy could kill the virus then why do we get the same cold sores again. Simple, even if you kill just one cold sore causing virus with the vanilla extract, there are many more in your body sleeping and waiting to be activated. One wrong move from our end becomes conducive for the virus to thrive and make your life miserable.
10.) Licorice Root to Get Rid of Cold Sores
Some may find licorice to be very repulsive thanks to its strong aroma and taste, but this condiment can be beneficial to stop the herpes simplex virus dead on it tracts. Recently, researchers have found that the roots of licorice contain Glycyrhizic Acid which is known to be one of the best anti-viral and anti-inflammatory medicines available to man.
You can either chew on licorice roots or some whips of licorice. If you do not like strong tastes, then this may not be the best way to consume it. Instead, get some licorice powder where the roots and the whips are dried and powdered. You can make a tea with the powder or make an infusion with the fresh whips and roots. You can also make a paste with the licorice powder and some rose water to make an aromatic and soothing anti-viral paste. Either way, this home remedy can easily get rid of cold sores really soon.
11.) Lactose and Lactic Acid to Get Rid of Cold Sores
If you thought that only people can be lactose intolerant, then think again. Milk, as you would know well, is rich in immunoglobin simply because milk was actually blood before it was converted to milk. These are antibodies, that are necessary in fighting anything that does not belong in your body. Milk is also rich in lactic acid which works well with the immunoglobins to kill the virus and help to get rid of cold sores.
Only fresh milk helps to kill the herpes simplex virus. Please do not expect the best of results with the processed and chemically modified milk that you would get at the nearest store in large. Look for a farmer to get some fresh mil to apply on the cold sores. All you need would be some fresh milk and cotton swabs to dab the milk on the cold sores. You can alternatively get cream and face washes that have lactic acid in them.
12.) Use Mint to Get Rid of Cold Sores
You can also get your hands on some peppermint oil or mint oil as well. All you have to do is wait for the cold sore to erupt and then you can apply the oil on it. Peppermint oil would only be able to kill the virus once it comes out into the open and no longer hidden in the safe space of your skin. With just a wipe of the cotton swab that has peppermint oil, you can easily kill the virus. Remember that drinking the peppermint oil will not help since the cold sore virus does not live in your stomach, rather, it resides directly underneath your skin.
13.) Hydrogen Peroxide to Get Rid of Cold Sores
At some point of time or another, someone or another have used hydrogen peroxide on us. Be it just a scrape or a regular bruise we have had a good cleaning with a large cotton was that had the ever so unforgiving sting of hydrogen peroxide. The reason people use this on wounds, cuts and bruises is because it is a very effective cleanser that bubbles the dirt off of the surface, thus making it even easier to clean.
Apart from doing a really good job at cleaning, hydrogen peroxide is also known to kill germs effectively. This is why we recommend using hydrogen peroxide on your cold sores. It would first thoroughly clean the sore and effectively kill the terrible herpes simplex virus without a problem.
14.) Echinacea Tea to Get Rid of Cold Sores
For those of you who did not know this, Echinacea tea actually helps cure almost everything that could possibly go wrong with the body’s immunity. This tea is known to regulate immunity effectively. It helps increase the immunity in your body thus making it very difficult for various viruses affect you. But if you are asking if it would help to drink this tea after catching the herpes simplex virus, then I have to say that yes it would help in a tremendous way.
This tea would ensure that the virus does not get activated too often. It means that the frequency of the cold sore outbreak is minimized to a large extent. Regular consumption of this tea would also ensure that the cold sores do not last long after an outbreak.
15.) Vitamins to Get Rid of Cold Sores
As you would know, we need white blood cells in our body to fight, kill and dispose a virus or bacteria that is not good for us. The herpes simplex virus is definitely not good for us and we need excess white blood cells to effectively take it out! Vitamin C is proven to build our immunity by increasing the production of white blood cells. So make certain that you eat a lot of vitamin C rich food items or make certain that you take vitamin C supplements to help your body fight the cold sore infection.
You can also look for vitamin E ointments to help soothe the irritation and the pain that comes with cold sores. Look for a cream with anti-inflammation properties and vitamin E to work better.
Remember that citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C. Consuming them will help your body produce more white blood cells, but at the same time, it will also aggravate the cold sores very badly. So stick to supplements or look for food items that are rich in vitamin c and at the same time are not acidic.
16.) Aloe Vera to Get Rid of Cold Sores
Aloe Vera is known to be one of the most effective moisturizer, conditioner and soother available for the skin. If you can get your hands on some fresh Aloe Vera gel, then there is nothing like it. If you can’t, it is still alright to do better with some Aloe Vera gel that you get in the stores. Use this gel on your cold sores to soothe the pain effectively. The gel from the Aloe Vera plant is also known to fight any skin infections and kill the germs that cause it. In the case of a cold sore, Aloe Vera gel can easily kill the germs and cure the sores in just a couple of days.
17.) Sunscreen to Get Rid of Cold Sores
When you step out in the sun, it would be best if you can cover your face and other exposed parts of your body with some good sunscreen lotion. It has been found by researchers that the UVA rays from the sunlight are one of the most common causes for a cold sore outbreak. Every time you step out into the sun, wear a sunscreen that has a minimum 30+ as it is the sun protection factor or SPF. Sunscreen lotion with an SPF lesser than 30 is just as good as not wearing it at all.
Make sure that you apply another layer or two of the sunscreen lotion on the cold sore to protect it even further. Such sunscreen lotions would also help your body by preventing it from having a cold sore outbreak.
18.) Prevention to Get Rid of Cold Sores
We, by now, have figured out that there is no cure for a cold sore. The only thing that we can do is ensure that the cold sore outbreak is bearable and that it leaves the body soon. We may not be able to flush the herpes simplex virus out of our body completely, but we sure can make certain that it does not activate any times soon. You can be proactive and takes some really effective medication to keep the virus dormant. Like we saw earlier, it would be best to work on your immunity so that the virus doesn’t make use of your suppressed immune system. The best way to prevent an outbreak would be to use your common sense. Do not keep doing things or eating things that might lead to an outbreak. Help your body and mind stay calm so you do not succumb to this ugly virus.
19.) Wash Away to Get Rid of Cold Sores
Apart from washing your hands regularly, it would be best to wash your face with a medicated soap on a regular basis to get rid of cold sores. This would protect your facial skin from all sorts of issues and most importantly, it would ensure that your face does not have a cold sore outbreak often. By washing your face regularly, you would keep your face clean and fresh. The medication found in the face wash or the soap will help in cleaning all the germs that could have stuck to your skin. Such germs could also lead to activating the cold sores. So snipping these germs would help you keep your face free from cold sores. After an outbreak of the cold sores, you have to wash your face regularly with the same medicated soap or face wash. This would ensure that the virus that has surfaced now is killed by the medication. When the virus is killed, the cold sore will also vanish soon.
21.) Witch Hazel Pack to Get Rid of Cold Sores
All Native American tribes believed in the miracles of natural medicine. This belief led them to find medicinal plants and herbs that helped in taking care of almost all ailments in the past. One such medicinal plant that can work wonders on cold sores would be the Witch Hazel plant. Native American tribes have used the barks of the witch hazel trees and its leaves for a very long time to cure many ailments. One such ailment that can be cured with it would be the cold sore.
Thanks to the advancement in the field of medicine and technology, you do not now have to go on a trip to locate this plant or strip it bare for its medicinal leaves and bark. You can just walk into a general pharmacy and ask for a bottle of Witch Hazel Hydrosol. Once you get it, you just need to put a few drops on a wad of cotton and press it directly on the cold sore. Wait till the solution is absorbed into the skin and in just a day, you would start seeing a difference in the cold sore on your face.
22.) Cornstarch to Get Rid of Cold Sores
If you thought that corn starch came in handy only in the culinary field, then you are very grossly mistaken. Cornstarch has a really nice texture that can soothe any sore easily and the cold sores are no exception to it. All you would have to do is take a teaspoon of cornstarch and mix it with a little rose water. This would form a really smooth and aromatic paste which can then be applied to the cold sore. The rose water will add the necessary chillness to the cornstarch thus making it feel very pleasant upon applying it.
You can alternatively use some of the leftover Echinacea tea, licorice root tea or some milk instead of the rose water. However, using rose water is both aromatic and cooling upon the skin.
23.) Fuller’s Earth to Get Rid of Cold Sores
Fuller’s earth is sworn to be one of the most effective treatment to get rid of cold sores. We all know how fuller’s earth mixed with the right liquid can make the best moisturizing and cleansing paste and not to forget the best scrub available. You can now use fuller’s earth also to treat and soothe the cold sore.
If you wish to get the best use out of fuller’s earth after an outbreak of the cold sores, then it would be best to make a paste to cover only that area. You can either use licorice tea, rose water, milk or Echinacea tea to make the paste. Apply a small dollop on the cold sore and let it dry. The wonderful liquid ingredients that went into making this paste would kill the virus while the clay would help soothe and seal the outbreak.
You can also make a cold sore preventive face pack with fuller’s earth. Just make the same pack as mentioned about in large quantities and apply it all over your neck and face. This would provide the same benefits as above for the entire face and also work as a good scrub after it dries.
24.) Azadirachta Indica (Neem) to Get Rid of Cold Sores
Azadirachta Indica (Neem) is a medicinal plant that is native to Asian countries and it is quite popular in India. Its medicinal properties are still well known in these countries that people use it for various ailments. All parts of the neem plant contain anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-parasite properties. The leaf of this plant, however, seems to have much of the concentration of these properties.
It would be best if you can make a jar of neem leaf paste and refrigerate it for later use. Every time there is a cold sore outbreak, just apply a little of the paste on the sore for the virus to be killed and for the sore to heal fast. Whatever you do, do not ingest the neem leaf since it is one of the bitterest substances that could be found on this planet.
You can also make a fuller’s earth face pack with fresh neem leaves. If you do not live in one of the Asian countries, then finding the leaves might be difficult. A quick trip to the nearby Indian store, however, can help you find these leaves in powdered form. Just use milk or rose water to the dried powder to make your paste.
25.) Pharmaceutical Products to Get Rid of Cold Sores
There are few pharmaceutical hacks that you can try to help you soothe the cold sore’s pain and to heal it really soon. The very first product that you can use is a drying ointment. Anything that says alcohol can easily help in drying a cold sore. Ointments like Blistex will help heal the cold sores fast.
In the case of excess irritation or pain, you can also use lip balm. This would protect the cold sore affected skin from pollution, dust and the UVA rays of the sun. You can also use an ointment that contains zinc oxide to do this work. Styptic pencils can be used to protect your cold sore from bleeding, help it heal soon and also negate the pain caused by the cold sore.
As for the very last pharmaceutical hack, make sure you use eye drops that are designed to remove irritation and the redness from your eyes. These drops can also help in removing the redness and the pain in the cold sore.
