You know the signs, that tell-tale little tingling sensation that signals you’re in for a real treat, a cold sore is on the way. Zovirax can be a good first line of defence and is very successful at keeping cold sores at bay, but it needs to be applied at the tingling stage. Not so useful if they appear in the morning as most of mine do. When you awake at night to that itching niggling feeling do you always leap out of bed and hunt for the cold sore cream? No, you don’t, you roll over and go back to sleep and pray for a miracle.
When you wake up the next day with the beginnings of one of these little lovelies you know it’s time to take action. Once a cold sore has erupted and begun its blistery miserable life it’s no fun at all and they can be really painful, but there are lots of things you can do to shorten it’s life span, and to prevent them coming back.
Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus and once contracted can lay dormant in nerve cells for years. Triggers include being run down, getting stressed, menstrual cycle, exposure to direct sunlight and even certain foods. There is no cure for cold sores. If you’ve had one, chances are you’ll get them again, but there are loads of natural remedies and actions you can take to minimise attacks.
Here are my Do’s and Don’ts for surviving, minimising and banishing those cold sores for good!
Do’s
- Keep it clean – Make sure you keep the cold sore and area around it clean by washing with warm soapy water but be very gentle. Perhaps even use cotton wool, and pat dry very carefully. It can be very easy to whip the scab off which will prolong healing.
- Eat food that’s rich in Lysine e.g. Dairy products, potatoes, legumes (peas, lentils, beans) meat (specifically red meat, pork, and poultry), cheese (particularly parmesan), certain fish (such as cod and sardines), nuts, eggs, soyabeans (particularly tofu, isolated soy protein, and defatted soyabean flour), spirulina, and fenugreek seed and brewer’s yeast all contain lysine.
- Take L-Lysine supplements – This amino acid supplement hinders the growth of the virus so can really aid healing and stop spreading.
- Use a separate towel and face cloth – For the simple reason that cold sores spread so easily, if you or anyone else in the family has a cold sore, make sure everyone else knows not to use their towel to prevent contamination.
- Use an anaesthetic ointment to numb – It will help to alleviate the pain if you have a particularly bad bout
- Take painkillers – They will just take the edge off the pain of your cold sore.
- Get lots of rest – One of the key triggers is being run down so make sure you get good and regular sleep. Cold sores don’t like that!
- Take vitamin supplements – Vitamin supplements such as zinc, vitamin E, B to help heal your skin.
- Boost your immune system – Take Echinacea or other immune boosting supplements to help knock cold sore attacks on the head
- Keep it moisturised – Simple vaseline or petroleum jelly will do the trick, but there are loads of cold sore and chapped lip creams. Keeping your cold sore moisturised will aid healing, but make sure you always wash your hands after application
- Get plenty of exercise – Exercise bolsters the immune system so don’t hide away. Get out there and get some fresh air; it’s a really effective way to fight off stress.
- Try a cold pack – Ice can help dull the pain so try a cold pack or compress to numb the discomfort.
- Learn to combat and cope with stress – Try yoga, pilates or meditation as great stress busters to keep you on an even keel.
- Protect your lips – Make sure you wear a good sun-screen lip balm in direct sunlight as this can trigger cold sores.
Don’ts
- Eat foods rich in Arginine e.g. Chocolate, Cola, beer and peanuts
- Eat salty acidic food – Crisps, lemon and similar foods will aggravate your cold sore.
- Kiss or perform oral sex – Cold sores are extremely easy to spread and pass on through physical contact so don’t feel tempted.
- Touch, scratch or pick it – Physical contact with these little blighters can encourage them to spread very easily so when you do treat it, wash your hands and then avoid contact.
- Get it wet! – Cold sore scabs can be very fragile, so avoid licking it or getting it wet if you can. Don’t go swimming and try to keep it out of the water when you shower. Wash the cold sore gently in warm soapy water.
- Let it get you down – Cold sores can be really painful and miserable, so take it easy and be kind to yourself. Ignore them and pretend they aren’t there!
- Wear make-up Avoid using lipstick as you could contaminate it with the virus.
- Keep your toothbrush in the bathroom – Moisture prolongs the life of the cold sore virus to make sure you dry it out, keep it in the bedroom instead so any virus cells won’t survive and spread back onto your lips before it’s fully healed.
It’s good to see far more Do’s than Don’ts here, and as if that’s not enough for you to be going on with, here are some other natural remedies that I’ve gleaned from friends, family and fellow cold sore sufferers.
- Zovirax - Available in most chemists this is the first line of defence when you feel tingling. It contains aciclovir which helps prevent the cold sore taking hold. Boots, Lloyds and other pharmacies often do their own brand which is much cheaper than Zovirax. Careful when you open these little tubes as you can end up with the half the contents spewing out when you only want a tiny bit.
- Toothpaste – Dab some directly onto the cold sore. It dries them out!
- Witch Hazel – Using cotton wool dab some onto the cold sore. Witch Hazel has natural healing qualities.
- Corsodyl gel – Also available at the chemists. Not tried this one out yet.
- Whisky – I didn’t discover whether this remedy involved application to the cold sore or drinking, or perhaps both. I’ll leave that up to you…
- Colloidal Silver – Can also be dabbed onto the cold sore to aid healing. You can get this in most health food shops in liquid form and you can keep it in the fridge.
- Eue de toillete – The alcohol dries up the cold sore but also stings!
- Licorice – Make sure it’s real licorice and not flavoured.
- Milk – Soak cotton wool in milk and dab onto the cold sore
Cold sores can also be triggered by food allergies so if you do keep getting recurrent cold sores start a food and symptoms diary and try to pin point what foods are causing it.
What are your cold sore remedies? What works for you to banish these little horrors? I usually give mine a name like Colin or Clary – bring in a bit of humour. Let em know I’m not bovvered. It usually does the trick!
No related posts.
As if almost by magic, the writing of this article spurred on a flurry of tingling lips this morning. I whipped out the zovirax, popped a Beroca and L-Lysine capsule and skipped off to bell ringing and church. Have I knocked this one on the head? I almost hope not so I can try some of these remedies but no movement to report. Cold sore be gone! I suspect the glass of white wine that accompanied the writing. Perhaps that’s one of my triggers! What a shame…
Carmex for Cold sores, I think only avaialble in the US is brilliant too. A friend bought me some back recently.
Carmex only makes cold sores more shiny and noticeable!
Hi Heidi, I’m not sure it’s the best thing to use but some people swear by it. It’s supposed to aid healing but I’m not sure I like the smell of Carmex either. Can’t beat a bit of tea tree oil
I agree with keeping it moisturized and clean, and the toothpaste technique works too. Using a separate towel and face cloth follows the same thoughts I have for utensils and cups. Don’t let other people touch items that touch your sores.
The toothpaste technique does indeed work but you get some funny looks if you go out and forget you have a dab of white stuff on your lip!
Toothpaste didn’t work for me at all it just made my lip and the cold sore bigger.
Ouch! Sorry for suggesting it then. I tried it and not sure it made a massive difference for me, but it didn’t make it worse. Hope you’re not suffering too much. Just need to dry out the little blighters. I take L-Lysine supplements and also Zinc and Vitamin E and Echinacea when I get a cold sore. Or Impetigo which I also suffer from. Main thing is to not spread it and use separate towels etc. so noone else in family catches. Hope it’s gone soon.
Ruth, I also suffer from cold sores and impetigo. I think mine may go hand in hand, but when I realize that something is headed towards the “look” of impetigo, I start dabbing it with tea tree oil. It helps immensely. It’s a natural antiseptic (or so I read) and it seems to make a difference. Just thought I’d throw some help back your way!
Great idea Brittany. I do have tea tree which is great in the bath water if you have eczema. I’ll try it on impetigo next time. Not had it for a while… touch face! It really is horrid. It starts off with the nerves and skin on my face just hurting. I know the signs now so next time I’ll dab on some tea tree
The last time I got cold soars I was 8 years old. 13 years later (Im now 21), I get them almost every month. How did they stay at bay during those 13 years of no cold sores. What was I doing right????
Who knows, perhaps puberty made you more run down, more stressed. Are you a worryer? I am and I know that they are worse and more frequent when I’m stressed. No easy feat but if you can pinpoint stuff that stresses you out and try to avoid getting stressed out it helps.! Good luck.
I had exactly the same problem as you. i used to get ‘cold sores’ really badly when i was younger. They stopped for a while and then came back with a vengeance until i discovered that i had developed an egg allergy (Not Baked Goods but Eggs mayo anything like that) since i stopped eating eggs or mayo i have not had a single cold sore i thought it was because i was taking l lysine supplements but took them so infrequently that it wasn’t until this winter that i realized i hadn’t had a single cold sore with no tablets. I usually start getting them in September and they carry on till February it is now march and no cold sores. i had some caesar dressing without thinking and my whole face began to tingle it was then that i worked out what the problem was, a quick dosage of antihistimenes and my face was no longer tingly and no nasty cold sores thank god as if having allergys and bad eczema isnt bad enough without herpes too.
Anyway my point is seeing that you stopped having them for so long it could not even be a cold sore it may be an allergy so good luck
I eat anything related to a pig and I get cold sores. Pork is Geletin < – — It's in alot of candys, chocolate bars, some drinks, pudding, jelo
It has been the worst experience really figuring out what I was allergic to. I am 23 now.. I learned when I was young I couldn't eat bacon and ham but it took me awhile to realize alot of stuff has pork in it.
I avoid eating these things because a cold sore on your face makes you feel ugly and it sucks when people look at you and wonder why I have a cold sore. As much as id like to say its because im allergic to pork, I really don't like to explain it so I just let people think whatever unless they ask!
The worst part about it is… I'll get cold sores occasionally because hot dog packs say ALL BEEF
and I end up with a cold sore and its like what the H*** they should specify if theres pork in this stuff!!
I know I get them when I eat certain things. I’m pleased to hear from someone else who does since my doctor says there is no link, just that I’m run down. Not pleased for you obviously… sorry! If I eat eggs that are runny I get a cold sore, not every time, but if I have them twice in a week I definitely will. Lots of processed foods give me one too. It’s a nightmare. They really are nasty little critters. Good luck with the pork avoidance. By the way, have you heard of pork cat syndrome? Are you also allergic to cat dander?
I got a little confused…you say that we should moisturize it but in the same time using toothpaste and other things to dry them out? o.o
Hi Veni! Yes it does sound confusing doesn’t it? I find I’m far more likely to get one if my lips are chapped and dry, so keeping them moisturised with vaseline etc. should help prevent you getting them so often, but they also do heal quicker if you use a suitable moisuriser. Like Zovirax which contains acyclovir, which cold sores don’t like. Anything would help though. However, if you’ve got a real whopper that’s at the throbby nasty blistery phase, I sometimes put something on to dry it out. Which I think is where the toothpaste, whisky and eu du toilet come in. If you can dry out the scab so it’s on it’s way out, and then moisturise it so it heals quicker and is less painful. I’m not sure the toothpaste worked for me when I tried it but someone did suggest it worked for them.
Hey,
I’ve been getting cold sores almost once a month for the last ten years ( I’m 21 ) and the worst part is that I don’t only get them on my lips but also on my nose and chin. Everything I’ve been told to do helps only if I do it before the blisters appear and I haven’t found anything that makes them go away faster – they usually last between one and two weeks. You say that you shouldn’t put make up on it but it looks horrible having a big red block on your face. How can I make it look less obvious?
I find that mine come as a result of an allergic reaction. So the can be pretty frequent when I’m not in control of what I’m eating. Food can trigger cold sores, so then no matter how hard you try to avoid stress and do all the right things, they’re gonna get you if you don’t realise this. It could be worth keeping a good and symptoms diary to see if you can spot any patterns there. Not what you eat, how you felt, and any physical symptoms like a cold sore! Whey they are on your face they can be actually impetigo or something else… I feel for you though. They really are nasty. I darn’t say it but I haven’t had one for a while…
I get really bad cold sores around my mouth. I think that hot air from my hair dryer blown over it indirectly helps them feel better, but I don’t know if it actually works. Some articles I have read said to try and dry them out– which the hair dryer does– and other articles say to keep them moist so the skin stays intact better. Any thoughts?
Do’s:
Keep the cold sore clean by washing with warm soapy water
Don’ts:
Get it wet!
Do’s:
Keep it moisturised
Don’ts:
Moisture prolongs the life of the cold sore virus, make sure you dry it out
Do’s:
Get lots of rest
Get plenty of exercise
Really? I mean did you just make half of this up or do you genuinely believe you know what you’re talking about?
Monkey!
1. You do need to keep the cold sore clean, esp if it gets really bad. Washing with soapy water will get it clean and prob also help to dry it out in the long run as soap can be drying. But in general you wouldn’t want to go swimming or blast it with shower water as it does tend to break the scab.
2. To avoid getting cold sores keeping your lips mositurised is important. And whilst you do want to let the cold sore dy out, there are some soothing balms that will really help to heal it if applied reguarly and help it heal much quicker than if you left it completely to dry. Ultimately it does need to form a crust, dry out and die.
3. Now this one is really stupid. You can still get plenty of exercise in the day and have an early night and get plenty of sleep. I’m not suggesting you exercise day and night!
I certainly never make stuff up. This is my blog where I share my thoughts, my experiences and I try to research things properly and would never claim to be an expert. I’m just a person with allergies and experience of having a LOT of cold sores. So I’ve learnt and sought ideas from others. Some of things above were things people suggested might work but they’re not all my ideas.
Are you a cold sore expert? I’d love to hear how you think people could avoid getting them. After all, blogs are all about openness and sharing. Thanks for dropping by.
Ruth
Apologies if my post came across as rude, I’m just frustrated that I can’t get a simple yes or no to using moisturiser on my cold sore.
I’m not an expert on cold sores, just someone who unfortunately suffers with more allergies than anyone I’ve ever met.
Fortunately I hardly ever get cold sores, when I do it’s always from being run down and under the weather (lack of sleep, too much time in the gym, working late etc). I only ever get cold sores on the corner of my nose and always with other symptoms (such as a cold, sore throat, headache, watery eyes, fatigue), which is why I find your advice to exercise strange when I feel out of energy walking down the stairs. I’m currently trying to find out whether I should be applying a moisturiser to my cold sore or leaving it dry but can’t find the answer anywhere on the internet. I have been increasing my Vitamin C intake (pure orange juice) to try and help my immune system fight of this virus but you’ve said to avoid acidic foods. You also say eat Dairy but approximately 3 weeks ago I completely stopped Dairy intake as part of an anti acne diet (which is working very well). I’m currently drinking oat milk with cereal/protein shakes to obtain calcium. I don’t want to go back to dairy as I’ve suffered from very bad acne for more than 10 years.
As for allergies, they do really worry me, I’m 24 now and the older I get the more allergies I discover. Just to list a few allergies: dust (severe), hay fever (severe), fresh cut grass (severe – causes breathing problems), cat hair (severe), dog hair, smaller animal hair (guinea pigs etc) and recently discovered Soya milk (whilst finding an alternative to dairy I had an anaphylactic reaction to soya milk which caused severe breathing problems), I also used to suffer from asthma between the ages of 14-21 but less so now. I’m also allergic to casein protein (again anaphylactic reaction). Not sure if sensitive teeth and eyes count, white table cloths and white walls in the summer cause me terrible eye pain and headaches
Hi Monkey
Well it did come across as a bit ranty, but we all have days like that. It is frustrating with all these things like allergies, eczema, cold sores etc. We’re all different, so what works for me might not work for you. I find tea tree oil works well on my cold sores. Can sting a bit but helps to dry it out. Sometimes I do use zovirax to moisturise the cold sore but that really works best if you can get it before it erupts. Impossible most of the time because I wake up with a fully fledged cold sore normally. I do find it helps me to moisturise them a little bit, just because they can be so sore, but always wash your hands after touching the cold sore so you don’t spread the germs.
Getting run down is one of the key triggers. It sounds like that is your trigger. I also get then if I eat the wrong foods but it’s probably linked because recovering from allergic reactions I do feel terribly run down. If you are getting plenty of exercise then the exercise comment isn’t so important. What I mean by this is get out and have some fresh air, go for a walk, do some yoga, but not run around on a treadmill, especially if your body doesn’t want or need that. Exercise does give your more energy though in the long run. Unless you overdo it. If you feel exchausted then have a quite night in, but if you continue to feel exhausted something isn’t right and exercise can often help to stimulate everything. It’s all a balancing act, getting that life/work balance right. It’s not easy.
It’s so hard to stop and take time out. You’ve got to be kind to yourself and learn when to slow down, when to have an early night, when to give the gym a miss. Often it’s too late though and before you know it you’re run down again. Some people just don’t seem to have this problem but I do. I get incredibly run down very easily and I don’t like to give in either, so I’ll still go and play tennis in the rain and then wonder why I wake up with a cold sore.
Allergies really worry me too. I am collecting them every year. I have allergies to cats, dogs and other animals, horses very bad, dust, mould, ALL dairy, all nuts, tomatoes, celery and coriander. Intolerant to eggs and not sure about soya. I get anaphylaxis to celery, dairy and nuts and just terrible skin rashes, hives and skin splitting open from tomatoes. Also latex, nickel. Anything else? I seem to be collecting them as I go along, so I try to eat as many things as I can, and to eat eggs (only an intolerance) and wheat which can cause me bloating when I can as I dont’ want an allergy to anything else.
Dairy is an interesting one. Apparently the cold sore virus doesn’t like dairy, but if you find it isn’t good for you then this obviously doesn’t apply. I can’t eat any dairy so I don’t know if this works or not. LLysine supplement will also hinder the growth and function of the herpes virus so that can help too.
I do find enzyme digest pills help. If I eat out or have eggs or wheat I take one. Acidophilus bacteria helps me too. Echincacea for getting run down. You’ve just got to keep smiling, keep learning and try to recognise when you’re getting run down. I’m not good at this myself but I am getting better with age.
Good luck Monkey! Hope you don’t get any more allergies or cold sores.
Nail polish remover! It removed almost all the blisters it just gave
Me a very fat lil. But I would rather have a fat lip then cold sore blisters. Then wash your hands frequently do the nail polish remover for five minutes every hour or two also abreva and Ice.
Well this is a really interesting one Jeanne. I have never tried this. Not quite looking forward to my next cold sore, but I’ll try this out to see if it works. PS. what’s Abreva?
What country do you live in Jeanne? I’m in the UK and never seem Abreva. I’ll look out for it now thought. We have Zovirax over here.
Whats Abriva??? Ruth, you’re posting about cold sores and don’t know about Abriva. It’s an over the counter cold sore topical ointment. I have found I can not use an ointment because it spreads and makes it AWFUL. I have a prescription for Valtrex and it works wonders, if you catch it soon enough. I have also found acidic foods(kiwi, orange juice, lemons) make those puppies show their ugly faces! Also, when I am outside in the sun or tanning in the tanning bed I get a break out:( I take my Valtrex, apply ice packs, stay away from acidic foods, and keep that sucker as dry as possible!!!
Didn’t mean for the Abriva comment to sound snotty!
Well it did a bit Melissa, but I encourage all heated debates. What country do you live in? I’m wondering whether we are in different countries and perhaps different brand names are causing the confusion. Am looking out for both Abreva (Abriva?) and Valtrex now… we only have Zovirax here in the UK which contains a drug called aciclovir which fights the cold sore virus…
L-Lysine has been the most effective treatment for me. When I feel the tingle, I immediately ingest at least 3000 mg of L-Lysine and take 500 to 100 mg vitamin C pills. Then I’ll keep taking lysine incrementally throughout the day. I don’t know if it’s actually necessary for me to eat that many, but psychologically, it helps me feel like I am fighting the virus. Herpes needs arginine to multiply. Lysine and Arginine compete for the same cell resources. Therefore, the higher your lysine to arginine ratio, the less “food” the virus has to grow. Then the Vitamin C boosts your immune system to jumpstart the process. When I do this, the cold sores never grow big or unsightly, and pretty much dries out and dies before even getting a chance to get big. I’m sure people react differently, but based on the science, I’m pretty sure the lysine overdose method will do wonders.
Do you think applying after shave to the Cold sore would be potentially bad for it. I know it needs to dry in order for it to heal. But Alcohol will just destroy my skin, wouldn’t it?
No not really. It might sting a bit but ultimately it would dry out the sore. I’ve used eu de cologne before it seemed to work. Check out the comment above though. I take LLysine too and I think it really works if you’re plagued with them. Good luck.