Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsOverviewTreatmentWhat Not to DoPreventionWhen to Seek Professional Help
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Overview
Treatment
What Not to Do
Prevention
When to Seek Professional Help
Cold sores (fever blisters)can be a painful nuisance that often potentiates stress and embarrassment in daily life. And without treatment, cold sores can take up to 10 days to disappear.
To make matters worse, there is no permanent cure for theherpes virus(the virus that causes cold sores). Instead, the available treatment options can help to heal cold sores faster and ease symptoms.
Fortunately, various treatment choices are available in the United States to help manage cold sores. Options include natural remedies, over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, and prescription drugs.
Additionally,antiviral medicationscan be prescribed to treat new or recurrent episodes and work to shorten the duration of symptoms.
Read on to learn more about how to treat cold sores, including what you should and shouldn’t do to eliminate them.
Getty Images / Kuzenkova Yuliya
What Are Cold Sores?
After some time, these blisters break, forming scabs that can last for several days to weeks. While most cold sores heal after a few weeks, some can leave scars.
HSV-1 is the most common cause of cold sores in and around the mouth, but HSV-2 can also cause them.
How to Treat Cold Sores
And within the United States, nearly 50% of people under 50 had HSV-1 in 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As a result, there are many approaches to treating cold sores, from prescription to OTC medications and home remedies.
If you’re experiencing a cold sore for the first time, or if your cold sores seem to worsen with treatment, you should consult a healthcare provider to determine the best treatment plan.
Home Remedies
Home remedies can help relieve discomfort associated with cold sores.
Some examples of home remedies include using protective lip balms, applying warm compresses, and icing the area.
Alternative Therapies
Alternative therapies, also known as natural remedies, can help to reduce the painful symptoms of cold sores, but they may not work for everyone.
Alternative remedies for treating cold sores includealoe vera,tea treeandpeppermintoils, andlysine.
Pharmaceutical Options
OTC options include:
Rx options include:
Keep in mind that Rx antiviral drugs do not cure a viral infection.Even after the cold sore heals, the virus will remain in your body and can get reactivated in the future.
Also, antiviral medications do not prevent you from being contagious. When cold sores are present, you can still transmit HSV to others during antiviral treatment.
How Not to Treat a Cold Sore
Some of the following tips might seem like common sense, but it’s worth noting what not to do when you have a cold sore.
These tips can heal your cold sore more quickly:
Preventing Cold Sores
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent future cold sores.
Best practices include:
See a healthcare provider if your cold sore worsens or becomes more painful, spreads further, or does not clear up within two weeks.
You should also consult a healthcare provider if you haveeczemaand get a cold sore. If an HSV infection spreads to the open skin of eczema patches, an eczema herpeticum can occur.
Early treatment with antiviral medications can prevent this infection from worsening, so seeking medical care is essential.
Because of their less-developed immune systems, children and infants with eczema are particularly susceptible to this infection.
Summary
Cold sores are a common symptom of the HSV-1 virus. It is transmitted through oral contact or kissing.
While cold sores can be uncomfortable, there are measures you can take to ease the pain and get rid of them faster.
OTC and prescription medications are available to treat cold sores. Some people find relief with home remedies, alternative therapies, or a combination of approaches.
Correction - September 8, 2023: This article was updated to include lysine as an alternative therapy.
20 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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