How to Heal a Cold Sore

One of the hardest parts in dealing with a cold sore, is that it is visible to the world. It takes a total of nine to twelve days for the cold sore to complete its process. Pain and swelling is a common symptom. They will grow and then when they are done with the stages of development they will become dry. Be careful when your cold sore starts to dry though, because it may leave a scar.

However, there are a few things you can do to help you win the fight against a cold sore.

The area that is affected should be cleaned regularly with anti-bacterial swabs, and later cleaned well with a cotton ball. You will need to be cautious, and not have any contact with the area, when you experience any itching, swelling, or pain. This is another one of the three stages of a cold sore. You can spread the virus to others, and even on yourself, if you touch the cold sore. If this does occur, make sure to was your hands, to stop any more contamination.

After you have cleaned your cold sore with the anti-bacterial agent and patted it dry with cotton, you will then want to put some DMSO or Zinc on your cold sore. Using the zinc on your cold sore, will help to speed up the healing process. Zinc will speed the healing process up by at least thirty percent, which is very a helpful recommendation.

DMSO is also very effective because it penetrates exposed skin cells and kills bacteria within the blister. Since herpes simplex cannot live in an environment that contains oxygen, it is referred to as anaerobic. Using the DMSO medication every other day, will stop the fever blister from coming back.

Applying toothpaste on the cold sore can soothe the pain associated with the growth. When applying the toothpaste, you need cover the full cold sore formation. The reason this is a very popular treatment is that it can help dry out the area of your sores and it also contains many ingredients that can sooth the itching and pain.

Exercise outside can help you take in more oxygen which helps kill the unwanted anaerobic bacteria inside your body. If you don't already have healthy habits, you are working against any medicine you can take. Once you get rid of your cold sore, you should continue using good health practices, or it may return.