Treatment of cold sores

Effective treatment of cold sores – how and when

Many Danes suffer from cold sores, which are both painful and contagious. The condition can worsen during the winter months, when the air is dry and the immune system may not be at its peak.

During this period, many herpes patients experience more frequent and longer-lasting outbreaks of annoying and very bothersome cold sores, which often follow one another in a long line. And since herpes is highly contagious, it's important to be careful who you come close to when the cold sore is in full bloom.

For example, children are quite susceptible to the herpes virus. When children get herpes, the disease is usually accompanied by pain and discomfort, sometimes even fever and flu-like symptoms.

Once you have herpes, the virus cannot be removed. Although there are several forms of treatment, you cannot be cured because the virus cannot be removed from the human body. If you have children, you should therefore not kiss them while your herpes is in an outbreak, and you should maintain strict hand hygiene to ensure that the virus is not transmitted to them.

This can be very annoying for both children and parents and can be stressful – especially if one outbreak follows another. Fortunately, there are medications that can reduce the severity of the outbreaks and alleviate the symptoms that accompany a herpes outbreak. Below you can learn more about herpes and how to prevent and treat cold sores.

How to heal a cold sore the fastest?

From the initial symptoms of a herpes outbreak to the final healing, it can take anywhere from a week to a fortnight. The first signs that you are developing a cold sore are as follows:

• Redness and swelling of the skin
• A tightening and tingling – possibly burning – sensation in the affected area
• Eruption of fluid-filled blisters

If you want to help a cold sore heal, the first thing you need to do is keep your fingers away. If you pick at a cold sore on your lip, you risk, first, making it worse, making it take longer for the sore to heal, and second, spreading the infection. And at the same time, you increase the likelihood of bacteria getting into the sore and scarring the skin.

Without treatment, a typical cold sore will heal on its own within a week to ten days. The first sign of healing is when the blisters become covered with a crust. Again, it is important not to pick at the crust – the wound needs time to heal. Within 7 to 10 days, the crusts will fall off and the skin will heal on its own without scarring.

If you want to relieve pain and discomfort and shorten the course, you should start treatment as soon as you notice the initial symptoms. If you only start treatment once the ulcer has broken out, the treatment will have little effect.

The annoying cold sores are caused by a virus called Herpes Simplex 1, usually abbreviated HSV-1. What is herpes – get the answer to the question here .

How do you treat cold sores?

Once you are infected with the herpes virus, it is there forever. The body will produce antibodies against the type of virus you are infected with, and there are medications for treating cold sores that can help relieve symptoms. However, the virus cannot be suppressed to the point where you are 100% out of the risk zone when it comes to cold sore outbreaks.

The common treatments for herpes on the lip are medications for internal and external use. The former type is available on prescription from your doctor in the form of tablets, which should be taken from the moment you notice the first symptoms.

Herpes creams or gels are available over the counter and should also be applied as soon as you feel the burning and tingling sensation in your skin. With this type of herpes treatment, you can alleviate the symptoms and pain of the sores and ensure that your outbreak does not last long.

You can choose to treat your cold sores with QUR Herpes Gel, which is a cooling and soothing gel with healing properties. QUR Herpes Gel is based on natural ingredients and does not contain any dangerous ingredients. This means that you do not have to worry about eating any of the gel because it is completely harmless. The gel is transparent so you cannot see that you have applied it to your lips and you can use the gel as often as you want. The herpes gel soothes pain from cold sores, while also allowing you to achieve a shorter course of the disease.

Treating cold sores inside the mouth is much more difficult. There is no documented effective treatment for herpes inside the mouth and treatment is therefore aimed at relieving it. No gels or creams can remain on the mucous membranes in the mouth. Some rinse with chlorhexidine to prevent bacterial attacks, but since chlorhexidine can stain the teeth brown, many use chamomile tea, which they have allowed to cool down so that it is pleasant to rinse the mouth with. You can relieve the pain with Panodil and eat ice and other cooling and liquid foods during the period when you have an outbreak in the mouth. Some herpes patients with outbreaks in the mouth can report a soothing effect by rinsing their mouth with aloe vera juice and some use DentaCure toothpaste, which is mild and contains an extract of fenugreek seeds, which is beneficial against inflammation.

What is best for cold sores?

When it comes to treating cold sores in the mouth, the first and foremost thing is to start treatment as early as possible and alleviate and shorten the course of the disease.
The antiviral medication that your doctor can prescribe has a number of side effects and should only be used in very severe cases. It only works in the first phase of an outbreak, so you should have it on hand so you are ready to take the pills as soon as you feel an outbreak coming on. The medication has no effect once the blisters have formed, and a 2015 Cochrane study shows that it cannot be proven effective compared to placebo.

You can therefore choose an alternative treatment for cold sores on the lip with great advantage. You can also
For example, choose over-the-counter products that are based on natural ingredients. Among these, you will find various types of ointments, gels and other forms of topical remedies for cold sores.

Unlike conventional medicine, these products have no side effects. This means that you can basically use them as often as you want. A cold sore gel or cream will have a cooling effect, which in itself can have a soothing effect on the infected area.

An example of an alternative remedy for herpes is QUR Herpes Gel. The active ingredients in QUR Herpes Gel are bentonite – mineral clay – and fenugreek seed, and can be used externally throughout the course. QUR Herpes Gel is clinically tested and has documented effectiveness in the form of shorter courses and milder symptoms.

As mentioned, it is very important not to touch a cold sore on your lip too much. You may need to do so if you are treating it. Therefore, remember to wash your hands immediately after applying any cream, gel or ointment.

You should avoid sharing cups, glasses, cutlery, etc. with others. And it is always advisable to avoid close contact with other people as much as possible – especially children.

How long does it take to treat cold sores on the lip?

If you start treating cold sores as soon as you notice the first symptoms as described above, you will be able to reduce the duration of – and the discomfort associated with – the course quite considerably. Therefore, it is highly recommended to treat herpes, even though in the vast majority of cases the outbreak resolves on its own within a week.

Another good reason to treat is that treating cold sores quickly actually works. Many herpes sufferers report a halving of the duration of their outbreak and far less pain when their cold sore is treated with QUR Herpes Gel compared to when it is left untreated. This means that in less than a week you can get rid of swelling, redness and blisters, while experiencing minimal pain.

The severity of Herpes Simplex 1 outbreaks can vary considerably from person to person. This means that there can be a great difference in both the duration of the course and the pain associated with it, depending on the patient's other dispositions. Similarly, treatment of cold sores can develop differently, and the degree of pain relief varies.

If you have a weakened immune system, you may experience longer-lasting herpes outbreaks than someone with a healthy immune system. You may also be at risk of multiple, severe outbreaks in a row.
If this is the case, you should consult your doctor to develop a treatment plan for herpes . However, you can still benefit greatly from using alternative medicine, which is based on natural ingredients and can therefore be used to both relieve pain and reduce the duration of the course.