Cold sores are viral infections that are unable to be cured. However, treatment can help manage symptoms and promote quick healing, reducing the frequency, length, and severity of future outbreaks.
Read more to learn about cold sores, their causes, symptoms, and remedies.
What is a Cold Sore?
Cold sores are small fever blisters that form around the mouth. These blisters are usually grouped in patches, which, when they break, form a scab that lasts several days. Cold sores can spread from person to person by kissing or sharing eating utensils or towels.
What Can Trigger a Cold Sore?
Although cold sores are usually caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus 1, they can also be caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus 2.
Other factors that may result in cold sores include:
- A weak immune system
- Exposure to hot sun or cold wind
- Hormonal changes, such as those related to menstrual periods
- Stress
- Fatigue
- Skin injury
- Viral infection or fever
Symptoms of a Cold Sore
Common symptoms of a cold sore are:
- Tingling and itching around the lips
- Blisters around the nose, cheeks, or mouth
- Shallow open pores caused by prolonged blisters that crust and ooze
However, these symptoms will vary depending on the individuals and the frequency of outbreaks.
During the first outbreak, the symptoms will appear after 20 days of exposure to the virus. The sores might last several days, however, the blisters will heal in two to three weeks without leaving scars.
First-time cold sore symptoms include:
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Painful gums
- Fever
- Muscle aches
- Sore throat
- Headache
How Can You Treat Cold Sores Naturally?
Generally, cold sores can heal on its own without treatment within a few weeks. However, if you experience a frequent reoccurrence of cold sores, you must see us, our dentists, who then may prescribe antiviral medication/injection or lip cream or laser treatment in some cases. We can't stress enough that you need to call immediately and seek help at your first symptoms or outbreak, pain, swelling or the typical tingling feeling are the most commonly reported symptoms.
You can also try these natural remedies for treating cold sores:
- Ice - Soothe your cold sore by applying an ice pack.
- Over-the-Counter Creams - Use these creams to manage pain or to keep the skin soft when healing. Sunburns resulting from exposure to the sun can also trigger a cold sore, so use sunscreen to prevent it.
- Pain-Relievers - Apply over-the-counter painkillers to manage pain.
- Tea Tree Oil/ Peppermint Oil - Use tea tree oil or peppermint oil to heal cold sores.
- Propolis - Being a man-made form of beeswax, this ointment can be used to treat cold sores.
- Manuka Honey - Produced by New Zealand bees, this honey is as effective as a topical medication to treat cold sores.
- Lemon Balm - Use lemon balm extracts to heal your cold sores.
- Lysine - Use lysine cream or its capsule form to treat cold sores.
- Vitamin C and E - Both Vitamin C and Vitamin E can help inactivate the Herpes Simplex Virus and prevent cold sores.
We genuinely care about your health. Visit our team if your cold sores are becoming unmanageable. Our practice, Smile Arizona Dentistry, is located in south Scottsdale, AZ and we look forward to helping you maintain optimum oral care and health for a lifetime. Contact us today to schedule an appointment for your routine care and hygiene visit!
At-Home Remedies for Cold Sores
When you have a cold sore, you want to act on it quickly. You may end up trying cold sore home remedies that friends, family or health websites recommend but you may find
that these aren’t clinically proven. Some remedies may offer only temporary symptom relief, while others may have the potential to make the cold sore worse. With lots of anecdotal evidence out there, let’s unpack what some natural remedies for cold sores can do to help with symptoms, and whether or not they may be effective.
9 Natural Remedies for Cold Sores
Lemon Juice1.
While some studies have investigated lemon balm as a cold sore remedy,1,2 there is not enough research on the effects of lemon juice. Although some believe that lemon juice has antibacterial properties, applying lemon juice to your cold sore probably won’t help against the
virus.
Tea Bags2.
Using tea bags as a cool compress may cool down any redness around the cold sore, similar to its use for other inflammation of the skin. It cannot however, fight the full infection.1
Alcohol/Witch Hazel3.
Rubbing alcohol and witch hazel are astringents, which might help dry out the cold sore.1,3 Using one or both of these, however, has not been chemically proven to heal the cold sore itself.
Ice4.
Using ice as a cold compress is an easy cold sore home remedy that can be used to provide temporary pain relief and help reduce redness and swelling of your cold sore.1 Consider using it on or near the affected area as necessary for relief.
Tea Tree Oil5.
Tea tree oil is known to have antiseptic properties. It might encourage the natural healing process by drying out the cold sore and may prevent bacterial infection, but it’s not clinically proven to treat cold sores.4
Vanilla Extract6.
Pure vanilla extract is alcohol based. As an astringent, it may function in the same way as rubbing alcohol or witch hazel.
Salt Water7.
Salt may help change the environment around the virus so it can’t thrive. While it might dry up the cold sore, it can also be painful to your skin.3
Petroleum Jelly8.
Petroleum jelly may help soften the skin on
or around the lips and provide a protective layer against infection. It will not necessarily shorten the healing time of the cold sore, however.
Hot Compress9.
Using a warm or hot compress (a clean towel soaked with warm-hot water) may help reduce the inflammation.1 It can be applied over the sores in an interval of 20 minutes.
Although
these remedies may help with temporary symptom relief, or to minimize bacterial infections, home remedies for cold sores are not necessarily a cure-all. Over-the-counter Abreva Cream, however, can help. In clinical testing, Abreva has been proven to reduce healing time of cold sores when used at the first sign of a cold sore. The median healing time is 4.1 days, but 25% of users see healing
results in 2.5 days. As with any home remedy or medication, be sure to speak to a healthcare professional or your provider beforehand. Cold sores can definitely be challenging to live with, but there are plenty of resources available to help mitigate your symptoms. For more information on cold sore topics such as these, be sure to visit the Abreva site.
SOURCES:
1. Cold sore – Diagnosis & treatment. Mayo Clinic. //www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cold-sore/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20371023. Accessed 4/15/21. Referenced text is indicated in source PDF.
2. Local therapy of herpes simplex with dried extract from Melissa officinalis. National Library of Medicine. //pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23195812/. Accessed 4/15/21. Referenced text is indicated in source PDF.
3. Cold and Canker Sores. University of Michigan Health Service. //uhs.umich.edu/coldcankersores. Accessed 4/15/21. Referenced text is indicated in source PDF.
4. Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil gel (6%) for the treatment of recurrent herpes labialis. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. //academic.oup.com/jac/article/48/3/450/736091. Accessed 4/15/21. Referenced text is indicated in source PDF.
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