Home Cure for Fever Blisters

Fever blisters--or cold sores--are small, painful lesions inside or around the mouth. They also can appear in the nostrils or on the cheeks or chin, though rarely. These contagious blisters are caused by the herpes simplex virus and can last for a week or longer. Commercial treatments can be expensive. Some relieve the pain, while others do nothing at all to treat the sore. But home remedies can be both effective and less costly.

Diet

• Sodium and acid often contribute to outbreaks. So eliminate sodas, chocolate, caffeine, peanuts and fruits from your diet at the first sign of a fever blister.

  Eat plain yogurt three times a day to regulate your body's pH balance. A pH balance that's either too high or too low can also contribute to fever blisters. At the onset, yogurt may lessen the chances of a full-blown breakout.

Ice

• To quickly reduce the pain, hold an ice cube on the cold sore a few seconds at a time throughout the day. Using the ice before applying other medications may make treating the sore more bearable.

  The ice cube also will prevent the sore from spreading and can even halt its development if caught in time.

Treatment

• As a warning, these treatments may sting, especially if the blister is open. If the blister is bleeding, don't apply any of these treatments. Instead, use ice and wait for the bleeding to stop. Apply Vaseline to help clot and soothe the blister.

  Dissolve a teaspoon of salt in half a cup of water, and using a cotton ball, apply it two or three times a day. This is an effective solution for treating the sore, but salt in an open wound is very uncomfortable, so keep fresh water close at hand to rinse out the salt if the treatment becomes too painful.

  Hydrogen peroxide and/or toothpaste can also be useful to relieve irritation and speed healing.

  Apply tea tree oil to the affected area with a cotton ball or swab a few times a day. Use it sparingly to keep the oil from seeping into your mouth.

  A potent mouthwash, such as Listerine, will treat the blister in the same fashion, but may burn slightly because of its alcohol content. If it becomes uncomfortable, rinse the mouthwash off lightly with a cotton swab soaked in peroxide or clean water.

  Make a paste of lip balm and Benadryl for quick, pain-free relief. Open a Benadryl capsule and pour some of the powder on the top of a tube of plain chap-stick. Apply it to the blister throughout the day, as needed.