Quick Ways to Treat Cold Sores From Home

Cold sores are painful, tiny blisters that are situated on the edges of the mouth and also directly on the lips. Cold sores are commonly referred to as herpes labialis or fever blisters. The lesions typically heal on their own after a few days, but if you want to quickly expedite the process, there are several things that you can do to help.

Ice

• One classic, simple and quick way to decrease the appearance and reduce the pain associated with cold sores is by using ice, which most people have in their freezers. Simply rub ice directly over your cold sore for several minutes (3 to 8 minutes) at a time. Keep doing this once every hour. The ice can be effective at reducing the size of the cold sore.

Towel

• One fast home treatment for cold sores involves just a damp, cool and clean towel. Put the wet towel directly over the cold sore three times every day. Keep the towel there for about 20 minutes at a time. Taking this action can help to reduce both swelling and redness of the sore.

Cold Milk

• Cold milk is a staple that most people have readily available in their refrigerators at all times. Cold milk can be used as a natural remedy for encouraging healing of cold sores. Just immerse either a cotton swab or cotton ball into a cup of milk and then softly dab it over the sore.

Dietary Changes

• Making a few key dietary adjustments can be a beneficial way to rapidly get rid of a pesky cold sore. Make sure to abstain from consuming any acidic foods, including tomatoes and citrus (lemons, grapefruit and oranges, for example). Also, stay away from foods that contain a lot of the amino acid arginine, such as peanuts, chocolate, peas and grain cereals. Instead, eat foods that are rich in lysine, including potatoes and dairy products.

Vitamin E

• To encourage healing of cold sores and also for pain relief from them, another quick home remedy idea involves the simple application of topical vitamin E directly over the affected area.

Toothbrush

• As a safety measure against cold sores, it is a good idea to purchase a new toothbrush. This is due to the fact that toothbrushes can hold on to viruses for several days at a time. To avoid the chance of reinfection with a new cold sore, use a brand new toothbrush.