Whether you call them cold sores or fever blisters, if you're among the more than 40% of Americans who regularly experience this inflammatory viral nuisance, you know they're anything but a joy to deal with.
You've also probably heard of countless ways to deal with them, from over-the-counter remedies to treatment options that span generations.
So, what really works?
Well, quite honestly, what "works" when it comes to cold-sores, is management. Specifically, preventing, treating and eliminating the transmission of this most annoying of viruses.
Cold Sore Prevention
The adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," is certainly true when it comes to cold sores. Knowing what causes them to surface is key.
The top two reasons are a weakened immune system, and exposure to rapidly changing weather.
To tackle the weather, always keep your preferred brand of lip moisturizer with sunscreen on hand to protect your lips from weather's effect on your lips.
And, to boost your immune system, be sure to get enough sleep and find ways to combat stress in your life.
Also, as with most things in life, what's good for our waistlines is good for our immune system. Here are some good dietary suggestions for cold sore sufferers:
- Eat Raw, Alkalizing Foods: Fruits and vegetables are super-good for you. Eat as many of them as you enjoy.
- Beef-up On Cruciferous Vegetables: Clinical studies are beginning to suggest that veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and kale are of great benefit to cold-sore sufferers.
- Avoid Arginine: Cold-sores need the amino acid arginine to grow, so if you can limit the excess intake of this amino acid, you may be able to keep frequent outbreaks at bay. Nuts, chocolate, oats, and some protein shakes are high in arginine, and can be major cold-sore triggers.
By merely eating well and getting regular rest, you can help yourself avoid several outbreaks a year.
Cold Sore Treatment and Remedies
Preventing a cold sore from appearing is indeed your best medicine, and if you pay attention to what your body tells you, it is possible to dramatically reduce outbreaks.
When a cold-sore does gift you with its presence, though, here are a few things you can do to minimize its pain, size and duration.
- Ice It! At the first sign of tingling, get thee to an ice cube, wrap it in a paper-towel, and place it on your lip where you feel the cold-sore coming on. Often two back-to-back applications of an ice cube until it melts can dramatically reduce the pain and swelling that accompanies the sore.
- Slather It? Not Now, But Later. Cold sores love warm, moist environments, and this is precisely the environment you present to a cold-sore when you slather it in cream for days on end. You're best to let it dry out to the point where it is no longer painful, and then begin applying cream or lip balm to minimize splitting. As the cold sore resolves itself, keep your lips moist to prevent bleeding, which also aids in the healing at this stage.
Eliminate Transmission of Cold Sores
Avoid sharing food, utensils, towels, toothbrushes, or any other item that come in contact with your mouth. Also, be sure to avoid touching the cold sore and then later touching your eyes or genital area.
In fact, your best course of action is to avoid touching your mouth at all during an outbreak, and not again until after the scab has dropped off completely, and healed over. This can take some weeks, as you know.
Kissing, and other aspects of intimacy that involve your mouth should be avoided entirely. Wash your hands often - this cannot be stressed enough to avoid spreading the virus.
Having a cold sore is not the end of the world. Nine out of ten of all people get at least one cold sore in their life, so there is no need to hide or be embarrassed.
Understand your triggers, find a solution that works, don't spread the virus, and stay healthy!
Ikiwa unaona ugonjwa wa homa au ugonjwa wa homa, ikiwa wewe ni mmoja wa zaidi ya 40% ya Wamarekani ambao hupata shida hii ya virusi vya kuambukiza, unajua ni kitu chochote lakini furaha ya kushughulika. Pia, unaweza kuwa na habari za njia nyingi za kupambana na ugonjwa huo, kuanzia dawa za dawa za dawa hadi matibabu ya kizazi hadi kizazi. Kwa hiyo, ni nini kinachofanya kazi kweli kweli? Kwa uaminifu kabisa, kile "kinachofanya kazi" linapokuja suala la vidonda vya baridi, ni usimamizi. Hasa, kuzuia, kutibu na kuondoa maambukizi ya virusi hivi vya kusumbua zaidi. "Kuna msemo unaosema ""a ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"" (a pound of prevention is worth a pound of cure) ambao unahusu ugonjwa wa kuvuja." Kujua ni nini kinachosababisha viumbe hao kuonekana ni muhimu. Sababu mbili kuu ni mfumo wa kinga uliodhoofika, na kuathiriwa na hali ya hewa inayobadilika haraka. Kwa hivyo, kwa sababu ya hali ya hewa, unapaswa kuweka aina yako ya mafuta ya mdomo na kinga ya jua karibu ili kulinda midomo yako na athari za hali ya hewa. Ili kuimarisha mfumo wako wa kinga, hakikisha unalala kwa muda wa kutosha na utafute njia za kupambana na mkazo. Kama ilivyo na vitu vingine vyote katika maisha, kile kilicho bora kwa waistline yetu ni nzuri kwa mfumo wetu wa kinga. Hapa ni baadhi ya mapendekezo mazuri ya lishe kwa ajili ya wagonjwa wa maumivu ya baridi: - Kula Raw, Alkalizing Chakula: Matunda na mboga ni super-nzuri kwa ajili yenu. Kula kiasi unachotaka cha vyakula hivyo. Kwa mfano, utafiti wa kliniki unaonyesha kwamba mboga kama vile broccoli, cauliflower, kabichi, brussels sprouts, na kale zina faida kubwa kwa wagonjwa wa homa. Kuepuka Arginine: Maambukizi ya baridi kali yanahitaji asidi ya amino arginine kukua, kwa hivyo ikiwa unaweza kupunguza ulaji wa ziada wa asidi hii ya amino, unaweza kuepuka milipuko ya mara kwa mara. Nuts, chokoleti, oats, na baadhi ya protini shakes ni juu katika arginine, na inaweza kuwa kuu baridi-sore triggers. Kwa kula vizuri na kupumzika kwa ukawaida, unaweza kuepuka milipuko kadhaa ya ugonjwa huo kwa mwaka. Kuepuka ugonjwa wa homa ya baridi ni dawa bora, na ikiwa unasikiliza kile mwili wako unakuambia, inawezekana kupunguza sana milipuko. Ikiwa ugonjwa wa baridi kali unakufanya uwe na maumivu, hapa ni mambo machache unayoweza kufanya ili kupunguza maumivu, ukubwa na muda. - Ice Ni! Katika ishara ya kwanza ya tingling, kupata wewe kwa barafu, wrap katika karatasi kitambaa, na kuweka juu ya mdomo wako ambapo wewe kuhisi baridi-maumivu kuja juu. Mara nyingi kutumia kiunzi cha barafu mara mbili mfululizo hadi kiwe kimeyuka kunaweza kupunguza sana maumivu na uvimbe unaosababishwa na kidonda hicho. - Slather Ni? Si Sasa, Lakini Baadaye. Maumivu ya baridi hupenda mazingira ya joto na unyevu, na hii ni mazingira unayotoa kwa baridi wakati unaiweka kwenye krimu kwa siku nyingi. Inashauriwa kuifanya iwe kavu hadi iwe haiumizi tena, kisha uanze kutumia cream au balm ya midomo ili kupunguza kupasuka. Wakati ugonjwa wa baridi unapopungua, fanya midomo yako iwe na unyevu ili kuzuia kutokwa na damu, ambayo pia husaidia uponyaji katika hatua hii. Kuepuka kuambukizwa kwa baridi kali: Kuepuka kushiriki chakula, vyombo, taulo, brashi za meno, au kitu kingine chochote kinachogusa mdomo wako. Pia, hakikisha kuepuka kugusa kidonda cha baridi na kisha baadaye kugusa macho yako au eneo la viungo vya uzazi. Kwa kweli, njia bora ya kufanya ni kuepuka kugusa mdomo wako wakati wa mlipuko, na si tena mpaka baada ya scab imeshuka kabisa, na kupona. Kama unavyojua, hilo laweza kuchukua majuma kadhaa. Kupiga busu, na mambo mengine ya karibu yanayohusisha mdomo wako yanapaswa kuepukwa kabisa. Osha mikono yako mara kwa mara - hii haiwezi kusisitizwa vya kutosha ili kuepuka kueneza virusi. Kuwa na kichefuchefu si mwisho wa ulimwengu. Watu tisa kati ya kumi hupata angalau ugonjwa mmoja wa homa katika maisha yao, kwa hiyo hakuna haja ya kujificha au kuaibika. Fahamu visababishi vyako, tafuta suluhisho linalofanya kazi, usisambaze virusi, na uwe na afya!