Cold sores, also known as fever blisters, are contagious, painful lesions on your mouth, lips or gums commonly caused by infection with the virus herpes simplex type 1. Some individuals also develop cold sores as a result of infection with herpes simplex type 2. Potential options for cold sore care include topical treatments, oral antiviral medications and a variety of home care options.
Cold Sore Basics
A cold sore infection is also called herpes labialis, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s Medline Plus. In the U.S., most individuals with the condition were initially infected before they reached the age of 20. After infection occurs, herpes labialis frequently produces no immediate symptoms; instead, it lays dormant in your facial nerve tissue until it reactivates and triggers cold sore formation at some later date. While they can recur repeatedly in the same area, cold sores typically cause no serious damage.
Nonprescription Treatments
If you don’t treat a cold sore, it will typically disappear on its own within roughly two weeks, according to the Mayo Clinic. While you wait for a sore to heal, you can use a number of steps to relieve any associated discomfort. Potential options include use of topical, nonprescription ointments that contain either benzocaine or lidocaine and direct application of either ice packs or warm compresses at the site of your blisters. You can also use nonprescription painkillers such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen or aspirin. However, because of potential dangers associated with Reye’s syndrome, do not give any aspirin product to a child or teenager without consulting a doctor first.
Antiviral Medications
In some cases, your doctor may prescribe an oral antiviral medication to reduce your symptoms and shorten a cold sore’s duration, the Mayo Clinic reports. Antivirals commonly used for this purpose include famcyclovir, valacyclovir and acyclovir. Your doctor may also prescribe an antiviral to prevent cold sore recurrence if you develop a serious herpes-related illness during an outbreak, have frequent cold sore outbreaks or have a known susceptibility to things like intense sunlight that increase the possibility of recurrence.
Prevention
You can potentially help prevent future cold sore outbreaks by using moisturizing balms that stop your lips from drying out, Medline Plus reports. You can also help prevent recurrence related to sun exposure by using lip balms or sunblock products that contain zinc oxide. In some cases, a cold sore infection can spread to other areas of your skin. You can reduce the possibility of this type of spread by gently washing your existing blisters with plain soap and water or using a special antiseptic soap.
Considerations
In addition to cold sore recurrence and the spread of herpes, Medline Plus lists potential complications of a herpes labialis infection that include secondary bacterial skin infections and blindness. You can also a life-threatening general infection if you have a compromised immune system. Contact your doctor if you have severe cold sore lesions or cold sores that linger for more than two weeks. In addition, contact your doctor if you show other signs of herpes infection or have a suppressed immune system.
