The herpes virus causes cold sores. After a herpes infection, some individuals develop a painful sore on their mouth. The cold sores commonly appear on the lips, nose, chin and inside the mouth. A cold sore lasts about a week before healing. There is no cure for the virus and the blisters may return. Treatments help decrease the pain from the cold sore and may help speed healing.
Step 1
Avoid picking at the cold sore. Leave the blister alone unless applying medication. Irritating the cold sore may cause it to spread or scar the skin after healing.
Step 2
Obtain a prescription for an antiviral medication. The medication is available by prescription. For frequent outbreaks, antiviral medications help decrease the amount of cold sores.
Step 3
Take the antiviral medication Zovirax to increase the speed of healing. Take the medication each day with plenty of water to avoid kidney damage.
Step 4
Apply a topical pain medication such as lidocaine. Topical creams help relieve the pain associated with the cold sore.
Step 5
Use alternate heat and ice packs to relieve pain caused by the blister.
Step 6
Apply sunblock to the face and lips to avoid chapped skin. Cracked or open skin increases the chance of cold sores. Use lip balm on the lips.
Step 7
Take an over-the-counter oral pain reliever such as Tylenol or Motrin. These will help relieve the pain associated with cold sores.
Step 8
Avoid direct contact with other individuals to prevent the spread of the virus.
Step 9
Wash hands frequently, especially after touching the cold sore. The virus may spread to other body parts.
Step 10
Learn stress-relieving techniques to decrease outbreaks. Stress contributes to the increase in cold sore outbreaks.
Things You'll Need
- Heat and ice packs
- Zovirax prescription
