Cold sores are also sometimes referred to as fever blisters. They are caused by a virus known as the Herpes Simplex virus. According to Medline Plus, about eight out of 10 people are infected with this virus. If you have it, the virus stays in your body forever, often dormant. Occasionally, the virus will come out of dormancy and cause a cold sore. There are many triggers that can cause cold sores in people, such as having a cold or flu, stress, too much sun exposure and hormonal shifts in women. There are different stages of a cold sore, and scabbing is the last stage before the cold sore begins the healing stage.
Step 1
See your doctor as soon as possible when you get a cold sore. Your doctor can prescribe antiviral medications to fight the virus that causes cold sores. These medications work best when used as early as possible after the onset of a cold sore, but they can be used at any time and are available in pill and ointment forms.
Step 2
Apply ice to your cold sore scab to ease pain, advises KidsHealth. You can also buy over-the-counter creams for cold sores to keep the scab moisturized so it doesn't crack and bleed.
Step 3
Use over-the-counter pain relievers, like acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help with pain and inflammation. Adults can also use aspirin for this purpose.
Step 4
Ask your doctor if it's okay to take Lysine, which is an amino acid supplement. Lysine may reduce outbreaks of cold sores.
Things You'll Need
- Ice
- Ibuprofen
- Cold sore moisturizing cream
