Cold sores aren’t just inconvenient, but they can be pretty painful as well. The problem with cold sores is that once you contract the infection, you will have to live with it for the rest of your days.

Although cold sores are incurable, there are several known treatment options. There are prescription medications, over-the-counter treatments, as well as home remedies for cold sores. Continue reading to learn about the most popular remedies for cold sores.

What Causes Cold Sores?

When you suddenly find painful fluid-filled blisters growing on your lips, you can blame it on the herpes simplex virus. Cold sores are a known symptom of an infection caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1).

There are also instances when cold sores are caused by the second type of herpes virus (HSV2), but this only accounts for a small percentage of all oral herpes cases. HSV1 may also cause herpes blisters to grow in other parts of your body, not just on your lips or genital area.

What are the Symptoms of Oral Herpes?

In truth, not everyone who has oral herpes experience cold sores. A lot of people who are infected with HSV1 don’t even experience cold sores at all. However, even when you don’t go through a cold sore outbreak, you may still experience other symptoms associated with oral herpes.

These symptoms include headaches, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, and pain. You may also feel feverish, and your gums may feel painful and swollen. Among these symptoms, the pain caused by cold sores is usually the one that causes the most discomfort.

In fact, the pain can be so severe that it can hinder you from drinking or eating. Doctors warn about the dangers of dehydration, which is why they always remind you to drink lots of fluids when you have cold sores.

How is HSV1 Transmitted?

Both types of herpes simplex virus can be transmitted through direct skin-to-skin contact. This means that if you have genital herpes and you engage in sex with your partner, you can easily pass the virus on to her even if you wear a condom.

That’s because condoms can only cover your penis. But if your herpes blisters are located on your groin or near your anus, condoms won’t be able to provide barrier protection. Direct contact between your herpes blisters and your partner’s skin would still be possible.

On the one hand, when you have cold sores, you can easily pass the virus on to your partner if you kiss her. When you share objects that were in contact with your lips or saliva, then that can also cause your partner to become infected with HSV-1. The herpes virus can also be present in your saliva, especially if there are also blisters growing inside your mouth.

Another thing that you need to know about the transmission of the herpes virus is that it can happen even when you don’t have any visible cold sores. Experts call it asymptomatic viral shedding. It simply means that your body is still shedding and transmitting the virus even when you’re not showing any signs or symptoms of HSV-1 infection at all.

How are Cold Sores Treated?

If you have contracted oral herpes, there are several treatment options you can choose from. If your primary goal is to shorten the duration of a cold sore flareup, then you should try and get a prescription from your doctor for oral antiviral medicines.

Antiviral medication can help suppress the herpes virus, although these medicines cannot get rid of the virus from your body completely. They will be able to help hasten the healing process. Another advantage of oral antiviral medication is that they can also help lessen the frequency of recurring cold sore outbreaks.

However, if your symptoms are mild, you can also opt for common home remedies that are used to treat oral herpes. If you need relief from pain, you can either take over-the-counter pain relievers or use cold sore creams that contain topical anesthetics. Antiviral medication for oral herpes that you can choose from include valacyclovir and famciclovir.

If you prefer to use over the counter products, then cold sore creams are your best option. But when you buy a cold sore cream, just make sure that you check the ingredient first.

There are many cold sore creams that only contain topical anesthetics as their main active ingredient. Such creams won’t necessarily be able to suppress the herpes virus. And although they can provide relief from pain, they may not be able to hasten the healing process.

If you prefer home remedies, there are also several to choose from for the treatment of cold sores. Essential oils like sandalwood oil, ginger oil, lemon balm oil, and tea tree oil are all known to help provide relief from cold sores. Plus, essential oils are easy to use. You just wet a cotton swab with the essential oil and then dab the swab directly on your cold sores.

Should You Have Sex When You Have Cold Sores?

Ideally, you should avoid any form of direct skin contact with your partner when you have cold sores. Since the virus is highly contagious and easily transmitted, kissing your partner would cause her to become infected with herpes as well.

However, if you can refrain from doing that during sex, then you should still be able to engage in sexual activities even during a cold sore outbreak. It would be even better if you use a protective barrier like a mask. Even if you accidentally touch your lips to your partner’s skin, her chances of contracting the disease would still be lower.

You may be worried that your cold sores will affect your sexual performance. There’s no need for that as long as you’re taking Male UltraCore regularly. This amazing sexual enhancement supplement can actually help ensure that your libido never goes down and that you get more frequent and more rigid erections.

What’s really impressive about Male UltraCore is that because it contains numerous natural ingredients, it’s able to offer a wide variety of sexual and reproductive health benefits. In short, when you take Male UltraCore, you can expect not only great improvements in your sexual performance but you can also gain a huge fertility boost.

Increase Your Testosterone Levels with Testosterone Boosters

Male UltraCore is a premium testosterone boosting supplement that is designed to maximize test levels, increase your performance and drive, and give you harder and fuller erections.