Common Skin Conditions - Cold Sores

An outcome of a viral infection, cold sores can manifest themselves on the skin and the nervous system and they are also called fever blisters. This highly infectious skin condition is caused by herpes virus which can lie latent in the body till it is pushed by something to get active. Sometimes people confuse these with impetigo which grows between the nose and the upper lip. The color of the impetigo fluid is like honey and it looks cloudy. Non-transmittable canker sores are actually ulcers which occur in the soft tissues of the mouth where sores do not develop.

Good hand washing when a cold sore is present will help prevent the spread of the infection. There is a drug called Acyclovir (Zovirax) which narrows down the time duration of the infection. Effective management of this skin condition could involve using topical creams, ointments and at times drugs which belong to the antiviral category like acyclovir or famciclovir. Treat any pain by taking paracetamol or applying witch hazel to the sore. This local application medicine is a good anesthetic too. Treatment also involves in making your immune system more tough and sturdy by ensuring a balanced diet fortified with vitamins A, C, E, zinc and iron. Over and above, you must learn to do away with overtly salty and spicy foods or foods which promote acidity and drinks which may further deteriorate this skin condition.

Prevention is preferable to cure so where possible, avoid acidic and salty foods. These include: chocolates, peanuts, grains, peas, seeds, oatmeal and whole-wheat are high in arginine, should be restricted. Keep to a vitamin rich diet while avoiding tea and coffee.

Take some ice and rub it on the sore for a few minutes and do this again every hour and this is one of the very effective home remedies for the management of this skin condition. You could also place tea bags on the sore area for a few minutes and do this every hour. Another option is to hold a warm tea bag on the blisters for half an hour.

Applying witch hazel on sores has a miraculous relief effect. Take protection from sun-generated cold sores by applying sunscreen on the lips and stop this skin condition happening again.

For guaranteed results mix 100ml of coconut oil, 2ml of disinfectant, and 3ml of carbolic acid Apply twice daily directly on your cold sore - some people say this formula also works on other skin conditions such as boils and mosquito bites.

A tried and tested home remedy for cold sores is having tea tree oil as a drink with herbal sage and violet. These ingredients are mixed together with a couple sage leaves and ginger powder, and put in with a cup of boiling water. If you want this skin condition to simply go away in a short span of couple of days, drink this at least 2 to 3 times a day.

When everything fails for you, 3 acidophilus pills twice a day in the morning and evening could work wonders and dry and clear up. When this skin condition bothers you often try taking 2 pills a day. Of course this by no means is an exhaustive list of home remedies for cold sores, but some of the commonly used methods.