Underground Journal

Natural Remedies for Cold Sores

Cold sores are irritating and they look terrible, but they’re not normally serious enough to warrant a trip to the doctor. That said, you still don’t want that ugly thing to stay on your lip for a full two weeks. To solve that problem, check out these options for natural remedies for cold sores.

Ice

While ice may not necessarily make your cold sore disappear, it will reduce the swelling and make it feel a whole lot better. It’s not that complicated to do either. All you have to have is ice and a little patience. Hold an ice cube directly on the cold sore – wrap it in a face cloth so your fingers don’t get too cold – and leave it there for a few minutes. Do this every few hours.

Tea Bags

Another one of the great natural remedies for cold sores that has been around for as long as cold sores themselves is the tea bag. Cold tea bags work great, but warm tea bags work just as well. You can use whichever you prefer. Hold the tea bag on the sore and hold it there for half an hour. Repeat every hour. Tea bags help relieve the size of the cold sore and the duration of the outbreak.

Miscellaneous Treatments

Applying witch hazel to the cold sore, salt, aloe or lemon lip balm are all great natural remedies for cold sores and reduce the time it takes a cold sore to heal. All of these things can be applied directly to the cold sore. It’s not a bad idea to treat the area before the blister appears to try to prevent it before it comes to the surface.

As with anything though, the best cold sore cure is prevention. Avoid sharing food from the same utensil or drinking from the same glass as someone who has a cold sore. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

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