Current:Home > ScamsHow do you get rid of cold sores? Here's what doctors recommend.-LoTradeCoin
How do you get rid of cold sores? Here's what doctors recommend.
View Date:2024-12-23 23:04:59
When you don’t feel well, you want a quick fix.
You might be familiar with treatments for allergies or the common cold. But what about cold sores?
These fluid-filled blisters commonly found on or around the mouth are caused by the herpes simplex virus. Once you are infected with the virus, different factors can trigger an outbreak of cold sores. It’s understandable to want to get rid of an outbreak right away.
“If [someone is] getting cold sores a lot, that will decrease their quality of life. These are visible and they’re unattractive but they also hurt,” says Dr. Chris Adigun, a board-certified dermatologist in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. “If there’s a way that we can suppress activation, then we do that.” We spoke to Adigun to discuss how to treat cold sores.
How to get rid of cold sores
You can treat cold sores with over-the-counter medication, an oral antiviral medication prescribed by your doctor, or intravenous antiviral medicine, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
One of the main treatments for cold sores is the prescription medication valacyclovir, says Adigun. Valacyclovir is an oral medication that treats different herpes virus infections, including cold sores, shingles and genital herpes, according to the Mayo Clinic.
How do I use valacyclovir?
Valacyclovir works by suppressing viral replication, says Adigun. This makes it harder for the herpes simplex virus to manifest into a cold sore.
There are several ways to use the medication. Some users will take it when they know that they will be exposed to one of their triggers. The herpes simplex virus remains dormant in the body until it's reactivated by a trigger. Examples of common triggers include stress, UV exposure and a fever. The reactivation of the virus causes an outbreak of cold sores. If someone takes valacyclovir when they are exposed to a trigger, the medication will suppress viral replication and not allow the virus to progress, says Adigun.
Some people will take valacyclovir when they start to experience bodily signs that indicate a cold sore is coming. These bodily signs are known as prodromal symptoms. Examples of prodromal symptoms are “itching, burning or tingling on the lip in the absence of anything burning it, tingling it or itching it,” says Adigun. Taking the medication during the prodromal symptoms “stops the viral replication in its tracks,” she adds.
Some people choose to take the medication daily. This is an option for people who experience cold sores very persistently, she says.
How long does a cold sore usually take to clear up?
If you leave your cold sore untreated it will usually last about two weeks, says Adigun. However, if you take valacyclovir once a cold sore outbreak has already occurred, you can shorten the duration of the outbreak by a few days, she explains.
Cold sores are painful and can seriously deter a person’s confidence. A commonly Googled question asks if a cold sore is a deal breaker in a new relationship. Adigun makes clear that cold sores are incredibly common and nothing to be ashamed of. And for those who are hesitant to put themselves out there because of their cold sores, she provides words of comfort: “Let’s get your cold sore treated, and you get right back out there.”
What causes a cold sore?The reason is not as taboo as some might think.
veryGood! (4)
Related
- Japan to resume V-22 flights after inquiry finds pilot error caused accident
- Gov. Ivey asks state veteran affairs commissioner to resign
- Ronaldo on scoring his 900th career goal: ‘It was emotional’
- An Amish woman dies 18 years after being severely injured in a deadly schoolhouse shooting
- Judge set to rule on whether to scrap Trump’s conviction in hush money case
- Linkin Park announces first tour since Chester Bennington's death with new female singer
- Donald Trump returns to North Carolina to speak at Fraternal Order of Police meeting
- Video game performers reach agreement with 80 video games on AI terms
- Homes of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce burglarized, per reports
- The ‘Man in Black’ heads to Washington: Arkansas’ Johnny Cash statue is on its way to the US Capitol
Ranking
- Brush fire erupts in Brooklyn's iconic Prospect Park amid prolonged drought
- FBI received tips about online threats involving suspected Georgia shooter | The Excerpt
- Best Deals Under $50 at Revolve's End-of-Summer Sale: Get Up to 87% on Top Brands Like Free People & More
- Is that cereal box getting smaller? Welcome to the bewildering world of shrinkflation.
- Trump’s economic agenda for his second term is clouding the outlook for mortgage rates
- Linkin Park announces first tour since Chester Bennington's death with new female singer
- Ravens' Ronnie Stanley: Refs tried to make example out of me on illegal formation penalties
- Kansas City Chiefs superfan ChiefsAholic sent to prison for string of bank robberies
Recommendation
-
Guns smuggled from the US are blamed for a surge in killings on more Caribbean islands
-
Taylor Swift hasn't endorsed Trump or Harris. Why do we care who she votes for?
-
Magic Johnson buys a stake in the NWSL’s Washington Spirit
-
'Face the music': North Carolina man accused of $10 million AI-aided streaming fraud
-
Panel advises Illinois commemorate its role in helping slaves escape the South
-
Boeing Starliner to undock from International Space Station: How to watch return to Earth
-
Fight Common Signs of Aging With These Dermatologist-Approved Skincare Products
-
Colt Gray, 14, identified as suspect in Apalachee High School shooting: What we know