Cold Sore Alternative Medicine Remedy

Cold Sore Medicines That Work Fast

While not a serious illness in itself, the discomfort and feeling of stigmatization felt by many suffers caused by the unsightly facial lesions means that cold sore medicines and other treatments are widely sought. Since they are highly infectious it is essential to maintain good personal hygiene during an attack. Cold sores usually disappear untreated in 7-10 days, but use of the remedies listed below can accelerate healing:

Non-prescription medicines

Abreva is a non-prescription cold sore treatment available from pharmacists that acts in two ways upon the cold sore; first it sooths the sore, reducing irritation, and then it acts on the skin cells to make it more difficult for the virus to spread. The active ingredient is docosonal, an ingredient found naturally in the surface of many fruits and vegetables, which in Abreva it is found in a concentrated dose.

Other non-prescription medicines that can be used to treat cold sores are ibuprofen, to deal with the pain; alternatively an analgesic ointment or cream can be used for the same reason.

Prescription treatments

There are a number of prescription treatments for cold sores including Zovirax (acyclovir) and Famvir (famciclovir) that interfere with the ability of the virus to replicate and Viroxyn (benzalkonium chloride), a single dose treatment that acts on the mature virus.

Natural remedies

There are a number of natural treatments for cold sores, including the following:

Homeopathic remedies such as Natrum Muriaticum used in the early stages of an attack can help prompt the body into providing a defense against the virus, while Rhus Toxicodendron specifically reduces itchiness. The former is particularly found to be effective in stress related outbreaks.

Cuttlefish ink (sepia) is found to be useful in cases where other homeopathic treatments make no improvement, as well as being useful for sufferers experiencing lethargy and intolerance to cold weather. It is also found to be useful in pre-menstrual cases, as well as during pregnancy and menopause.

Active acidophilus capsules taken with milk can provide rapid relief to existing cold sores as well as help prevent new outbreaks.

Lysine, which is an essential amino acid found in yogurt, has also been found to reduce the incidence of cold sores and can be taken as a supplement, as can zinc, though to be another cold sore inhibitor.

Although there are a number of cold sore medicines – both pharmaceutical and natural – to deal with the symptoms once they occur, the best advice remains to take all precautions to avoid reoccurrence by keeping the immune system in peak condition.

Author: JoBeth Levina

If you found this article useful you can find more information about cold sores medicines at http://www.ColdSoreTreatmentGuide.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=JoBeth_Levina

Information on Cold Sores Treatment and Natural Cures For Cold Sores.