Cold sores are a real problem to many people. I am sure that many of us have devised our own personal way to deal with them. Some say aftershave others say toothpaste, I have even had tips that recommend using ear wax and even urine! Well I have listed below some of the more regular traditional remedies sent to me.
Speed seems to be of the essence when tackling a cold sore.
- Use a warm tea bag on a cold sore. Press it to your mouth for 20-30 mins. The next day it will be gone! I didn’t believe this when someone told me, but I tried it (and felt really silly) – but when I woke up next morning it had completely disappeared!
- When you feel that first tingle, grab an ice cube and hold it on the cold sore. Get the spot cold but be careful not to hurt your skin. This will seize the process, or at least lessen the size of the sore.
- If you put a hot rag (not too hot) on your cold sore or fever blisters, It will soothe the pain and will help them to heal faster.
Once you have a cold sore they can linger for many days. Just sitting there on your lip, glowing! It is probably too late to try the above tips so what you want to try and do is get the sore to dry out and heal as fast as possible.
I have had the following tip sent to me that will actually dry up the sore. Making it heal in 2 to 3 days. It is advised that you be a little strong, as there can be a rather intense stinging.
Grind some table salt with the back of a teaspoon. Moisten your index finger and dip it in the powdered salt. Press the powder into the cold sore and hold it there for 30 seconds. Don’t rinse. It will be quite uncomfortable but if done twice a day for 2 – 3 days, the sore will dry up.
Author: Asha Pereira- USA
