8 Critical Cold Sore Stages
Posted: Thursday, December 01, 2005
by Denny Bodoh
http://www.3daycoldsorecure.com
Let's look at the 8 distinct cold sore stages, and what you can do now to lessen the severity, discomfort and length of your cold sore event.
Cold sore stages 2-8 are the active stages and you are very contagious during this time. Usually 3 to 4 weeks is the average life-span of a cold sore. Much depends on your health and choice of treatments for each of your cold sore stages.
COLD SORE STAGE: #1 - LATENT - Here the herpes simplex virus (also referred to as the cold sore virus) is hiding in the nerve ganglia near the back of the jaw on the same side as your sore usually appears.
Cold sore stages 2-8 are the active stages and you are very contagious during this time. Usually 3 to 4 weeks is the average life-span of a cold sore. Much depends on your health and choice of treatments for each of your cold sore stages.
COLD SORE STAGE: #1 - LATENT - Here the herpes simplex virus (also referred to as the cold sore virus) is hiding in the nerve ganglia near the back of the jaw on the same side as your sore usually appears.
Your cold sore virus may "sleep" for weeks or years without incident. Your body's defense "soldiers" keep them in check. When there is stress in another part of your body, the defenses may drop at this location. Then the virus may wake up and travel to the surface to replicate.
COLD SORE STAGE: # 2 - PRODROME - The cold sore virus reproductive cycle begins here. The cold sore virus travels down your nerve fibers to the surface. This movement causes your cold sore target area to itch or tingle. You may even notice a burning or dryness sensation. This stage could last a few hours to a few days before entering the more intense cold sore stages.
COLD SORE STAGE: # 3 - INFLAMMATION Your cold sore virus has now arrived at the surface and begins it's reproductive cycle by entering the cells at the end of the nerve. This causes a lot of swelling and redness at the cold sore site as your cells react to being invaded by the herpes cold sore virus .
COLD SORE STAGE: # 4 - PRE-SORE - Cold sores at this stage are defined by the appearance of cold sore vesicles. A full blown cold sore is not one big blister but a grouping of small blisters called vesicles. You will notice these vesicles as tiny, hard pimples or red bumps that are painfully sensitive to the touch.
COLD SORE STAGE: # 5 - OPEN SORE - Your most painful and contagious of the cold sore stages. All the vesicles break open and merge to create one big open, weeping sore. Depending on the severity, you may develop a fever and swollen lymph glands under the jaw.
The weeping fluid is teaming with newly born cold sore viruses. Touching this fluid, you could easily spread the cold sore virus to another part of your own body or to someone else - either by direct touch or shared objects such as hand towels, telephones, and faucets.
COLD SORE STAGE: # 6 - CRUSTING - A cold sore will develop a yellowish crust or scab as it begins to finally start the healing process. Your cold sore is still painful at this stage. More painful, however, is the constant cracking of your cold sore scab when you move or stretch your lips, as in smiling.
COLD SORE STAGE: # 7- HEALING - Cold sores, once scabbed over, begin healing from the inside out. As new skin forms under the crust, you will experience continued itching, irritation and some pain. Your cold sore virus is now retreating back to the nerve ganglia area where it will sleep until the next opportunity.
COLD SORE STAGE: # 8 - POST SCAB - Cold sores at this stage no longer have a visible cold sore scab and your skin has healed.
COLD SORE STAGE: # 2 - PRODROME - The cold sore virus reproductive cycle begins here. The cold sore virus travels down your nerve fibers to the surface. This movement causes your cold sore target area to itch or tingle. You may even notice a burning or dryness sensation. This stage could last a few hours to a few days before entering the more intense cold sore stages.
COLD SORE STAGE: # 3 - INFLAMMATION Your cold sore virus has now arrived at the surface and begins it's reproductive cycle by entering the cells at the end of the nerve. This causes a lot of swelling and redness at the cold sore site as your cells react to being invaded by the herpes cold sore virus .
COLD SORE STAGE: # 4 - PRE-SORE - Cold sores at this stage are defined by the appearance of cold sore vesicles. A full blown cold sore is not one big blister but a grouping of small blisters called vesicles. You will notice these vesicles as tiny, hard pimples or red bumps that are painfully sensitive to the touch.
COLD SORE STAGE: # 5 - OPEN SORE - Your most painful and contagious of the cold sore stages. All the vesicles break open and merge to create one big open, weeping sore. Depending on the severity, you may develop a fever and swollen lymph glands under the jaw.
The weeping fluid is teaming with newly born cold sore viruses. Touching this fluid, you could easily spread the cold sore virus to another part of your own body or to someone else - either by direct touch or shared objects such as hand towels, telephones, and faucets.
COLD SORE STAGE: # 6 - CRUSTING - A cold sore will develop a yellowish crust or scab as it begins to finally start the healing process. Your cold sore is still painful at this stage. More painful, however, is the constant cracking of your cold sore scab when you move or stretch your lips, as in smiling.
COLD SORE STAGE: # 7- HEALING - Cold sores, once scabbed over, begin healing from the inside out. As new skin forms under the crust, you will experience continued itching, irritation and some pain. Your cold sore virus is now retreating back to the nerve ganglia area where it will sleep until the next opportunity.
COLD SORE STAGE: # 8 - POST SCAB - Cold sores at this stage no longer have a visible cold sore scab and your skin has healed.
But use caution - under your new skin, healing is still taking place as the destroyed cells are regenerated. This produces a reddish area that may linger for another 2 to 14 days - depending on your personal healing speed.
You are still contagious until this red spot disappears. This waiting is the most frustrating of the cold sore stages.
WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW -
Cold sore over-the-counter medications, experts agree, are primarily comfort treatments for the cold sore stages. Some contain numbing agents that greatly reduce your pain. Some cold sore medications contain an anti-bacterial to prevent secondary infections.
None of these store-bought remedies have been shown to actually shorten the life-span of your cold sore stages.
Medical science has been working feverishly on a cure for the herpes virus but have not, as yet, had any real success in developing an effective cold sore remedy.
WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW -
Cold sore over-the-counter medications, experts agree, are primarily comfort treatments for the cold sore stages. Some contain numbing agents that greatly reduce your pain. Some cold sore medications contain an anti-bacterial to prevent secondary infections.
None of these store-bought remedies have been shown to actually shorten the life-span of your cold sore stages.
Medical science has been working feverishly on a cure for the herpes virus but have not, as yet, had any real success in developing an effective cold sore remedy.
Prescription anti-virals, both the oral versions and the topical salves, have been a dismal failure for the most part. Vaccines are being tested but are 3-4 years out yet. New breakthroughs could be just around the corner however.
But you don't need to wait!
More and more doctors now agree. There are times when natural remedies just seem to be the best choice. Often our ONLY choice. This is definitely true - right now - for cold sores.
Data studies have shown natural home remedies can reduce the cold sore events by as much as 79%. Not so with commercial cold sore remedies.
Yes! And, in fact, these home remedies can actually prevent your cold sores from taking place at all.
But you don't need to wait!
More and more doctors now agree. There are times when natural remedies just seem to be the best choice. Often our ONLY choice. This is definitely true - right now - for cold sores.
Data studies have shown natural home remedies can reduce the cold sore events by as much as 79%. Not so with commercial cold sore remedies.
Yes! And, in fact, these home remedies can actually prevent your cold sores from taking place at all.
If you are a cold sore victim, you would be well advised to look into these powerful natural remedies without delay for shortening or eliminating all your cold sore stages.
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Denny Bodoh is a newspaper manager and 38 year veteran health research writer. If you would like to know more about Cold Sore Treatment, cold sore stages and what you can do to get rid of cold sores fast, visit his excellent web site at:
http://www.be-cold-sore-free.com/
This Article has been viewed 215,909 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
More commentsHi Denny,
Wish I had seen this a long time ago. I have been getting cold sores for 15 years now. I had not gotten one in over two years until 3 weeks ago. It was one of the biggest ones I have ever gotten. The left side of my lip was swollen to twice it's size. It followed the usual stages. The scab fell off about a week and a half ago. My doctor gave me zovirax to use. I couldn't imagine that it would work since it's in such a late stage. And it didn't. I have stopped using it. I have the pinkish tender looking spot on my skin above my lip where the blisters were. But my lip is still slightly swollen and a little sore. I started taking the lysine pills 4 days ago, staying away from bread, grains, and sweets. I feel like it's stuck at this stage. Doesn't seem to be getting any better. I was dabbing it with peroxide a few times a day but the doctor said to stop because the peroxide could damage my skin and take longer to heal. He said to just wash with mild soap and dab with bacatracin. So many different opinins on what to do. It's so frustrating because it still looks so obvious. I feel like it will never look better and stay like this. From time to time I feel a slight burn or pulling feeling. At first I thought it was another one coming through. But thankfully no. Now I wonder if it's because it's still healing. Any advice would great.Hi Cheryl
Wonderful to hear from you Cheryl. Thank you so much for stopping by.
I can't give medical advice, Cheryl, but I can relate to you from the experience of others I have worked with.
If the doctor says for you not to use peroxide, then you should follow that course. I do disagree with the bacitracin because it is strictly an antibiotic - it is designed to attack bacteria, not viruses. Cold sores are caused by a virus. The only thing that may help is if it has zinc in it. Perhaps he is concerned about a secondary bacterial infection, which does happen and really can complicate healing.
Zovirax is an antiviral product that is quickly becoming useless, as the virus mutates and becomes resistant to it. It is like what happened to penicillin. It was great at first, but bacteria quickly became resistant and the drug companies have to continually create new antibiotics to replace the past ones. It is a never ending story.
You are very wise to be doing the lysine and reducing the grains. For many people, that is their main cold sore treatment and has proven very successful. To me, it is basic support for any other treatment or topical remedy. It basically starves out the virus - like putting water on a fire starves it of oxygen.
Yes, it is still healing. Hopefully by this time it is pretty much gone. Some topical remedies that have been very successful with the people I talk to are as follows:
Crushed garlic or garlic oil mixed with olive oil (only use extra virgin and organic if possible). Garlic is very strong against viruses - there really is nothing like it, prescription or otherwise. Garlic has the ability to pass right thru the skin or scab and get to the virus below. Olive oil buffers garlic so it doesn't burn sensitive skin. And, olive oil is also an antiviral and helpful to the skin healing process. Other great topical cold sore remedies that you can use with this recipe or separately are peppermint oil, coconut oil or tea tree oil.
I know there are tons of different opinions on how to deal with cold sores - mainly because they are so misunderstood, even by my doctor friends. That is what I discovered over 10 years ago and that is why I concentrate so much on this one subject in my research. And, to be honest and fair - I am learning something new nearly every week.
If I could be of further assistance or answer additional questions, I would be happy to hear from you again.
Take care, Cheryl
Denny
My last cold sore was approximately 164 days ago, looking at my last comment. The tingling sensation came 10:00 and by 4:00 it had turned into a small bump. I went to the local drugstore and dropped $21 for Abreva, seeing as it had such stellar reviews. I put it on every 3-4 hours. The bump enlarged in the night and split at about 11 today. I cleaned it up lightly with water, put on more Abreva, and resumed my schedule. Right now, it looks like all the liquid has drained out, with some slight discoloration and tiny cut. Will there be any scabbing? I dread the scabbing the most, since it is so noticeable.
And to answer your question, I am not the princess, sadly. Although I'd love to be friends with talking animals. Not so fond of the ogre part though. :DHey Fiona
Wow - wonderful to hear from you again, Fiona!!! Yes, I certainly remember you.
Abreva is primarily designed to be used in the early stages as you have. It sounds like you will be avoiding the scab, from what you said. The body builds a scab as a protective measure to cover all the destruction that this virus causes. It sounds like you nipped it in the bud.
The secret to treating any cold sore is acting quickly. Even a simple thing as ice can stop a cold sore before it actually breaks through the skin - as does fast application of things like garlic, peppermint oil, tea tree oil etc.
You acted quickly and that is great.
I'll bet there is princess in your heritage. You can imagine it. I live so far up in the Wisconsin north woods that some of my best friends are imaginary. And the animals are great company. They don't talk much but mama bear stopped by 3 nights ago and destroyed all my bird feeders again. They have to eat too.
Take care Fiona. Really great to hear from you again. ;))
Denny
Hello,
I have my first cold sore and not sure which stage I'm in. Yesterday i had multiple small red bumps that did not open but when I woke up this morning most of them have a scab over them. My lip is also very swollen on the side the sore is on.
Does it sound like the sores have opened? I guess its possible it happened while I was sleeping. And is it normal to have swelling?
I have been icing it and putting aloe vera from a live plant on it as well as abreva but I will be trying your recommendations today.
This is a very helpful article!
Thank you!
Hi Rachel
Wonderful to hear from you, Rachel. I am very happy that the article was helpful to you. Thank you for your kind words.
Sorry to hear about your cold sore. Yes, swelling is quite common. Usually your lymphatic gland under the jaw on that side of your face will swell and could be painful. It is a sign your body is fighting the virus and getting rid of the waste from that fight.
Once the sores scab, it usually indicates that the damage is done and you are on the mend. There is still lingering virus particles in the area that can cause the sore to reoccur, so be diligent. And, remember, you are very contagious during the entire cold sore event.
Ice is great for dealing with the swelling and providing quite a bit of comfort. However, it does slow healing during this healing phase as it drives blood away from the area. Perhaps you might find that warm, wet tea bags will add comfort and speed the healing process. The faster you heal, the quicker the swelling disappears.
Aloe vera is a great cold sore remedy during the healing phase. Great that you have a plant on hand - everybody should have this first-aid plant in the house. I have put aloe vera on a cut and it was gone the next day. It doesn't work quite that fast on cold sores unfortunately.
Thank you so much for stopping by Rachel. And thank you for the 5 stars.
Take care, Rachel, and have a great week.
Denny
Hi Denny,
Thanks for such an informative site. I have learned more in 20 min than in the last ten years!!
Like everyone else I have been the victim of the dreaded herpes since a child (now 40).
Until my separation last year (read underlying stress) I've coped with the odd few a year but now have had constant attacks for 15+ months. (I've been CS free for maybe a week here or there!) They have appear all over my upper lip area and in both nostrils and occasionally on my lips, sometimes just one, sometimes lots. Have tried the prescription Famvir but it seems useless. Aclovoir cream does help (i think). I have now started icing and used the tea bag. (good results) I will use the garlic next. Do I just crush a bulb and mix with olive oil straight on?. Also have now stopped oats and limiting wheat.
My main question though is your thoughts on popping the sores. mine will tingle (only sometimes) and be up in a white head almost immediately. I have always popped and cleaned with antiseptic and then aclovoir, the theory being I want them to dry out and start healing, now I pop and ice ( I have no scarring from hundreds of sores over the years) They then scab straight away. (Tiny maybe 1/16inch scabs) and heal relatively quickly. Problem is another comes up somewhere else!! Is st Johns wort still considered worth using as an immunity booster?
Thanks heaps for your help so far.
cheers!
Hi Gavin
Great to hear from you, Gavin. Thank you very much for the kind words. I am happy to have been a help to you.
Acyclovir may work for you for a while. In a little while, however, your virus will likely become immune to it. That is the usual case scenario.
You can crush the garlic, add olive oil and stir up together. The olive oil will pick up and combine with the garlic oils. The solids are left behind. You can save the oil mixture for some time in the fridge. Some folks get a pistil and mortar for this and other similar purposes. Also, there is a garlic crusher for kitchen use that I have used for this also. It squeezes the oils out and leaves the pulp behind.
Garlic and olive oil is one of the best cold sore remedies for topical use.
Yes, Gavin, herbs religiously put to use to treat cold sores include St. John's wort, olive leaf extract, licorice, garlic, and mustard. Used as supplements, they all help boost the immune system and do well to defend against viral infection. The only ones that I feel would be safe for extended periods of use are garlic, licorice and mustard. St Johns wort or olive leaf extract should not be used more than 3 months or so without taking a month break.
One of the best internal cold sore treatments is lysine. It directly targets the herpes replication process. It is cheap, safe and so easy to use with any other treatment you may wish to use.
As far as drying out the blister by popping and icing it - that is fine since it works for you. Over the years I have not seen much for scarring using any method really. The one that always concerns me is where some people use acetone (finger polish remover). That stuff is nasty - like using gasoline in my opinion.
Many of the folks I work with like drying out the sore as you do, Gavin. Some other ways of doing this would be to apply products like witch hazel, calamine lotion, hemorrhoid cream, white toothpaste or a simple salt and water paste.
Sorry to hear of your separation last year, Gavin. That can cause a lot of stress, both on the surface and underlying. What concerns me is the frequency of your attacks. Boosting your immunity is helpful of course, but the real culprit is your pH balance - I would lay money on it.
I recently posted an article to my web site called "Repeated Cold Sores" because so many people are having trouble with it these past couple of years with all the social and economy problems. This article site does not allow me to give you a link to it but you can use the link at the top of this article under my name. It is one of the top articles listed there.
I really think you should go there, Gavin, and read it. It touches on lysine too but mainly for you the pH connection. Stress can be very destructive to our health as you will see. You can't always avoid it but we can reduce the effects of it.
Hopefully I have been of further help, Gavin. Thank you very much for stopping by (and the 5 stars too). Stay in touch with any other questions.
Take care
Denny
Great article. I have learned very much from this article alone than I have from any other source. I am currently experiencing my first cold sore experience, and it has been an interesting one. I never really noticed any tingling or burning sensation before I noticed the swollen white bump on my lower lip. Originally, I even thought that I had bitten my lip, and that was why it was swollen with a white mark. But I know believe it is a cold sore, due to the crusting, and the very sore throat and swollen glands accompanying the sore. I believe it is currently yellow crusting over. Should I still put Abreva on the crusting cold sore? Also, what does the sore look like if the crusting falls off? I'm assuming that it is necessary to keep the crusting/scabbing on as long as possible in order to quicken the healing process? When the sore is crusting/scabbing, is it still contagious to pass along to others? Thank you so much for all your information.Hi Mary
Wonderful to hear from you, Mary. Thank you so much for the kind words - I am happy that you enjoyed and benefited from this article. And thanks for the 5 stars too.
Abreva has been known to cause the scab to come off at the crusting stage. People report that they can't keep a scab on. Also, Abreva's main function is to prevent the virus from spreading to adjacent cells during the early stages. By the time the scab forms, this is usually not a concern any longer, as the damage has been done. Basically, Abreva is not much value now and will not aid in the healing process. It is expensive so save what is left for next time.
When the scab falls off, it usually reveals pinkish new skin. People seem to do best by letting the scab stay on as long as possible. People that pick the scab off, usually report longer healing time and other complications.
Sometimes, if it comes of prematurely, it may have a wet look to it. If this occurs, be sure to be using a good topical cold sore remedy to help protect the area and speed healing results. Some people use petroleum jelly which acts as a protective scab. Lip balm (bees wax kind) is actually preferred as that will have some value in helping the healing process.
In either case, Mary, apply your cold sore treatment first, then put the protectant on. Some very effective topical healing treatments include garlic oil (mixed with olive oil), oregano oil, tea tree oil, grapefruit seed extract or peppermint oil.
And yes, your sore is contagious from the very first tingle until the final redness is gone. It is extremely contagious during the crusting stage because the fluid that weeps from the sore is teeming with virus particles. Mary, you must use every precaution to not spread it to some other part of your face or body. For example, if you get it on your fingers you can infect a new spot where the virus finds a way through the skin.
One that scares me and does occasionally happen is where a person gets it in the eye. Corneal cold sores are not good and can cause eye damage. Best to always treat the sore with throw-away tissues or cotton tips.
I have seen cold sores on the finger tips where the virus got through a crack. Very painful.
I am so happy you stopped by, Mary. I hope I answered your questions. If I can help you further, please leave a message here.
Take care, Mary, and have a great week.
Denny
Hi this is my first sore...I think im not even sure if that's what it is. At first it felt like my lip was busted open at the lining of my bottom lip then I noticed something forming on the lip I kept cold compress on it and washed it with spa and water and then a scab came but not on the lining of my lip. The one on the lining looks crusted and yellow bt on the lip it never looked red or painful or like a pimple the one on the lip seems 2 b gettn smaller wut should I to please help its very depressingHi
Great to hear from you. Thank you very much for the 5 stars.
It is difficult to determine exactly what you are dealing with. It would be better if you were to see a doctor to examine it visually.
Of course, I cannot give medical advice here but if I had a situation that you are describing, I would be doing a couple things. First, I would be sucking on zinc lozenges. Secondly I would be putting honey on the sores.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are doing better today.
Denny
Hi there, thank you for your informative site. I have a quick question about this nasty guy on my lip. I about 5 days ago with a cold sore for the first time on my lower lip close to the center. I have never had a cold sore before and did not feel anything until I awoken with this guy on my lip.I am a 23 yr old college student and feel that I may have obtained it from about 2 straight weeks of partying and being in the sun. I went and got abreva and it didn't really seem to be doing the trick so I tried some other methods that I could come up with. I figured drying it out was smart so I topped it with calamine lotion and it really seemed to do a lot. This morning i went and purchased nail polish remover with acetone and applied it to the affected area and it dried it right up even more. Now I have a yellowish scab on my lip and trying to figure out the next best step to further the healing process. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you. -JohnHi John
Great to hear from you, John. Thank you very much for your kind words.
Yes, many folks like drying it out and have good luck with it. Calamine lotion is a good choice. Personally, I am against using acetone. Besides the fact that it is not even good to breath, much less to put on the mouth area, many people who have tried it have had trouble with it - including scarring.
I can't give you medical advice, but I can tell you what others have done in your position.
Zinc seems to work along with drying it out, according to many. Zinc lozenges are the cheapest but I prefer the zinc oral spray. You can spray it in your mouth as well as right on the sore area. Zinc gluconate is very easily absorbed, a strong antiviral and a great tissue healer.
Garlic is another cold sore treatment that gets rave reviews. You can eat it and/or put it directly on the sore.
Peppermint oil is often mixed with the garlic (or used separately). Peppermint seems to be extremely useful with healing cold sores.
You seem to be doing great so far, John. Hopefully it will be gone in a couple days. Be sure to be careful as you are contagious until it is totally gone. Don't want to pass it around to your friends.
Take care, John, and thank you for stopping by. Anything else, let me know here. If you want a ton more info, use the link at the top under my name - this will take you to my free web site.
Have a great week.
Denny
Hi Denny,
Thanks for the info! Not fun dealing with a cold sore. I have had one re-appear every 6-12 months for the last 10 years of my life. I have tried just about everything I can find over the counter or prescription. I was in Thailand a few months ago and they gave me "Acyclovair" and I have been taking 400 mg every-time I have felt a tingle come on, and it seems to have helped...until this last one caught me off guard. It was my first sore in over 15 months.Longest I have gone without one for as long as I can remember.
I am currently in the open sore/crusting phase which seems to last the longest for me. I try to leave the scab on best I can, but it usually falls off sometime during the middle of the morning. Over night i must sleep with my mouth open because it always cracks and bleeds by morning time.
Do you have a suggestion to keep the sore covered? Do I want to keep it moist or dried out by this time? Any insight would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
NickHi Nick
Great to hear from you, Nick. And thank you very much for the 5 stars.
Yes, the crusting stage can be very frustrating. I know exactly what you mean about the cracking and bleeding. Not fun for sure.
It seems there are some folks who do well by drying it out and others who prefer keeping it oiled. If I were you, with the scab falling off every day, I guess I would go with drying it out. There are several ways of doing that, depending on what is available. Some make up a salt paste and put that on. Works well actually. Other topical treatments for drying it out include witch hazel, hemorrhoid cream, calamine lotion or toothpaste. Mixing up an alum paste will also work.
If you have read some of the comments here, you probably have seen that some folks use acetone (fingernail polish remover). That stuff is nasty and should never be used on a sore of any kind.
I think you would not have to keep it covered if you dry it out. However, if you want to, my choice would be that bees wax lip balm. Vaseline would be a good second choice.
Hopefully you are much better today, Nick. Thank you so much for stopping by and have a great week.
Denny
Hi, I'm 16 and i've been getting coldsores since i can remember. I've tried everything.. abreva, salt & water paste, tooth paste, nail polish remover, prescription creams, prescription valtrex, icing it. Nothing seems to work :( When i get them i just want to hide from the world. Right now i have one on my nostril and its all yellow and crusty. Should i try to dry it out or keep it moist? What should i do when i shower? Should i try the garlic and olive oil mix? If so, how do i do that? What about zicam? Lysine? PLEASE HELPPP :((((Hi Sally
Wonderful to hear from you, Sally. Thank you very much for the 5 stars too - I certainly appreciate the vote of confidence.
Please understand that I cannot give you specific medical advice here. That is for a doctor that you visit in person. What I can do is share my experience and research as to what I and others have done in similar cases.
Obviously you have been to a doctor to be getting prescription medications. The pills are hard on the liver and the salves are producing poorer and poorer results as the virus develops immunity.
Abreva is actually not a bad product but its benefit is only in the early development stages of a cold sore attack. It has no value for speeding up healing. Fact is, people that do use it, find it best to discontinue its use when the sore breaks open. After that, it seems to hold you back. Actually, icing it during those early stages produces about the same results. And do not use ice once it scabs over as this, too, will slow down healing.
The garlic and olive oil cold sore remedy is very effective. It is the garlic oil that is the main player here. Some folks have a garlic crusher tool in the kitchen that works quite well. If not, other folks will slice up a clove in tiny slices and put in a small cup and put a little EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil on it. The garlic oils will infuse the olive oil in about an hour or so. You can also get garlic oil at the vitamin store if that is more convenient.
I have rubbed slices of garlic right on the sore area with excellent results. But, garlic is very strong and many report that it sort of burns sensitive skin. The olive oil helps buffer that effect. And, olives are a very strong anti-viral too - so you benefit that way also - that is, if you use the EXTRA VIRGIN oil that is slightly green.
When you shower, try to avoid rubbing it with the washcloth. This will avoid irritating it and will reduce the chance of spreading it to other locations.
Personally, I think Zicam is an awesome product, although there are other brands that may be just as good. It is the zinc that is such a help for stopping a viral infection and helping with the healing process. Any zinc lozenges that you suck on will be helpful as the zinc gets into your bloodstream very quickly through the oral tissue absorption. In the case of a nostril sore, like you have Sally, I would think that an oral zinc spray would be quite helpful. You can spray it in your mouth as directed and also directly on the sore. Also, it does not leave that metal aftertaste that I hate.
As far as the lysine is concerned, Sally, I would rather you go to my web site and read the articles I have there on the subject, especially the article "Repeated Cold Sores". I think this article is what you need if you get cold sores regularly. (Use the link at the top of this article just under my name.) There is so much to know about lysine - much more than I can put here now.
Oh, and Sally, don't use nail polish remover unless you don't mind risking a scar.
Take care, Sally, and have a great week.
Denny
Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!Hey Sally
You are very welcome, Sally. It is a thrill for me to hear from nice people such as you.
Take care - hope you are better today!!
Denny
Hi Denny,
I've had cold sores for almost 10 years now. I currently have one, and it is in the crusting/healing stage. This is the first time I've had a big grouping of small blisters and it seems to be taking a lot longer to heal than it usually takes. The blisters/scabs are located on the edge of my upperlip, but the majority of it is on my actual skin. It's been one week since i've had this coldsore, and it's been in the same crusting/healing stage for nearly 5 days. What can I do to speed up the healing process? I'm really tempted to pick off the scab, but I'm scared that I might open up the cold sore again and I may have to repeat the healing process all over. Also, I was wondering if I'm allowed to kiss my boyfriend during this time?
Hi Sarah
Wonderful to hear from you, Sarah. I am not allowed to give medical advice here, but I can relate my and other people's experience.
First, your cold sores are very contagious from the very beginning (itching stage) until final healing (the redness is totally gone). During this time, the crusting stage you are in is the ABSOLUTE WORST time to be kissing anyone. The area is teeming with virus particles looking for a new home. The risk to your boyfriend is about 96% right now.
It sounds like the healing has stalled out for some reason - quite likely because the virus is still active at that location. There are two things that commonly cause this problem, according to what others have experienced.
One is that there is too much of the protein Arginine in the adjacent tissues and the virus is being well fed. Secondly, the area has a low (acid) pH which the virus loves.
You did not mention Lysine so I suspect you have not tried it. Lysine is a simple protein that helps bind up Arginine and reduces the availability to the cold sore virus. The virus does not hang around when there is insufficient Arginine in the area.
A lowered pH level is very inviting to this virus, in part because it means less oxygen saturation of the tissues (oxygen is essential for immunity and fast healing). Many things cause a lowering of pH toward the acid side. This may include any type of stress (mental or physical), illness, injury and food choices.
There is a lot more you need to know about both the Lysine and the pH connection in regard to cold sores. I have an article on my web site that talks about both these issues. It is called "Repeated Cold Sores" and can be accessed through the link at the top of this article under my name.
Picking off the scab normally complicates the infection and slows healing, according to many who have reported doing it. But, I know what you mean - you just want to be done with it. A couple things may be used to get rid of the scab quicker and safely. One is applying Vaseline. Another is drying it out using something as simple as a salt paste.
Hopefully this and my article will help you, Sarah. And I hope I got back to you fast enough to prevent you kissing your bf.
Take care, Sarah, and let me know if the article helps.
Denny
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