Irrespective of which cold sore treatment you opt for, bear in mind that all stages of cold sore formation should be considered to be contagious. Avoid spreading the herpes virus to other parts of your body or to other people by washing your hands after applying any medication or treatment to a cold sore.

When treating cold sores it is of the utmost importance to start treatment at the onset of a cold sore, during the tingling stage, as this is the stage when the herpes simplex virus becomes reactivated and starts to replicate. By slowing down the replication the damage caused by the virus can be reduced considerably.

Depending on the severity of the infection it may be worth your while to first try to one of the natural remedies for cold sore treatment as many people have found relief from these methods. Despite the fact that these remedies have not been scientifically proven to cure or shorten the duration of cold sores many people have reported them to be beneficial in alleviating the discomfort of cold sores.

Apply ice to the cold sore

Pain and itching will be reduced by applying ice intermittently during the tingle stage of a cold sore as the ice will act as a numbing agent. The ice will stifle the development of the cold sore by lowering the temperature of the tissue in the area which will reduce the metabolic rate in that area. Ice should be applied to the area for a period of five to ten minutes and repeated hourly.

After the tingling stage the virus moves toward the surface of the skin, attacking skin cells which results in swelling followed by liquid filled blisters that gradually form a larger single blister. The blister then bursts, and leaves an open red lesion.

Apply lemon balm to the cold sore

Treating the blister with lemon balm will keep the sore moist and provide some protection from secondary infections whilst helping to fight the virus. During the open blister stage the virus is at its most contagious, being transmitted via the clear liquid that now seeps from the burst blister.

Apply a tea bag to the cold sore

Some over-the-counter cold sore treatments contain tannic acid which is present in tea and applying a warm damp tea bag to the affected area may offer some relief from the pain as the warmth will increase the blood flow whilst the tannin will assist in fighting the virus. This method of cold sore treatment generally works best during the crusting stage of the cold sore when the sore has started to heal and a crust is forming over the lesion.

To minimize the chances of re-infecting yourself or spreading the virus to others you should refrain from touching the infected area, irrespective of which stage of the cold sore you are in. Obviously if you need to apply a topical cream to the infected area then this is unavoidable but extra care should be taken to ensure that hands are properly washed after each application. One of the primary methods of transmission of cold sores is kissing and this should be avoided until the infection has cleared completely.

You should seek medical advice if none of the ordinary cold sore treatments offer relief, the sores do not heal within seven to 10 days or you develop a fever.

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