Quick general information on cold sore infections.

A cold sore is the outward symptom of an outbreak of the herpes simplex virus (sometimes simply called “HSV”), probably the type 1 strain of the virus (HSV-1) – HSV-2 is the strain that is usually responsible for herpes genital. Although both HSV-1 and HSV-2 can cause oral or genital herpes, each is more likely to cause a specific condition than the other.

Oral herpes (cold sores) is the most common form of herpes, the second most common is genital herpes, and there are many other types of disorders that can be caused by HSV, such as ocular herpes (herpes keratitis, this is when it gets in the eye), herpetic whitlow, and herpes zoster (shingles).

You most likely contracted it from being kissed by a close relative as a child, who was also infected with the virus and probably had an active outbreak at the time (oops, thanks grandma), sadly there is no cure for herpes and once you’ve got it, you’re stuck with it for life, doomed to get the occasional cold sore a few times a year (more often, possibly, if you’ve recently been infected).

Although there are several vaccines that are currently in Phase III trials with the NIH (National Institutes of Health – search “herpevac” for more information). This vaccine is specific to women and is only designed to prevent genital herpes, but the scientists who developed it believe it can be easily adapted to prevent cold sores.

A 5-Step Home Treatment Procedure to Get Rid of a Cold Sore

1. Sterilize a needle with alcohol, carefully pierce the cold sore, and drain all the fluid, using a tissue to blot it dry. Basically, do with it what you would have done with a pimple as a teenager, if you get the idea.

2. Wash the cold sore once every 2 hours with a damp washcloth and soap, making sure to use a fresh washcloth each time to prevent the virus from spreading to other parts of the face.

3. Apply benzyl alcohol (also known as “Zilactin”) with a cotton swab each time you wash it. If you can’t find benzyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol will suffice.

4. Apply some benzyl peroxide based acne cream (such as Clearasil) to the cold sore with a fresh Q-tip, this will keep it completely dry for the next 2 hours until you wash it off again. You can also use nail polish remover, this is at least as effective (some say even more so).

5. Start taking l-lysine, it’s an over-the-counter supplement and has been shown to significantly reduce the duration and severity of cold sore outbreaks by interfering with virus replication. (Source: Department of Medicine, Indiana University: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3115841?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdfromarticles pubmed). I personally would recommend 1000mg of lysine 3 times a day while having an active flare up.

Also, taking vitamin C to help boost your immune system will definitely help, and if you don’t already have a cold sore but are just starting to get the tingles and running through this same 5-step procedure (minus the first step), it will often prevent the cold sore. cold sores appear first. Also, some people (see: Get Rid of Cold Sores in 24 Hours) have found Witch Hazel to be very effective in getting rid of cold sores.