Treating Common Skin Conditions such as Cold Sores
Monday, August 11th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Sores or fever blisters are formed when a kind of viral infection hits the skin and nervous system. This skin condition is usually caused by herpes virus, which can lay dormant in the body and become active later when something triggers it - and they’re contagious. They are sometimes confused with impetigo, which usually develops between the nose and upper lip. The fluid that weeps from impetigo is cloudy and honey-colored. Areas where sores do not develop are inside the mouth, where canker sores may appear as ulcers on the soft tissues but they are not contagious.
Good hand washing when a cold sore is present will help prevent the spread of the infection. There is a drug called Acyclovir (Zovirax) which narrows down the time duration of the infection. Effective management of this skin condition could involve using topical creams, ointments and at times drugs which belong to the antiviral category like acyclovir or famciclovir. Treat any pain by taking paracetamol or applying witch hazel to the sore. This local application medicine is a good anesthetic too. Treatment also involves in making your immune system more tough and sturdy by ensuring a balanced diet fortified with vitamins A, C, E, zinc and iron. Over and above, you must learn to do away with overtly salty and spicy foods or foods which promote acidity and drinks which may further deteriorate this skin condition.
To prevent this skin condition, make your diet plan without salty or spicy foods. Some of the foods where you need to have only limited quantities include chocolates, peanuts, grains, peas, seeds, oatmeal and whole-wheat rich in arginine. Do completely without tea and coffee and make your diet vitamin-rich.
Take some ice and rub it on the sore for a few minutes and do this again every hour and this is one of the very effective home remedies for the management of this skin condition. You could also place tea bags on the sore area for a few minutes and do this every hour. Another option is to hold a warm tea bag on the blisters for half an hour.
Applying witch hazel on sores has a miraculous relief effect. Take protection from sun-generated cold sores by applying sunscreen on the lips and stop this skin condition happening again.
For guaranteed results mix 100ml of coconut oil, 2ml of disinfectant, and 3ml of carbolic acid Apply twice daily directly on your cold sore - some people say this formula also works on other skin conditions such as boils and mosquito bites.
One acknowledged home remedy for this skin condition is found in tea tree oil, when it is consumed as a drink with herbal sage and violet. You could make a mixture of all these items and add a few sage leaves and ginger powder and then put all of it in a cup of boiling water. If you want your cold sores to simply go away in a short span of couple of days, drink this at least 2 to 3 times a day.
When everything fails for you, 3 acidophilus pills twice a day in the morning and evening could work wonders and dry and clear up. When this skin condition bothers you often try taking 2 pills a day. Of course this by no means is an exhaustive list of home remedies for cold sores, but some of the commonly used methods.
