Treat cold sores overnight with our magical home remedies

By Ariba Khaliq ,  Onlymyhealth editorial team

QUICK BITES
  • Ice a cold sore when it first arrives, to cut down the healing time.
  • Dab lemon extract directly on the sore to relieve pain.
  • Tea is rich in antioxidant and hence is effective in curing cold sores.
  • Zinc oxide ointment helps reduce cold-sore duration.
Cold sores are embarrassing, unsightly, painful and make you feel more untouchable. Period! Also known as fever blisters, they are caused by the herpes simplex virus. They can be spread from one person to another through infected body fluids. A cold sore can heal on its own if left alone for a few days but to help it heal faster, you can try some natural remedies at home.

cold sore

Ice it

A soon as you realise a cold sore forming, apply ice over it. Keep repeating throughout the day. The ice will cool the sore which otherwise needs a moist and warm environment to grow.

 

remedies for treating cold sore

Apply lemon

Apply a lemon balm or lemon extracts directly over the sore. Soak a cotton ball in the lemon and dab it on the cold sore 2 to 3 times a day.

Put salt

Take salt on a wet finger and apply it on the cold sore, pressing it for 30 seconds to allow the salt to enter the sore. You might wince with pain at first, but the irritation will pay off.

 

topical oil for treating cold sore

 

Use topical oil

Lavender and Melissa oils are known for their healing properties and that is what they will exactly do if you apply them to your cold sores.

Apply tea bag

Soak a tea bag in hot water, allow it to cool, and then apply the wet bag to the sore for 5 to 10 minutes. Use a fresh tea bag and repeat the process every 1 to 2 hours.

Chew liquorice

Glycyrrhizin acid- an ingredient in liquorice has been found to stop the cold sores virus cells dead in their tracks. Try chewing a liquorice whip.

 

dab milk for treating cold sore

Dab milk

Apply milk on the sore with the help of a cotton ball. Applying cold milk as soon as you feel the tingling of the oncoming sore, works even better.

Suck zinc lozenges

Stress can also trigger cold sores. Suck on zinc lozenges during stressful times.

Consume-high-lysine-foods

Consume high-lysine foods

Eat lean meats, yogurt, eggs, milk and cheese; all these are lysine-rich foods. Lysine is a protein that helps heal and prevent cold sores.

Avoid high-arginine foods

Arginine is a protein that serves as a building block for herpes virus, helping it to spread. So, avoid eating foods like whole grains, seeds, nuts and chocolate- that are high in arginine concentration.

Stay away from acidic foods

Citrus fruits, tomatoes and anything with vinegar are food options that are acidic in nature. Herpes virus thrives on acidic environment so, avoid eating such foods.

boost your immunity

Boost your immunity

Include foods in your diet that provide strength to your immunity to fight off virus. Best choices for such foods are cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, onion and garlic.

Cold sores aren’t the most attractive accessory. But while coping with them, you can experience as little discomfort as possible by using these easy but crucial home remedies.

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