Cold sores are painful, contagious and ugly, but fortunately there is a treatment for cold sores that is highly recommended. Treating cold sore outbreaks before they appear is the best way to ensure you don’t have to suffer with them a long time from the onset. If you are prone to them then prevention is probably more important than cure as far as preventing them goes. By identifying what causes them to occur, then you can avoid them completely, which will make them much less painful, uncomfortable and annoying.

Cold sores can be caused by illness, low levels of saliva or even by medication. If it’s a cold sore caused by illness then you’ll need to treat it as soon as possible to avoid the virus progressing and causing bigger problems. To help prevent these sores occurring in the first place, try to eat healthy and drink plenty of fluids. Taking daily supplements such as vitamin C, zinc and vitamin A can also assist in preventing outbreaks of cold sore.

It is common for people to get cold sores at some point in their lives. If you do however, find yourself suffering with outbreaks more than twice a year then there is a strong possibility that you are susceptible to the herpes simplex virus. The most common type of herpes is the cold sore caused by the Varicella zoster virus (VZV). This is the virus that causes cold sores usually lasting only for around 2 weeks. However, if the cold sore duration is longer then this could be a sign of other types of herpes such as herpes simplex 1 or 2.

One of the first treatments that doctors recommend when treating a cold sore outbreak is an antiviral medication. The main medications that are used to treat genital herpes are ointments and creams. Although antiviral drugs may seem effective, they do have side effects. For example, if you stop using the medication you could suffer from re-infestation of the genital herpes virus. However, there is a drug called valacyclovir which is taken on a weekly basis which can keep the virus under control and prevents it from spreading.

When you take valacyclovir, you will experience fever blisters. These fever blisters may appear either in the mouth or on other parts of your body. Although fever blisters are a common symptom of cold sores they should not be ignored. If you are experiencing fever blisters then visit your doctor as soon as possible to find out if you have contracted the virus.

If you notice a yellowish discharge from your mouth and it is clear and yellowish in color, this may indicate that an outbreak is occurring. This discharge is generally seen as milky white and has a very bad smell. It is important to consult with your doctor about the possibility of fever blister treatment. Your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication to treat the sores and help shorten the outbreak. Although these medications do work, it is best to prevent an outbreak rather than suffer through one.