Home Remedies for Cold Sores or Fever Blisters

Cold sores, also known as fever blisters are fluid-filled red blisters appear on the gums, lips or even on the roof of a mouth. Cold sores are contagious and usually appear when a person having a fever or colds, fatigue and stress. Cold sores are caused by virus Herpes simplex HSV1 and HSV2 which are already present in the body. This virus only attacks when something triggers it. Low immune system, lack of Vitamin B12 and calcium might be the causes for the attack. When the sign of fever blisters appear, avoid having foods with high arginine that will increase the reproduction of this virus (such as peanuts, chocolate, grains and whole wheat products). Consuming drinks enriched with calcium would be a better way to lessen the chances of fever blister attack.

The small and tiny cold sore is painful and will last for at least 2 weeks. Although there is no direct treatment for fever blisters,  you can ease and shorten your suffering with several home remedies available.

Among the home remedies for cold sores or fever blisters are:

Aloe Vera Gel: Rub some Aloe Vera gel on the sore. This is most effective on the early stage of fever blister development.

Aloe Vera-Grapefruit Seed Extract: Mix Aloe Vera juice with grapefruit seed extract. Apply the mixture gently on the sore as it is very strong. Use it and you can see its healing effect.

Ice cubes: Dab ice cube on the painful area every 10-15 minutes for one hour. Ice cubes act as a pain reliever and can also stop further infection.

Tea Bag: Apply a tea bag for  5-10 minutes on the blisters, repeat this every hour. One can also consider pressing a warm tea bag on the blisters for approximately 30 minutes. It contains tannic acid which helps to prevent viral infections.

Lemon Balm: Apply lemon balm extract on the sore. Lemon balm has antiviral properties and it promotes the healing of blisters by shortening the recovery period.

Lysine & Vitamin C: Take more foods that are rich in lysine such as red meat, milk, eggs and cheese. Lysine has shown to inhibit the spread of the herpes simplex virus. Consume more fruits that are rich in Vitamin C or take supplements to shorten the duration of fever blisters.

Yogurt: Include gelatin-free (gelatin can further worsen the blister) yogurt with active acidophilus bacteria in your diet. Acidophilus bacteria is a good fighter of cold sore and it can suppress the herpes virus.

If there is no sign of healing or the cold sores become worse, it is advisable for you to see doctor for medical treatment.