Your Health

Knocking Out Cold Sores Fast

Posted: 1/7/2012

Getting rid of cold sores may be easier than many people realize.

(NAPSI)—If cool temperatures, illness, sun exposure, injury, lack of sleep, or stress causes you to have a cold sore outbreak, you’re not alone. Approximately 80 million Americans will experience at least one cold sore outbreak each year. In a recent survey of 1,000 cold sore sufferers commissioned by Abreva, facts and figures show:

• 81 percent know treating a cold sore at the first tingle can shorten healing time.

• 66 percent know that stress can trigger a cold sore.

• 64 percent know that a cold or a fever can trigger a cold sore.

• 59 percent know that it is not possible to cure cold sores permanently.

• 24 percent are embarrassed to talk to a pharmacist about their cold sore.

A Solution

There are ways to reduce or even eliminate the time spent with a cold sore causing you discomfort and embarrassment.

These can include:

1. Don’t share personal items or kiss during the cold sore life cycle.

2. Get plenty of rest. A worn-down body is more likely to get sick and finds it harder to keep the virus inactive.

3. Use sunscreen to avoid over-exposure to the sun, even in the winter.

4. Treat at the first tingle.

5. Talk to your pharmacist.

Expert Advice

“Patients have shared home remedies with me, like pricking their cold sore with a needle, applying alcohol or witch hazel to dry it out, and holding a tea bag or ice on it to speed up healing,” said pharmacist Dr. Pam Marquess. “The fact is, home remedies have not been clinically proven to heal cold sores or lessen healing time. Although those home remedies may make it temporarily feel better, using them can possibly make the cold sore worse. I get cold sores and what I personally use and recommend to my patients is Abreva, the only over-the-counter cold sore medicine that is FDA approved to shorten healing time. It speeds healing like a prescription but without one.”

According to scientific journal reports, the medication works at the cellular level to block the virus from entering healthy skin cells. Abreva contains 10 percent docosanol, a patented active ingredient that works in a unique way deep in your skin to block the cold sore virus from entering uninfected skin cells.

Learn More

Go to www.Abreva.com or call (877) 709-3539 for more information on triggers and treatment.