COLD SORE TREATMENTS

Cold sore treatments are a great interest for all of us who suffer those painful and irritating cold sores. We are continually searching for that miracle cold sore treatment that will eliminate cold sores for life. 

Because nearly 90% of the world population carry the cold sore herpes virus, there is a huge market of hungry consumers wanting to believe and ready to buy.

New cold sore treatments are coming out darn near every month.  How do you know what to buy - what to try.  Some companies know their products don't work but it still sells. 

You be the judge. Take a look at some of the more commonly used cold sore treatments that are popular right now.

Please understand these are just my opinions made from personal observations. In no way should this information take the place of your personal health care provider.

Novitra: A topical salve containing zinc sulfate as the active ingredient. Zinc has long been known as the healing mineral.  Zinc sulfate is more readily absorbed into the sore than most forms of zinc.

Although not the total answer, zinc sulfate does help the healing process, dries up the sore and helps kill the virus. A good product but it is costly.

There is no temporary pain relief so it might be best used along with a pain relief salve.  One that contains lidocaine or benzocaine.

Abreva: This seems to be one of the more popular ones right now.  Abreva makers recently paid a million dollars in a court settlement regarding false claims for this product. 

They at one time claimed Abreva would cut the cold sore duration in half. 

They were proven wrong. 

Docosanol is the active ingredient.  It stops the cold sores from getting any bigger by forming a protective barrier around the individual healthy cells surrounding the already damaged cells. Abreva works if applied before the wound actually opens up. 

But, by the time the cold sore blossoms, the damage is already done. A healing cold sore treatment is what you need now. 

The studies I've seen show Abreva will shorten the cold sores event by two or three days. I've seen as good or better results just applying ice as a treatment.

Zilactin: A cold sore gel that forms a protective film over the cold sore. This is actually a very good idea. It also contains a pain-relieving ingredient called "benzyl alcohol" which gives you about three hours of peace.

Also contains boric acid and salicylic acid. Salicylic acid normally is irritating to the skin so I question the value here.  Salicylic acid is an active ingredient in products for burning off warts. 

If you have an aspirin allergy - don't use it.

Releev:  This cold sore treatment claims the active ingredient benzalkonium chloride. The primary function of this chemical is antiseptic. It functions by cleansing and drying up a cold sore.

Seems to work well.

Makers claim that this cold sore treatment is able to reduce cold sore symptoms with just one day of treatment.  Bull!  Maybe it does for some people, but I haven't seen it.

If you are allergic to the daisy family of flowers, or are pregnant or nursing, DO NOT USE! 

I would avoid using on children also.  Just too many warnings on the label. There are a lot better cold sore treatments.

Campho-Phenique:  This stuff has been around for 50 years or more. The active ingredient is camphorated phenol, which primarily is a pain reliever and will keep bacterial infection out.

Now there are several formulas. One contains petroleum jelly to keep the scab soft.      

Lysine salves:  Lysine has earned a reputation for treating and preventing cold sores. Studies show this to be true when taken internally. 

Using lysine as a topical treatment has not been successful, from my observance.  It is not absorbed well because of the size of the molecule.

Right now you will find that natural science is still your best solution to the age-old cold sore problem.

Natural home remedies still prove to be the safest, cheapest and most effective cold sore treatments.