Like the chickenpox virus, it lives in a nerve with branches to the skin./ Pixabay Herpes is a lesion that can appear in and around the mouth. Although they are not dangerous, they can cause discomfort, itching and an unsightly appearance.
Cold sores usually go away within a few weeks, but the following home remedies may help you get relief and cure them faster.
What causes herpes?
Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) causes cold sores. Like the chickenpox virus, it lives in a nerve with branches to the skin. “Small amounts are constantly present in the skin, even when there is no visible damage,” says Zipporah Shainhouse, MD, FAAD, a dermatologist with SkinSafe Dermatology and Skin Care.
There are two versions of HSV:
HSV-1 usually refers to herpes in the mouth, although it can be transmitted to the genitals through oral sex. HSV-1, or oral herpes, is incredibly common.
HSV-2 - genital herpes. It is much less common. Just because you have oral herpes or herpes-1 does not mean you are more likely to get HSV-2.
Cold sores are tiny blisters filled with fluid. "Many people feel itching, burning or tingling around the lips for a day or so before a small, hard, sore spot develops and blisters appear," says Chun Tan, GP at Pall Mall Medical in the UK. To get rid of cold sores as quickly as possible, you should start treating them as soon as you feel a tingling sensation on or around your lips.
Most cold sores do not require a visit to the doctor because they go away on their own within two to three weeks. However, if you get cold sores regularly, these few home remedies can speed up the healing process. It is important to note that the effectiveness of home remedies varies from person to person.
How to quickly get rid of a cold on your lip?
Answers:
Karina Zenkevich
I apply a cotton swab with calendula tincture and it stings!!!! a nightmare, but the most painful one goes away in a day (I have them rarely but accurately)
VLADIMIR ®
oxolinic ointment
Helga
fenistil-pencivir, and if the pharmacy is far away, then cauterize with cotton wool soaked in alcohol (for a long time)
Mari
In addition to ointments, you must take the medicine orally
tortilla turtle
just sulfur ointment
Vasya
if there is a 24-hour pharmacy, then run and buy = Zovirax or something like that - the pharmacy knows substitutes... If there is no pharmacy, then burn the herpes with alcohol before morning (vodka is worse). . then get into the ear with a stick with cotton wool and whatever has collected, to smear the lip - or where there are herpetic eruptions... But IN THE MORNING - buy Zovirax..!
Elvira Godisova
Apply a cotton swab soaked in Corvalol for 10 minutes, the result is obvious!! !
Julia Gerbel
corvalol just that)))
Anyuta
Gerpivir ointment is herpis, not a cold. And oral antiviral drugs are a must. This is not a joke. Herpis - appears with reduced immunity. As you put it, a cold. And calendula is a good thing, but tincture with alcohol irritates the wound.
To treat herpes of the lips, antiviral drugs containing acyclovir as an active principle can be used independently. The most famous is the over-the-counter drug Zovirax. For his invention, pharmaceutical employees received the Nobel Prize. Zovirax is used as a 5% cream. This drug belongs to the group of “acyclic nucleosides”. It purposefully affects the process of virus reproduction, penetrating predominantly into the affected cell and without affecting healthy cells. Let's compare building a virus to building a residential building. To build a house you need, at a minimum, blocks and cement mortar holding them together. The building blocks of a virus are the amino acids present in the cell. And the virus uses the DNA enzyme polymerase as the cement that holds the blocks together. To prepare cement mortar you need water, cement and sand. If you mix a solution, for example, with sugar instead of sand, the house will inevitably collapse. So acyclovir is a kind of “sugar”. It is included in the composition of cement (DNA polymerase). It doesn’t hold anything together—a new viral particle cannot form.
The second component of the cream, propylene glycol, promotes faster penetration and release of the antiviral agent in the cell and does not leave a greasy residue on the skin.
Sun
Zovirax.
Leonid Avramkin
Take a match. wrap some cotton wool, clean your ear and lubricate the ulcer with the sulfur found on the cotton wool. You can also sprinkle it with ash from a willow twig (blessed is better). It helped me...
Nadya Fil
GERPEVIR ointment
doxtor
Herpes is a virus. Accordingly, antiviral agents, antiherpetic agents. It usually goes away on its own within a week.
Take Lysine Supplements
Lysine is one of nine essential amino acids—compounds that form proteins and are key to immune system function and muscle growth. Lysine helps activate important parts of the immune system, such as T cells, which can help limit the occurrence of cold sores.
A study of 30 participants published in 2005 in Alternative Medicine Review found that daily application of lysine ointment cleared cold sores in 40% of people on the third day and in 87% of people on the sixth day. All but two participants reported significant improvement by day six.
You can apply lysine ointments or take over-the-counter supplements. Other immune boosters, such as echinacea tea, may also help treat herpes, Tan says.
Folk remedies
Since this disease has been a companion of humanity for many centuries, people have found many good and effective means to combat it:
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- fir oil,
- earwax,
- black tea bags,
- aloe and kalanchoe juice,
- baby powder,
- Corvalol or Valocordin,
- toothpaste.
All these remedies can help cope with a cold in the first stages of its appearance. Good and fast-acting remedies, for example, are earwax or aloe and Kalanchoe juice. By the way, the juice of these plants should be used not only externally, but also internally, one teaspoon at a time. After their use, not a trace will remain of the onset of the disease.
Apply lemon balm
Melissa officinalis, formally known as Melissa Officinalis, is an herb known for its antiviral properties. It can help reduce the redness as well as swelling of cold sores and prevent possible infections.
In a 1994 study published in Phytomedicine, 116 study participants with HSV-1 applied lemon balm to their lip sores. After two days, participants experienced a significant reduction in redness and swelling, although the scabbing and pain remained the same.
The balm can usually be purchased in leaf, capsule, or oil form at your local pharmacy. Adults should apply it to the affected area three times a day.
Treatment regimen
If the initial manifestations of a cold on the lips occur (tingling, itching), a special ointment should be applied to the inflamed area of the skin. People who often experience relapses of this disease should always have a similar remedy in their home medicine cabinet. For the most part, such ointments contain a common active ingredient - acyclovir (an analogue of a human DNA element that is integrated into the virus cell and leads to its destruction). The ointment should be applied to the affected area using a cotton swab several times a day. Active treatment at this stage will prevent the formation of blisters.
In the absence of necessary therapy at the early stage of the disease, bubbles filled with liquid appear at the site of inflammation. After some time, the blisters open and painful ulcers form in their place. It will not be possible to get rid of them in a short time, since the process of destruction in the tissues has already started. During this period, you should use tablets for colds on the lips based on acyclovir and external agents (ointments, creams). Local drugs do not penetrate into the blood and do not have a systemic effect. However, the use of tablets gives faster results, since in this case the activity of the virus is suppressed from the inside.
At the stage of opening the bubbles and releasing their contents, in addition to using special ointments, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system. Your doctor may recommend taking a course of vitamins. In combination with traditional methods of treatment, you can use proven recipes of traditional medicine.
Alcohol tinctures of celandine or calendula have a good therapeutic effect; such products dry out the affected areas of the skin and promote their rapid healing.
Use sunscreen
Exposure to sunlight can potentially cause cold sores on the surface. So applying sunscreen to your lips and around the sore can go a long way toward preventing them, says Tan. Apply lip balms with sunscreen to your lips and mouth area. To ensure adequate protection, choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.
To prevent further flare-ups, Tan also recommends applying sunscreen around the mouth and on the cold sore as the lesion heals.
Preventive measures
In order to reduce the likelihood of relapse of the disease, the following recommendations must be followed:
- strengthen the body's defenses (balanced diet, hardening, playing sports, giving up bad habits);
- carry out preventive therapy with antiviral drugs in the autumn-winter period of the year;
- carry out timely treatment of infectious diseases;
- avoid stressful situations and overwork of the body;
- At the first manifestations of the disease, contact a specialist and strictly follow his recommendations regarding treatment.
With timely and adequate treatment, the disease period lasts 10-12 days.
If you take the necessary measures at the early stage of development of a cold on the lips, the disease will be mild, with mild symptoms that quickly disappear.
List of the best drugs against the disease
For your information! There are dozens of types of drugs that can be prescribed against herpes, and many of them are analogues or synonyms of each other.
Most common drugs are made based on the antiviral compound acyclovir.
But besides this type, there are other, no less effective medications:
- Acyclovir . An antiviral agent active against herpes viruses types I and II (colds on the lips occur when they are activated). In addition to inhibiting the activity of viruses, this drug strengthens the immune system, accelerates the healing of sores and reduces the likelihood of the spread of herpes and the development of complications. The daily dose for adult patients is 1,000 milligrams. The number of tablets per day depends on the form of release, and these can be tablets of 200 and 400 milligrams. The drug can be given to children, but the dosage in such cases is calculated by the attending physician according to an individual scheme.
- Valvir. The drug is active against most types of herpesvirus and can be used in various dosages to treat any form of its manifestation. Moreover, the medicine belongs to the budget category. When it enters the bloodstream, the drug penetrates viruses and disrupts the functioning of its replication mechanisms. For herpes on the lips, the drug is used twice a day, one tablet for three days. But if the therapeutic effect is insufficient, the course is extended to five days, and in some cases it is taken for ten days. It is optimal to start taking such tablets at the stage of itching and irritation on the lips.
- Valtrex . It is a replacement for acyclovir and drugs based on it in cases where they do not work. This medicine is one of the newest antiviral drugs to which the main types of herpesvirus cannot yet quickly develop resistance. To treat the disease, take two tablets per day; during periods of epidemic, for prevention, you can take one tablet per day.
- Supraviran. Available in forms containing the active substance in volumes of 200, 400 and 800 milligrams per tablet. The dosage also depends on this: for treatment it is enough to take 200 milligrams five times a day, for preventive purposes take 400 milligrams per day. The course of treatment can last 10 days, since the product does not include highly toxic components and is characterized by the absence of serious side effects.
- Famvir. A potent drug that attacks the herpes virus, including strains resistant to acyclovir. As a prophylactic drug, famvir reduces the activity of the virus, preventing relapses. The standard course of treatment lasts one week, during which 500 milligrams of the drug are taken per day.
- Vivorax. During breakdown in the blood, the drug is converted into several chemical compounds. Each of them penetrates the body of the virus and is integrated into its RNA, preventing it from multiplying and infecting healthy cells. Depending on the severity of symptoms, the drug is taken from three to eight times a day, and due to its low toxicity, such large dosages do not cause negative consequences. The product can be given to children from the first year of life, dissolving the tablets in water or mixtures. The dosage is ½ that of an adult. The permissible duration of the therapeutic course is one and a half weeks.
- Alpizarin. A combination drug that, in addition to fighting the virus, has an antibacterial effect and stimulates the immune system. This is a completely herbal preparation, the components of which have an inhibitory effect on the reproductive functions of herpes pathogens. The dosage varies depending on the age of the patient. Children from one to six years old are given half a tablet three times a day, then up to 12 years the dosage is doubled, and adults can take two tablets three times a day.
- Zovirax. The product in tablet form has anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antiviral effects. But for effective treatment, it is necessary to start taking Zovirax from the first day or preventively, while herpes rashes have not yet developed. At the peak of activity, the virus can become resistant to Zovirax. For five days, the drug is taken five times a day, one tablet at a time. If the therapeutic effect is delayed, the course of treatment is extended at the discretion of the doctor.
Complex treatment
In addition to local treatment, an integrated approach will help to cure unpleasant rashes and prevent their occurrence in the future. It can also be considered a preventive measure that many patients resort to to preserve beauty before important events in their lives.
- Taking immunostimulants . A strong immune system can fight colds on its own and prevent their occurrence. If your immune defense is weak, it is recommended to take a course of immunostimulants (Cycloferon, Interferon, Ribomunil, Bronchomunal).
- During the peak of ARVI, you need to avoid crowds and wash your hands more often . You can use hygienic lipsticks to avoid chapped lips and create an additional protective film on them.
- Patients prone to frequent recurrences of colds on the lips are recommended to take antiviral tablets in prophylactic doses twice a year .
- By analyzing what causes herpes specifically in your case, you can prevent relapses in the future.
The principle of action of tablets for herpes on the lips
Keep in mind! The tablets contain antiviral compounds with different mechanisms of action.
Some of them destroy the shell of viruses , depriving them of protection, others penetrate DNA and RNA , depriving herpes pathogens of the opportunity to reproduce.
In both cases, the medicine first enters the stomach, through the walls of which the active substances are absorbed into the systemic bloodstream.
When the tablet is broken down by special gastric enzymes, part of the active substance will also dissolve.
But those 30% of these compounds that penetrate the blood begin to affect the virus from within the body.
If it is possible to predict the development of a herpes cold by the first signs, such remedies can quickly prevent the activation of the herpes pathogen at a stage when there are no blisters or rashes.
