Many people suffer from cold sores.* They’re unsightly and cause discomfort. There’s no cure for a cold sore infection. And the blisters may recur sporadically, often triggered by fatigue, fever, exposure to the sun, stress, menstruation or a weakened immune system.
If you suffer from cold sores (like I do) you know it’s not a pleasant 7 to 10 days while they run their course. While cold sores generally clear up without treatment within two weeks, over the years I have found a regimen that has reduced both the size of the outbreak and how long it lasts.
At the first sign of a cold sore developing (many people feel an itching, burning or tingling sensation along the border where the outside edge of the lips meets the skin of the face for a day or two before the actual cold sore blisters erupt) I immediately start the following:
If you would like to have Valtrex on hand for when you get your next cold sore+ please call the office so I can prescribe it for you.
+ See your doctor if:
• You have a weakened immune system
• The cold sores don’t heal within two weeks
• Symptoms are severe
• You have frequent recurrences of cold sores
• You experience irritation in your eyes
*In fact 90% of adults worldwide — even those who’ve never had symptoms of an infection — test positive for evidence of the virus that causes cold sores. And most people who become infected with the virus never develop cold sore symptoms. However, they still may be contagious to others, even without blisters.
