Cold Sore Lips - How To Treat?

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Cold sore lips

Content:

• A cold popped out on your lip?
• Symptoms of a cold on the lips
• Causes of colds on the lips
• What to do, how to treat a cold sore lips?
• Prevention of herpes (on the lips)
• Folk remedies for colds on the lips

Residents from different countries of the world know firsthand what herpes on the lips is. Popularly, this disease is called a cold, which, if improperly treated, can cause various complications.

A cold popped out on your lip?

Often, waking up early in the morning, people find an aesthetically unpleasant sight on their lips. They immediately have a question: "what to do now" and "how you can disguise the unexpectedly appeared herpes." In addition to a spoiled appearance, a cold brings discomfort and pain.

Initially, the common cold is small pimples filled with fluid. If you do not take urgent measures, then after a day or two, the bubbles will begin to burst, and ugly ulcers will form in their place. At this time, the human body is most susceptible to various infections, therefore, bursting herpes must be treated with antiseptic agents. The patient begins to experience constant itching and severe burning. To prevent further infection, people must receive constructive treatment.

Symptoms of a cold on the lips

Modern medicine has identified the main symptoms of herpes (developing on the lips), which include the following:

• The appearance on the lips of bubbles filled with liquid;
• Painful sensations in the places of the rash;
• Severe itching;
• Burning;
• Increased body temperature;
• Swelling of the lips, at the sites of herpes;
• The appearance of ulcers, in places of bursting bubbles.

On the subject: Causes, symptoms, stages and treatment of herpes on the lips

Causes of colds on the lips

The reasons for the appearance of a cold on the lips include the following:

• Transferred emotional shock;
• General hypothermia of the body;
• Weakening of the immune system;
• Contact with a sick person;
• Injury to the lips;
• Disease with influenza, ARVI, etc.

What to do, how to treat a cold sore lips?

You can get rid of a cold on the lips with a medication. Today, in pharmacies you can buy special ointments that very effectively treat this disease. A feature of such ointments is their composition, which includes antiviral drugs. There is no need to visit your local doctor to purchase them, as they are sold without a prescription. Any patient can independently, precisely following the attached instructions, use such an ointment. Its regular application will allow you to get rid of bubbles with liquid in a short period of time. In the event that drug treatment was started in a timely manner, one can count on the fact that the bubbles will dry out quickly and ulcers will not form.

During the course of treatment, the patient's household should follow all precautions:

• Exclude close bodily contact with the patient;
• Do not drink with him from the same cup;
• Use a separate towel and personal hygiene products (soap, toothbrush, washcloth, etc.);
• Ventilate the room regularly;
• Take vitamins and minerals.

How to properly treat a cold on the lips:

1. upon finding redness or swelling on the lip, you must immediately apply antiviral ointment (you can buy it at any pharmacy);
2. in no case pierce the bubbles (even with severe itching and burning, you should not touch herpes with your hands);
3. after the appearance of crusts on the ulcers, they must be constantly softened with any lip creams. Before applying creams, wounds can be treated with hydrogen peroxide;
4. if the patient experiences severe itching and burning, cold compresses or ice can be applied to the herpes sites.

During treatment, patients with herpes need to take vitamins and mineral complexes. If possible, minimize contact with the outside world, at least for a few days. Ventilate the room regularly, but avoid drafts and hypothermia.

Currently, the modern pharmacological industry has developed a huge number of drugs intended for the treatment of colds on the lips. These include ointments, tablets, solutions.

The main ointments recommended by specialists in the treatment of herpes on the lips include:

• Acyclovir;
• Zovirax.
• The effect is also brought by analogs of Acyclovir, which can be used in the absence of this ointment in pharmacies:
• Famciclovir;
• Kagocel;
• Triiodresorcinol;
• Valacyclovir;
• Bromnaphthoquinone;
• Penciclovir
• Gerpevir, etc.

See also: List of cold and flu medicines

The main goal of medical treatment for colds on the lips is;

• Reduce the timing of the progression of this disease;
• Prevent the development of any complications;
• Prevent further infection;
• Weaken the pronounced symptoms of herpes;
• Prevent recurrence of the disease.

In the event that a pregnant woman is faced with a herpes disease, she first of all needs to ensure reliable protection of the fetus from infection, as this can affect its further development. If the primary symptoms of herpes are detected, a pregnant woman urgently needs to visit her gynecologist, who will coordinate further treatment. After the birth of a child, a woman will have to give the baby prophylaxis to exclude postpartum complications.

In most cases, the minimum course of treatment for a cold on the lips takes 5-6 days. The patient is guided by the general state of health and how quickly the external manifestations of the disease disappear. During drug therapy, it is necessary to apply the ointment to the affected areas according to the instructions that are attached to each ointment (at least 5 times a day).

Prevention of herpes (on the lips)

When carrying out preventive measures aimed at preventing the appearance of colds on the lips, it is necessary to pay special attention to the state of the immune system. To prevent infection with the herpes virus, people should work to improve their overall health. It is thanks to the effective resistance of the body that a person will not be able to contract herpes.

To increase immunity, you must:

• Take vitamins and minerals necessary for the normal functioning of the human body;
• Go to proper nutrition (eat only high-quality and harmless foods);
• Take immunomodulatory drugs;
• Start procedures for hardening the body, etc.

Acyclovir

The most effective drug, the action of which is aimed at the complete destruction of the herpes virus, is Acyclovir. It can be purchased at any pharmacy in the form of: cream, ointment, tablets and lyophilisate (for solutions). When buying Acyclovir, patients do not need to present a prescription. According to the attached instructions, people can independently deal with the treatment of colds on the lips.

Contraindications to the use of Acyclovir (both in the form of tablets and in the form of ointments), which include:

• Individual intolerance to the drug (Acyclovir and Valacyclovir);
• Pregnancy;
• Breastfeeding period;
• Liver disease.

The advantages of this drug include:

• High efficiency;
• Rapid destruction of the herpes virus;
• The minimum presence of contraindications;
• Affordable cost, etc.

The disadvantages of Acyclovir include the inability to cope with newer strains of herpes viruses.

While taking Acyclovir, patients may observe some side effects:

• Sleep disturbance;
• Increased sleepiness;
• Pain in the stomach;
• Skin rashes;
• Diarrhea;
• Redness of the skin;
• Peeling of the skin;
• Burning and itching;
• Nausea;
• Hallucinations;
• Dizziness;
• Increased fatigue;
• Fever;
• Labored breathing;
• Headaches (migraines);
• Physical impotence, etc.

With prolonged use of this drug in patients with herpes, a change in the composition of the blood may be observed. Clinical testing may also detect changes in liver enzymes. Having found any of the above side effects, you must stop taking Acyclovir. After that, you should visit your local doctor for recommendations on further treatment with similar drugs.

Zovirax

This drug is sold in pharmacies in the form of an ointment and is intended for the treatment of herpes. When a cold appears on the lips, it is recommended to use Zovirax 5% ointment. It is necessary to have it not only in your home medicine cabinet, but also in your everyday bag, in order to take appropriate measures at the first manifestations of the disease.

The advantages of Zovirax ointment include the following:

• With timely use (with the initial manifestations of the disease), the appearance of bubbles can be prevented;
• When using the ointment on the bubbles that have already appeared, the formation of ulcers can be prevented (the bubbles dry out very quickly, and the resulting crust will naturally fall off).

When applying Zovirax cream, patients may observe some side effects:

• Dry skin;
• Swelling of soft tissues located in places where the bubbles appear;
• Peeling of the skin;
• Redness;
• The appearance of a rash;
• Irritation of the gastrointestinal tract;
• Central nervous system disorders;
• Hair loss;
• Development of allergic reactions;
• Severe headaches;
• Seizures;
• Development of anemia;
• Immune system disorder;
• Dysfunction of the kidneys and liver;
• Changes in blood composition.

Taking Zovirax may have certain contraindications:

• Pregnancy;
• Lactation;
• Disruption of the kidneys and liver;
• Individual intolerance to this drug (or its individual components).

To avoid any troubles associated with the use of Zovirax, this ointment must be correctly applied to infected areas. According to the instructions attached to the drug, the ointment can be applied 5 times a day. In this case, it should be excluded from getting on healthy areas of the skin or mucous membranes. Before proceeding with medical procedures, the patient must thoroughly wash his hands (you can use sterile gloves). This is done in order to exclude any other infection from getting to the affected areas. The cream should be applied in a small layer and spread over the herpes rash with smooth movements. After applying the ointment, carefully remove its remnants from the skin (you need to wash your hands several times with soap).

Folk remedies for colds on the lips

In the treatment of herpes, folk remedies can also be used, which, when used correctly, are very effective in combating this disease. The most famous recipes for traditional medicine include the following:

• fir oil (within 5 days, every 2 hours, it is necessary to lubricate the affected areas);
• tincture of propolis (with regular use, you can prevent the bursting of bubbles and cause them to dry out);
• Kalanchoe juice (you must use only freshly squeezed juice, which every 2 hours to lubricate herpes);
• honey-based ointments;
• earwax;
• toothpaste (apply to ulcers, and remove after complete drying);
• pine resin (it must be applied for colds every 2-3 hours until the moment when there is no trace of the disease on the lips);
• aloe juice (it can be consumed inside and at the same time lubricate the wounds);
• wormwood decoction (white);
• lemon juice (diluted citric acid);
• a decoction of chrysanthemum leaves;
• an onion (cut) or garlic (these methods should be used carefully so as not to burn);
• celandine-based ointments;
• sage tea;
• a decoction of sunflower petals (use the liquid inside, and apply the petals to colds);
• baby powder;
• tea leaves (apply a very warm tea bag to the affected areas in the form of a compress);
• rosehip oil;
• the usual medicine valocordin (or corvalol) very quickly helps to get rid of this disease (the effect will be noticeable on the first day of use).

See other folk remedies for colds

Author of the article: Alekseeva Maria Yurievna | Therapist

Education: From 2010 to 2016 Practitioner of the therapeutic hospital of the central medical-sanitary unit No. 21, city of elektrostal. Since 2016 she has been working in the diagnostic center No. 3.