Once you contract the herpes simplex virus there is no permanent cure. Once you are infected, the virus will continue to stay in your body forever, and the only thing you can do it take steps to alleviate discomfort during the breakouts and prevent breakouts from occuring. Following a good cold sore home remedy treatment plan will reduce the frequency of the breakouts and the duration of the sores.

When cold sores occur, they will usually heal within 7-10 days without treatment, but you may pursue cold sore treatment options to shorten the duration of the outbreak.

There are different options available for cold sore treatment. Some cold sore treatments are designed to prevent an outbreak, whereas other treatments are to help alleviate pain and discomfort during the outbreak, and also reduce healing time. Prescription treatments are available in both pill form and topical creams to be applied directly to the affected area.

Over the counter cold sore treatment medications can be purchased at the pharmacy or grocery store, but most of these treatment options only help to alleviate symptoms. These over the counter treatments make you feel better for the moment, but they do not improve healing time or prevent future outbreaks. Many of these topical ointments contain ingredients to alleviate discomfort associated with pain and itching. Ingredients may include: lidocaine, benzocaine, tetracaine and/or dibucaine. Although these cold sore treatments claim to releive the discomfort, they generally relieve your symptoms for a very short period of time.

Other over the counter cold sore treatments include products to protect the skin, these products keep the affected area soft to avoid cracking. The only over the counter cold sore treatment that has been shown to shorten healing time is Abreva, which contains docosanol. This creme is only effective when it is applied within the first 24 hours of symptoms, the earlier the better. You should apply the creme as soon as you feel the first tingling sensation, and continue to apply it until the area has healed, five times a day.

A doctor may prescribe a prescription-strength medication that is topical, such as acyclovir or penciclovir, but it has been found that these cremes only speed up the healing by about half a day. Other prescription strength medications come in pill form and they include acyclovir, famciclovir, and valacyclovir. These prescription medications may reduce healing time, especially when taken when you experience the first signs of a cold sore starting. These anti-viral medications may help to reduce the pain associated with cold sores.

You may also take over the counter pain reliever as a cold sore treatment. Medications such as acetaminophen (ie Tylenol) or ibuprofen (ie Advil) may help to relieve the pain that you are experiencing.

When you have cold sore blisters and sores, it is important to not squeeze or pick at the effected area. Allowing the sore to heal without irritations will speed up your recovery time.

Although there are medical options available for your cold sore treatment, some of the most effective treatment and prevention options can be done in your own home. If you want to stop those ugly cold sores for good, you need to read Cold Sore Freedom in 3 Days!