If you are prone to cold sores, they can be a nuisance. And at times, embarrassing. There are natural remedies you can try to treat cold sores at home. Here are 3 proven ways.
1. Use Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil has a multitude of uses. A study has indicated that tea tree oil is effective against viral activity. It can be used against the herpes simplex virus.
To use tea tree oil on your cold sores, make sure you use it topically. Dilute the tea tree oil and add to a cotton ball. Using a dabbing motion, apply on the sore several times daily. Keep using until your sore heals.
2. Zinc Therapy
Alternatively, you can use zinc to help heal a cold sore. Zinc is an essential enzyme. It can help with healing wounds. One study showed that participants who took zinc supplements saw a reduced recovery time for cold sores.
If you want to try zinc therapy for your cold sores, simply take 22.5 mg twice daily every other month. While this certainly isn’t an instant cure, you can use zinc supplements as a preventative measure. Especially around cold and flu season.
3. Try Ice
Finally, you can try putting ice on your cold sores. You already know that ice can reduce inflammation. It also works the same way for your cold sores by reducing the blood flow to the sore area. It can also help reduce cold sore pain by numbing the area. However, this cold sore treatment is temporary.
Lastly, if you want to use the temporary relief that ice can provide simply wrap an ice pack and put it on the cold sore. Do this for at least 5 minutes. If it is not too uncomfortable, you can also try putting ice cubes directly on the sore.
Final Thoughts
There are many easy ways to treat cold sores at home. If you are susceptible to cold sores, it may be easier to try a home remedy rather than rely on over-the-counter medications to treat them every single time.
