Treatments and Solutions

There is no treatment to rid the body of the herpes virus – once you have it, it is there for life and you may or may not get cold sores again. Cold sores usually clear up without any treatment within a week or so, however, over the counter anti-viral cold sore treatments including creams and gels are available from your pharmacy to help to ease the symptoms of cold sores and may speed up the healing time. These topical treatments usually contain the active ingredient aciclovir and are most effective if they are applied in the early stages of the cold sore, so as soon as the tingling, itching or burning sensation on the lip or around the mouth begins, so should the treatment. Paracetomol or ibuprofen can help to ease any discomfort you may feel. If the infection recurs often or is severe, your GP may prescribe anti-viral tablets.

There are steps you can take to reduce the incidences of recurrence of cold sores:

* Avoid touching the cold sore, and always wash your hands thoroughly afterwards if you do
* Avoid kissing or having oral sex until you (or your partner’s) cold sores have healed
* Don’t share objects with other people that come into contact with the mouth and potentially, cold sores, i.e. towels, flannels, toothbrushes, lipsticks etc
* If you wear contact lenses, wash your hands thoroughly before applying them to avoid spreading the infection to the eyes
* Avoid stress
* Wear lip balm with UV protection
* Eat a healthy balanced diet to keep the immune system strong

If you have a weakened immune system due to auto-immune diseases such as HIV or AIDS, or you are undergoing certain types of cancer treatment, the herpes simplex virus can cause severe complications. You should visit your doctor immediately if you have oral herpes.

If you have oral herpes when you are pregnant, particularly in the later stages of pregnancy, consult your doctor, because rarely the virus can be passed onto the baby, causing it to become seriously ill.