Looking for a good cold sore home remedy? While you will hear about all types and kinds of a home remedy for cold sores, there are a few that have been shown to work. For anyone who has suffered from a cold sore, you know how painful it can be. And since they will typically last from 10-14 days, finding relief becomes a priority.

Cold sores are also commonly called as fever blisters and extremely contagious especially in the lesion phase. They are caused by herpes simplex virus. Once you infected, the viruses will remain in your body forever.

They are small, painful, fluid-filled blisters that appear around the mouth or nose. The virus lies dormant in the body and is reawakened by several factors such as too much exposure to sun, stress, lack of sleep and etc.

There is no known cure once a person has become infected with herpes simplex. In other words, any drug, cream or cold sore home remedy only treats the symptoms and not the root cause. As a result, a strong immune system supported by an excellent diet and healthy lifestyle is the best defense against outbreaks which last from 1-2 weeks.

There are some commonly known simple tips of treating a cold sore.

1. Tea contains tannic acid. Placing a tea bag on affected area during the tingle stage can possibly help to minimize the extent to which the lesion will grow.
2. Tea tree oil has been effective for some sufferers. Despite how intensely itchy the tingle stage of the cold sores can be, avoiding the urge to itch will minimize it.
3. Healthy diet is also one of the ways to get rid of cold sores. Increase foods that have high quantities of antioxidants.
4. Fruits and vegetables are excellent choices. Research has shown that foods high in arginine aid the development and reproduction of cold sores and foods high in lysine helps to inhibit the herpes virus.
5. Avoid foods that contain high arginine, including most chocolate, grains, nuts and legumes.
6. Reduce caffeine intake. Instead, complex carbohydrates intake should be increased to treat it.
7. Outbreaks are most commonly brought on by large amounts of stress. An outbreak is very irritating. Be sure to get enough rest to reduce the stress.

There is no permanent cure for cold sore. So by understanding these natural remedies is important to get relief from cold sore.

Cold sores will usually heal in about one week. But if they cause you embarrassment or pain, they can be treated to reduce the pain.