Pharmacies also sell electronic devices, which, as manufacturers promise, act on herpes using light or a laser. Some people find such devices useful, but there is very little research to prove their effectiveness.
If you regularly have a cold on your lips, use antiviral creams as soon as you feel tingling sensations. After the appearance of blisters, they are unlikely to help.
Herpes is contagious from the moment you first feel tingling or other signs of the disease, and until the wounds heal completely.
To alleviate the symptoms, you can use:
- painkillers creams;
- antiviral creams to speed healing;
- special patches to protect the skin during wound healing.
So here is what else to do:
- do not eat hot food;
- use antiseptic mouthwash if it hurts you to brush your teeth;
- wash your hands with soap before and after applying the cream on your lips;
- Avoid anything that provokes cold sores. For example, use sunscreen lip balm (SPF 15 or higher) if sunlight is a trigger for exacerbations. At the same time, it is not always possible to track the factors that cause a relapse of the disease;
- take paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve pain and swelling (liquid paracetamol is also suitable for children). Do not give children under 16 years of age aspirin;
- drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
Here’s what NOT to do:
- Do not eat sour or salty foods;
- do not touch herpes (except when you need to apply the cream);
- do not rub the cream into herpes – just apply to the wound;
- do not kiss anyone;
- avoid skin-to-skin contact, do not share any personal hygiene products (do not drink with any of the same cups, wash the cutlery carefully after yourself, do not use lipstick probes in cosmetics stores);
- do not have oral sex until the cold sore has completely subsided.
Alas, it is impossible to get rid of the herpes virus forever. However, there is therapy that can reduce the duration and severity of symptoms (and even prevent them). It is shown, for example, if the disease returns more than six times a year.
People with rare relapses and no symptoms or minimal manifestations of the disease may not need treatment at all. In any case, you can not self-medicate – you need to go to the doctor’s office, who will prescribe competent therapy if necessary. A good family doctor or a good therapist can handle this.
