Cold Sores Treatment

Your prescription may include an oral antiviral medication that needs to be taken twice daily. Do not take this medication if pregnant nursing or if you have any problems with your kidneys. If your prescription includes a topical antiviral medication, this needs to be applied 5 times daily. It is best to start the medication within 24 hours or experiencing the symptoms of burning or tingling of the area. If you develop multiple open lesions or severe swelling please contact your doctor for additional treatment.

Cold sores are from a herpes virus that can cause open lesion on the skin and often are induced by stress or sunlight. The best time to treat cold sores is at the first symptom when the skin feels a slight pain or a burning sensation. Often these take 1-2 weeks to resolve. Oral medications and topical creams do not eliminate the virus entirely as these infections are often recurrent. Avoid picking or touching the area as the weeping or open areas can be contagious. If you develop these lesions more than six times a year please consult with the doctor for daily treatment to prevent outbreaks.