With an estimated 90 percent of the US population infected with the virus responsible for cold sores and more than 50 million adults suffering at least one attack every year, it is little wonder that cold sore treatments are in such demand. The painful and unsightly facial lesions last from 7-10 days if left untreated, but cause much anguish mainly due to their appearance around the mouth. Although highly contagious, they are not serious, but definitely a condition that is best to avoid. Medical research has been investigating cold sore treatments for decades, but although there are several products available by prescription and over-the-counter, they are not as effective as the medical community had hoped. Many sufferers have therefore turned to alternative treatments as they work at least as well as the drugs and are usually lower cost with no side effects.
The first thing to remember about cold sore treatments is that they only deal with the symptoms of an outbreak rather than killing the virus. Although the anti-viral agents in some remedies do limit the effect of the virus, once infected it remains with us for life. Abreva and Zovirax are two of the most popular medicines for dealing with the condition, although a study in Switzerland concluded that natural remedies are just as effective in reducing the overall healing time.
