Get Rid of Cold Sores | 3 Day Cold Sore Treatment

It is important for you to understand your personal cold sore symptoms.

When you know what to normally expect, you will be better able to reduce the severity of the outbreak, and sometimes even preventing them in the first place.

First of all, cold sore symptoms are caused by the herpes simplex type 1 virus. A large number of people in society carry the virus – about 90% to be more specific.

Of that 90%, about 65% will experience outbreaks frequently. When the virus is dormant, you will not have any of the symptoms.

The virus is woken up by things like stress, colds, flu, stress, or anything else that reduces the immune system. Once you have woken up the virus, a chain reaction starts.

The first of the many cold sore symptoms begins with an uncomfortable itching at the affected site. Other common sensations include dryness, tingling, or burning.

When you start feeling these sensations, you will most likely be only a day or two from additional cold sore symptoms.

This may sound a little strange, but the first itchy stage is the most important stage for you to recognize in this chain reaction of cold sore symptoms.

If you can catch a cold sore before it has become a blister, it is possible to treat the affected site before a blister even appears. You can do this by applying ice. The herpes virus does not like the cold.

The quicker you apply cold to the area, the fewer cold sore symptoms you will experience, and they probably won’t be as severe.

However, if you don’t catch this symptom in time, you will start experiencing the chain reaction of symptoms. The next cold sore symptom is inflammation.

This is when hard, red bumps appear on the surface, with some pain attached. The area will become swollen. You will probably also experience fatigue, headache, swelling of the lymph nodes, and even fevers.

Next, the red bumps will open and start to weep. This is probably the most painful stage and the most contagious. When fluid is coming out of the sore, the virus becomes even easier to spread. Be careful to keep the area as clean as possible to avoid any other bacteria that could get into the sore and additionally infect.

As the cold sore symptoms continue, you will next experience the blister crusting over. It is very common for the sore to crack open and can cause even more pain.

You may continue to feel feverish, but your lymph nodes will start to return to normal size. The skin that is healing beneath your blister will cause a little bit of itching and some discomfort.

After a couple of days, and a week for some, the scab will fall off. Sometimes the redness and remain for awhile longer.

It is common for itching and irritation to stick around. During the healing stage, it is very common for the process to repeat itself all over again, so pay attention to that very first stage if it does.

As you understand your cold sore symptoms, you will be able to better control how bad of an outbreak you will experience.