cold sore avoidance

[rachelsdad]

how do sufferers minimise cold sore appearance-is this linked to diet as i try to eat 5 pieces of fruit daily and they appear more often now

[KARL]

Not being absolutely certain how you define cold sore, I would say that at the corners of your mouth you can suffer abraision or a cut from such things as using floss to dislodge a particularly stubborn bit of food between back teeth. Any breach in the skin where tension keeps breaking it again (e.g. corner of mouth) can then take a while to fully heal. Regarding persistent infection you should seek medical advice.

[Bohne]

They are a real nightmare, for some people (like me).

I have tried about everything anybody ever suggested, but apart from Zovirax nothing seems to work.

If you catch it, when you feel the first light tingle and use the cream straight away, sometimes, it doesn't appear at all, or only in a very mild form.

A chemist recommended something else to me, and told me it worked wonderfully.
However, I used it the next time I felt the tingle, and a have not had a cold sore as bad as that in a long time.
It did not help at all.

It seems only to affect some people though.
My husband, for example, who does get them (I have to take his word for it) has not had one in the last five years...

More that food related, I think in my case they might be stress related, since I seem to get them a lot when I am off work, i.e. when I have less stress and my body starts to relax.

[oldmegan]

I agree with Bohne that cold sores seem stress related, appearing at times of worry, excitement etc but also when run down or really tired. I haven't found diet has any affect at all.

I've had varying success with Zovirax, but have come to the conclusion over the years that, unless you have some special occasion like a wedding etc when you really don't want a huge cold sore, then it's best to just let nature take its course, otherwise the cold sore just pops up again a week or two later.

If you are unlucky enough to get a cold sore my dentist advised me to use vaseline or cream to keep the area supple so that it doesn't dry and crack and bleed. People who don't get them don't know how lucky they are!

[Bat2105]

As a fellow sufferer (i've been gettin them for about 15yrs) i know how you feel, but I have found something that works!! It minimises the apperance and helps them heal mega quick. The product is called L'Lysine and its a type of herbal product. you can buy them from holland & barrett, they come in a 1000mg tablet and you just start takin one a day as soon as you feel that tingle. google Lysne and you'll find out that its recommended the world over!! It works. x