Treatments for cold sores They are always of vital interest to those of us who suffer from those burning cold sores. There are new treatments coming out all the time. Many claim to be the final answer to your prayers. Some cold sore treatments are worth it and some are not.

You are the judge.

Take a look at some of the most widely used cold sore treatments that are popular right now. Please understand that these are only my opinions made from personal observations. In no way should this information replace your personal healthcare provider.

• Campofenic: Camphor phenol is the active ingredient, which is mainly a pain reliever and will keep bacterial infections away. Now there are several formulas. One contains petroleum jelly to keep the scab soft, greatly reducing the pain of the scab cracking when you move your lips. This has been around for many years and has been a blessing to millions of people. One of the oldest cold sore treatments.

• Novitra: A zinc-based salve that uses zinc sulfate. Zinc has long been known as the healing mineral. Zinc sulfate is a good option. Zinc sulfate is more easily absorbed into the sore and cells than most forms of zinc. This is not the total answer. But it does help the healing process, dries the sore, and helps kill the virus. A very good but expensive product. There is no temporary pain relief, so it is best used in conjunction with a pain relief product, as mentioned above.

There is another form of zinc that I like: zinc gluconate. This form of zinc is the basis for a product called Zicam. It comes in the form of a gel that is absorbed in seconds through the mucous membrane of the nose. It works great for colds and can be applied directly to cold sores at any time. And it’s about half the price of Novitra. They still do not market their products as cold sore treatments.

• Abreva: The active ingredient is docosanol. Docosanol prevents the cold sore from growing in size by forming a protective barrier around the healthy cells that surround the cold sore. It works well to limit the size of the cold sore if you catch it early. But, by the time the cold sore blooms, the damage is done. A curative cold sore treatment is what you need now. The makers of Abreva recently paid a million dollars in a court settlement regarding false claims for this product. Studies I have seen show that Abreva will shorten the cold sore event by two to three days. I’ve seen just as good or better results just applying ice as a cold sore treatment.

• Releev: This cold sore treatment is based on the active ingredient benzalkonium chloride. The main function of this chemical is antiseptic. It will clean and dry the cold sore. It seems to work quite well. Manufacturers claim that this cold sore treatment can reduce cold sore symptoms with just one day of treatment. Maybe it does for some people, but I haven’t seen it. Do not use if you are allergic to the daisy family. Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding. It would also make me nervous to use it on children. There are better cold sore treatments.

• Zilactin: A cold sore gel that forms a protective film over cold sores. Actually, this is a very good idea. It also contains a pain reliever ingredient called “benzyl alcohol” that gives you about three hours of peace. It also contains boric acid and salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is related to aspirin. Salicylic acid normally irritates the skin, so I question the value here. It could make the sore worse. Also, if you have an allergy to aspirin, don’t use this cold sore treatment.

• Lysine bursts: A variety of cold sore ointments available in drug stores and vitamin stores contain lysine. Lysine has a reputation for preventing cold sores and other forms of herpes. Studies show this to be true when taken internally. Helps maintain its normal pH. Using lysine placed directly on cold sores has not been very successful, from my personal point of view. I’d rather see you try the zinc products mentioned above.

New treatments for cold sores are popping up all the time. The market for these products is huge, with almost nine out of ten people in the world carrying the cold sore virus. Medical science has yet to solve this problem, but they are working hard to fix it.

At this point, you will discover that natural science is still the best solution to the age-old cold sore problem. Natural home remedies are still the safest, cheapest and most effective cold sore treatments.