A fever blister on the lip or mouth is not only itchy and painful, but it is very embarrassing as well. Understand how to do away with fever blisters, and you will surely be able to quicken the healing time of this nasty skin sore.
A fever blister is a painful skin condition, caused due to infection by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are two strains of this virus, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV 1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV 2). The former causes fever blisters or cold sores (oral herpes); whereas the latter strain infects the genital areas and causes genital herpes.
Of the two cases, fever blisters are the most commonly reported infection. It is estimated that these blisters affect approximately 15-30 percent Americans.
Cold sores are painful and highly contagious skin lesions, usually erupting in the lips, mouth, and other facial areas, like, nose, cheeks, and chin. The symptoms are varied, and progress gradually in successive stages.
As soon as an HSV 1 infection takes place, the patient will feel a tingling or burning sensation in the infected site. Within 1-2 days, reddish, fluid-filled skin blisters appear in the area, which undergo ulceration, and form open sores. This skin sores then crust over and heal.
These blisters get resolved on their own within a period of 2 weeks, however, the healing process can be shortened with effective remedies and medication. This article highlights on how to get rid of a fever blister on your lip and other facial parts very quickly.
Getting Rid of a Fever Blister Quickly
As these blisters are quite painful and the affected skin has an unsightly appearance, nearly all patients prefer treating them naturally or therapeutically. One more thing; take action as soon as you notice unusual sensations in and around the mouth area to ensure quick healing. Mentioned here are effectual tips to rid yourself of a fever skin sore faster.
Clean Fever Blisters
Alcohol or diluted hydrogen peroxide should be used to clean and disinfect the blisters. You can make use of a sterilized cotton ball to clean the virally infected areas, several times a day. And ensure that you use a clean cotton ball every time you clean the sores with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.
Salt and Toothpaste
Using a paste of salt and toothpaste is effective to get rid of a fever skin sore in one day. Salt helps in drawing out moisture from the infection, while toothpaste holds the salt in place, when it dries out.
Before you go to bed, clean the infection with alcohol, and apply the paste of salt and toothpaste properly. Next day, wash and rinse the paste and you will notice drying of the blisters.
Petroleum Jelly
Do not expose the blisters to cold air, as it increases the chances of further infection by bacteria, which means more time to heal the skin sores. A simple way to protect the sores and speed up their healing is applying petroleum jelly over the infected areas. Also, remember to frequently clean the blisters with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.
Hot and Cold Compress
Applying hot or cold compress is another way to get relief from pain and itching symptoms of fever blisters. Instead of applying ice directly, an ice pack is a better alternative for providing temporary pain relief. Nevertheless, after using hot and cold compress, make sure you pat the area dry, and keep it clean.
Watch the Diet
A healthy diet also promotes quick healing of oral herpes. Foods to include are buttermilk, coconut water, yogurt, etc., whereas restricted food items are spicy foods, hot beverages, and citrus fruits. While eating, do not indulge in stretching the fever blisters on the lips. This may cause constant irritation and lengthen the healing process.
Ointment and Medication
You can use antiviral skin creams that are specially formulated for treatment of fever blisters. While using such a product, make sure you refer to the usage instructions mentioned in the leaflet. Other than skin creams, the physician may prescribe pain relievers and antiviral medication in order to reduce the severity of the symptoms.
With these remedies, you will get relief from itching and painful symptoms of cold sores. Though they cannot be cured completely, you can follow certain effective methods to shorten the course of healing and/or prevent recurrent outbreaks of herpes infections.
