Why do fever blisters hurt?

Skin Care article posted on Jan 23, 2009 by Joséphine Beck, Digestive Care Advisor & Optiderma Founding member

Cold sore, pimple, canker sore, what is the difference between them? While a canker sore appear inside the mouth, a cold sore, also called fever blister or oral herpes, appear around the lips. As opposed to a common pimple, the affected area is itchy and red and then turns into a painful blister and a crust. Find out why fever blisters hurt and what you can you do to get rid of them naturally.

Fever blisters: Why do fever blisters hurt?
Fever blisters: What can you do to soothe and get rid of cold sores?
Fever blisters: Which remedies can be used as prevention?
Fever blisters: Other articles, remedies and skincare recipes

Fever blisters: Why do fever blisters hurt?

Fever blisters appear around the lips after being exposed to a virus, the herpes simplex virus 1. They are contagious and hurt at different levels: physical, emotional, and psychological pain.

Why do cold sores hurt so much at the physical level? Because it is like an open wound. When tender nerve endings are exposed, it causes pain and infection. It is the “blistering stage” that hurts the most.

Because a cold sore usually appear around the lips, hiding it is an endless struggle. Most people feel lots of discomfort and have trouble to get rid of it.

Fever blisters: What can you do to soothe and get rid of cold sores?

The first step is to avoid squeezing the blister and to put ice to ease the pain. There are some home remedies for fever blisters that can help when a fever blister starts to hurt. Comfrey ointment helps relieve the pain, as well as lavender essential oil.

As for diet, zinc can speed the healing process. Foods rich in zinc are: lean meat, oysters, poultry, fish, whole-grain breads and cereals, and pumpkin seeds.

Foods rich in vitamin E may help with fever blisters too: peaches, tomatoes, cabbage, asparagus, avocados, whole-grain breads, broccoli, spinach, asparagus, and dried prunes.

Aloe vera gel, calendula cream or tea tree oil are often used to fight the infection.

Fever blisters: Which remedies can be used as prevention?

It is important to follow a proper diet, that is to say a diet rich in L-Lysine and low in L-Arginine. Eat fish (especially halibut), shrimp, lima beans, poultry, and mung beans sprouts, and avoid nuts, sesame, lentils, peas, sunflower seeds, oats, corn, barley, buckwheat, chocolate, and coconut.

Strengthening your immune system is also a priority. Focus on foods rich in vitamin A (yellow orange fruits and vegetables and dark leafy vegetables) and in vitamin C (berries, acerola, cantaloupes, kiwis, papayas, grapefruit, mangoes, raspberries, tomatoes, strawberries, and pineapples).

Taking supplements and probiotics may also help to get rid of cold sores. As for herbal remedies, echinacea, goldenseal, and lemon balm help minimize outbreaks as they target the immune system.

Fever blisters: Other articles, remedies and skincare recipes

Natural remedies for fever blisters: advice on diet, supplements, homeopathy, and essential oils to help heal fever blisters naturally.
Why do fever blisters hurt?
A correlation between cold sores and Alzheimer
Tea tree recipe for fever blisters
Lavender essential oil for cold sores

If you think this article may be useful for others and want to link to it, please use the following format: Beck, Josephine. "Why do fever blisters hurt?" Optiderma.com. Jan 23, 2009. http://www.optiderma.com/en/they-talk-about-it/skin-articles/why-do-fever-blisters-hurt.html

Did you find a natural solution to heal a fever blister? Leave us your feedback!

Comments from the community (1)

"shadared" on 2011-03-16 at 10:53:41

have always found a compress of comfrey leaves to work really well for me. It can be found as tea leaves or you can grow the plant in your garden. You only need a pinch of them if dried. Add boiling water about 20mls. Leave to cool down. Strain into a brown bottle. Use a cotton wool bud to apply. Always discard each cotton wool bud after use to stop reinfecting your self.

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