Why do fever blisters hurt?

Skin Care article posted on Jan 23, 2009 by Josephine Toulemonde, 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.

Why do fever blisters hurt?
What can you do to soothe and get rid of cold sores?
Which remedies can be used as prevention?
What products work the best?

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.

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 cold sores that can help when a fever blister starts to hurt. Comfrey ointment relieves the pain, as well as lavender essential oil.

As for diet, zinc speeds 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 should 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 good cold sore treatments to fight the infection.

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.

What products work the best?

It all depends on each individual and what triggers an outbreak in your own body. It might be a cold, stress, the weather... Keep on eye on what triggers a fever blister in your case.

Here are a selection of products you can find in health food stores:

Herpanacine. It cleanses the skin layers and the blood, brings toxins out, builds the immune system to support the body to fight off skin conditions.
Quantum Super L-Lysine. It contains L-Lysine and sixteen additional herbal ingredients to help heal outbreaks and soothe the infection.

Do these products work for you as well? Leave us your feedback!

Disclaimer: the information provided on this article is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed practitioner.