Is There a Cure for Cold Sores?
Search the Internet for a "cold sore cure," and you might believe that there are a number of products out there that can cure
cold sores. The fact is that despite these marketing claims, there are no cures. The only "cure" for cold sores is time. With time (usually 4 to 10 days), the cold sore will generally heal.
For a lot of people, however, 4 to 10 days seems like forever. The cold sore may also be particularly painful or discomforting. In these cases, people may turn to cold sore medicine.
Do Medicines Cure Cold Sores?
A number of prescription and over-the-counter medicines are available to treat cold sores. Several of these drugs can decrease the severity and length of
cold sore symptoms. Others will just treat the symptoms. This is why you should talk with your healthcare provider or pharmacist to make sure that you are getting the right medicine for your needs, especially if you are buying an over-the-counter medicine.
Also, keep in mind that medicines will not cure cold sores. In a number of clinical studies that compared people who were taking specific cold sore medicines to people who were not taking any medicine, the medications generally improved the time of healing by half a day to one day. In general, pain and tenderness improved one to two days faster in people taking the medicine compared to those who did not take medicine.
(Click Cold Sore Medicine to learn more about prescription and non-prescription medications that are available to treat cold sores and their symptoms.)
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