Cold Sore Prevention

Cold sores can't be permanently cured; when symptoms aren't present, the virus that causes them (pictured below) isn't gone, it's only lying dormant.  Therefore, it's important to practice cold sore prevention techniques.  These can be divided into two categories: preventing cold sores from spreading, and preventing future outbreaks.

Since cold sores can be spread by physical contact, it's crucial to follow some safety measures so that they aren't spread to other people.  Obviously, direct contact should be avoided at all costs, like kissing someone with an active cold sore.  Also, indirect contact can still spread them.  So if someone with a cold sore washed their face with a towel, and then someone else used it, that could cause the virus to spread.  Similarly, sharing silverware or glasses can spread it.  On the bright side, cold sore prevention doesn't have to be practiced when no symptoms are visible; when the sores are dormant, they can't be spread.

It's important for anyone who doesn't get cold sores to be careful around people who do have them.  To be cautious, they should take protective measures that include washing their hands after coming in contact with a person who has them.  And if they haven't yet washed their hands, they must be careful not to touch their face or other parts of the body, because that can spread the virus.

Additionally, cold sore prevention includes techniques to cut back on future outbreaks.  Stress can trigger a cold sore, so minimizing or otherwise managing stress is important.  Granted, living a stress-free life is no easy task, but there are many things to try.  Deep breathing, meditation, yoga, getting a massage, simplifying your schedule, and not procrastinating are all good ways to minimize stress. 

Also, living a generally healthy lifestyle can help by boosting the immune system.  That means sleeping enough, eating right, and being physically active.  So try to sleep at least eight hours a night, eat a well balanced diet that is low in saturated fats and chemical additives, and try to do something active for at least 30 minutes a day.  Even if these strategies don't stop all of your cold sores, they're all good things to do anyway.

Another trigger for cold sores is sunlight.  Never stay in the sun too long, especially around midday, and use a sun block, especially in the areas that are prone to cold sores.  Stay out of tanning booths too.

Even if your cold sores can't be eliminated, you can still greatly reduce their frequency.  So be sure to follow these cold sore prevention techniques at all times, and you should see an improvement.