Cold sores generally clear up without treatment in seven to 10 days. Topical symptomatic treatments such as topical lidocaine or benzyl alcohol (Zilactin) may help relieve symptoms.
Using an antiviral medication may modestly shorten the duration of cold sores and decrease your pain, if started very early. If you experience very frequent bouts, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication as a cold sore treatment or to prevent cold sores.
Lifestyle and home remedies
Cold sores generally clear up without treatment. In the meantime, the following steps may provide relief :
- Use ointments. Over-the-counter (OTC) ointments, such as topical lidocaine or benzyl alcohol (Zilactin), can help ease discomfort.
- Take an OTC pain reliever. These include aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others). But don't give aspirin to children. Aspirin may trigger a rare but potentially fatal disorder known as Reye's syndrome.
- Use cold or heat. Try applying ice or warm compresses to the blisters to ease the pain.
- Let it heal. Avoid squeezing, pinching or picking at any blister.