The first symptoms of cold sores may include pain around your mouth and on your lips, a fever, a sore throat, or swollen glands in your neck or other parts of the body. Small children sometimes drool before cold sores appear. After the blisters appear, the cold sores usually break open, leak a clear fluid, and then crust over and disappear after several days to 2 weeks. For some people, cold sores can be very painful.
Some people have the virus but don't get cold sores. They have no symptoms.
Most cold sores heal on their own. But, you can manage your symptoms at home by :
- Placing a cool, wet towel on the sores 3 times a day for 20 minutes each time to help reduce redness and swelling.
- Taking ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin) or acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) to reduce pain. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20 because of its link to Reye's syndrome.
- Using a mouth rinse that has baking soda to soothe a sore mouth.
- Avoiding foods that contain acid (such as citrus fruits and tomatoes).
- Using nonprescription ointments that can relieve pain or help heal the cold sore. Some products, such as Abreva, Zilactin, and Ziladent, can speed the healing of cold sores or prevent them if applied early enough. Other products such as Orajel and Anbesol can numb sore areas in the mouth or on the lips.
Sources www.webmd.com