Fever blisters are also called cold sores. They are a common viral infection caused by the virus Herpes Simplex Virus, which causes a group of tiny blisters form around the mouth over the lips. They are highly contagious and can spread through saliva or touching the infected blister of another. Fever blisters can even spread to other regions. In most cases the area blister is red and swollen. The blister is usually filled with clear fluid and can take about around two weeks to heal. The cold sores mostly come with a sore throat or fever or other symptoms.
The below mentioned list has some of the top notch home remedies that are safe, affordable, effective and easy to use where fever blisters are concerned. All you need to do is use them on a routine basis till the crisis subsides.
What are The Causes of Fever Blisters:
Here are some of the main causes of fever blisters,
- Fever blisters or cold sores are caused due to a viral infection affected by the herpes simplex virus. In most case it also causes fever.
- Hormonal changes can lead to rise in infection levels leading to fever blisters.
- Extreme level of stress can be another factor due which one can be infected by the herpes virus which results in cold sores.
- Exposed to a high degree of sunlight along with strong winds can be another factor that causes fever blisters.
- A weak immune system is a major risk factor to trigger the virus.
What are The Symptoms of Fever Blisters:
- People with severe burns are at high risk of getting infected by the virus causing the cold sores.
- The symptoms of the fever blisters start of with tingling and itching or burning sensation usually on the lips or around the mouth.
- It then forms a blister after a day or two. The blister usually has clear fluid in it. It is usually located just above the lip but can also occur near the sides of nose or cheeks.
- The fluid is highly contagious and can easily infect anyone specially with a weak immunity. Once this burst, it leaves a crust and will eventually heal completely.
How to Prevent Fever Blisters:
- The best way to avoid getting infected is avoiding a skin-to-skin contact with the person already infected with the virus.
- It is important to also not share items like utensils, towels, lipsticks etc that can easily spread the virus.
- Stress is also one of the main causes of fever blisters, so it is important to be healthy and also star stress free.
- If you are already infected with cold sores, it is important to not touch the sores as it can easily spread. Keep your hands very clean all the time, to avoid spreading to others.
Amazing Home Remedies for Fever Blisters:
Here are some of the best home remedies to cure fever blisters,
1. Baking Soda:
Baking soda is one of the best home remedies for cold sores as it dries out the blister and soaks up all the acid that troubles the region.
Preparation Instructions:
Make a paste from good quality baking soda and water and apply this thick paste on the fever blisters for the next 10 minutes.
Usage Guideline:
- This should be kept for a while and then rinsed well.
- This can be used for canker sores as well.
- After drying the blisters, the paste will lessen the pain, inflammation and kill bacteria.
Follow this home remedy each day for gradual but effective treatment.
See More: Home Remedies For Smelly Hair
2. Vitamin E Oil:
Vitamin E oil can be extracted from vitamin E capsules available in the market and applied on the fever blisters. Use a clean cotton swab for application. Along with healing them, it will also ensure that there are no scars after the problem is treated. Vitamin E is one of the best home remedies that help heal the skin effectively.
- It fastens the process of healing.
- Vitamin E has excellent repair efficiency.
3. Aloe Vera Gel:
Take the fresh gel from the plant of aloe vera and apply it evenly on the fever blisters. This will not only provide soothing qualities to the skin but also help in treatment of symptoms like pain, burning sensations and itching in fever blisters. It should be used daily.
- Aloe vera fights any bacteria on the skin which makes sure it doesn’t spread further.
- That way it helps the blister heal faster.
- It also helps release pain caused due to the blister.
- It may also cause itching and burning sensation to you.
- Aloe vera helps reducing redness and swelling.
4. Honey Application:
The antibacterial, anti fungal and antiseptic properties along with the healing qualities make honey perfect for treating fever blisters. Honey is very soothing and gives fast relief to pain caused by the blister. Honey contains amino acid lysine that helps heal the cold sores during an outbreak. Applying honey on the blister is one of the safest and finest home remedies to cure fever blisters.
Preparation Instructions:
Use some honey with a finger tip on the blisters each day for the home remedial treatment.
Usage Guideline:
Honey also cleans the wound; reduce pus and odors, infection.
See More: How To Whiten Yellow Teeth
5. Sage Tea:
Sage tea is packed with healing properties that help heal fever blisters faster. It is antibacterial, an astringent and is antiseptic that kills all the bacteria and virus restricting it from further spreading.
- Take 1-2 cups of sage tea with a little ginger powder each day for the home cure of fever blisters.
- It is known to give visible outcomes in a week’s time. It is one of the top notch ideas to follow.
- Make sure you prepare the tea at home. It will help in giving relief from the discomfort.
6. White Vinegar Wonders:
White vinegar is acidic in nature and will help kill the bacteria and finally help heal the blister sooner. It is also chilling so will soothe the pain caused by the blister. It is in fact a simple and easy remedy to follow each day without much effort.
- Dab a cotton ball dipped in white vinegar on the fever blisters for the ultimate cure in a safe manner.
- It relieves all the symptoms of fever blisters along with treatment of the swelling.
- You can also add some castor oil in white vinegar, apply it and let it dry.
7. Petroleum Jelly Use:
Using petroleum jelly on the fever blisters twice in a day is advisable as a home remedy. This helps in prevention of cracks and bleeding from the fever blisters. It also helps in keeping away the pain from the blisters. Petroleum jelly will soothe the dried-up skin caused due to the blister. It also helps reduce itching and burning sensation also caused due to the blister. It will also prevent an outbreak of cold sores caused the excessive sun exposure. Petroleum jelly is good in every sense; it helps in dryness, cracked lips or skin and other things also.
See More: Home Remedies For Foot Tendonitis
8. Ice Therapy:
Rubbing a piece of ice on the fever blisters for about 10 minutes every hour helps in treatment of pain, bleeding as well as swelling in the region. It also prevents the problem from spreading in various body parts.
- Rubbing an ice cube also reduces pain and itching caused due to cold sores.
- It is also important to make sure to not hold the ice on the blister for a long time continuously.
- It should be rubbed gently for few minutes and then try after a break of few minutes.
9. Salt:
Moisten the fingertip, dab some salt on it and then apply it on the fever blisters for a while. This should be done two times in a day for the next 3-4 days to get a home remedy for treating the fever blisters. It is again a common and well reviewed home remedy for the problem. Salt is the most accessible ingredient available in every kitchen. It is the basic fundamental ingredient and is very helpful treating a fever blister.
- The salt has cooling properties and will help reduce burning sensation.
- It may turn out to be itchy and may cause burning sensation but it will surely treat your fever blisters.
10. Lemon:
Lemons are antiseptic and hence heal the blisters faster. It is best to use this method during early stages of the cold sore and lemons will fight from spreading further. Lemons also kill the harmful bacteria. Rubbing slice of lemon or lemon extract will also soothe the burning sensation caused by the fever blister.
- Just slice a lemon and squeeze few drops and apply it on the blister directly.
- Alternatively, you can also slowly dab the sliced lemon throughout the day at regular intervals.
Fever blisters are nothing but cold sores that are caused due to the virus herpes simplex virus. Home remedies are always the first aide response to cure the blisters. They are all very soothing and will provide comfort almost instantly. It is important to treat the cold sores as soon as possible to make sure it doesn’t spread any further. They are usually caused due to extreme exposure to sunlight, hormonal changes or extreme stress. It is also important to follow prevention techniques for it to not recur.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What oils are good to heal fever blisters instantly?
Ans. There are many essential oils that are very good to cure the fever blisters instantly
Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is extremely good for the skin. It contains medium chain triglycerides that are antiviral, antifungal and antibiotic. It has the potential to heal the skin overnight.
Tea Tree Oil: Tea tree oil has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that is very helpful to cure fever blisters. They are very healthy for the skin and cause no potential harm.
Peppermint Oil: Peppermint oil has antiviral properties that cures cold sores instantly.
Lemon Balm Oil: Lemon balm oil also has antiviral effect that cures fever blisters very soon.
2. What happens if fever blisters are left untreated?
Ans. It is extremely important to treat the fever blisters at the earliest, here are few common side effects if not treated in time,
- If the virus spreads to the eye, herpetic keratoconjunctivitis can occur which is a secondary infection.
- The infection can potentially spread to other parts of the body making it more painful and will take even longer to heal.
- As the virus is contagious it could also spread to other people living around and also the people who a touched by the infected.
- It is unhealthy and unhygienic to leave it untreated as it can arise to other serious skin problems. It will also most likely leave a mark.
3. What not to do when infected with fever blisters?
Ans. Apart from home remedies to try out, there are few things a person infected with fever blisters should NOT do –
- First and foremost, the person who is infected should stay away from direct exposure to sunlight as it is going to make it worse and more painful
- Oily and unhealthy food should also be avoided which can make the skin more prone to infection due to the oils.
- Stay away from other people and especially babies as it can transform easily.
- Stay stress free as it will only aggravate the condition.
Image Source: Shutter stock
