If you ever had a cold sore, you know that getting one is a major pain. The sore itself is very unsightly and hurts a lot. If you have a cold sore, you want it to disappear. People will avoid looking at you because don't like looking at the big nasty sore on your face. You need a cold sore cure and you need it right away.

Bad news first. There is no cure. The reason for the outbreaks is the herpes simplex virus. As yet, there is now way to permanently eradicate the herpes simplex virus from your body. The good news is that you can minimize the appearance of the sores and you can also work on the prevention side. Used together, prevention and alleviation are your best options.

So, how can I get rid of this ugly sore? You can minimize the sore's appearance with several methods. Ice applied to the area will relieve some of the pain. The cold will also help with the swelling. Some people use tea bags to help with cold sores. You can place the tea bag in warm water, squeeze out the excess water and apply to the sore. This will help with the pain and the swelling. After applying ice or tea bags, you can use a cold sore remedy cream from the drug store overnight to speed the healing process.

The other side of the coin is prevention. Even though there is no cold sore cure, prevention is a big part of the story. If you get the herpes simplex virus, the virus remains in your body forever. Fortunately, the virus is dormant most of the time. The cold sores usually appear during times of stress. Forms of stress include not sleeping, bad diet, pressures from daily life, exposure to people with colds, etc. Some of these factors are out of our control. Some are not. Once of the most important aspects of keeping our immune system healthy is proper sleep. Not sleeping will depress your immune system. This can lead to breakouts. Also, being on a starvation diet (you know who you are) can lead to immune system response suppression.

If you get a cold sore before a major event, you'll want a quick cold sore cure. Such a thing is not available. There are many things you can do to help with the duration of the outbreak and the appearance of the sore.