Herpes on the lips is quite common. People call it “cold” or “fever”. All this is easy to explain – hypothermia or, conversely, overheating, weakening of the body’s defenses, that is, immunity, colds, precedes the appearance of herpes rashes.

Millions of people experience symptoms of herpes on their lips several times a year, and women are much more susceptible to the manifestation of the disease than men. In order to answer the question of how to treat herpes on the lips , you need to know what it is and where the “fever” comes from. 

What is the root of the disease?

Herpes is an infectious disease with a viral etiology. The herpes virus is very resistant both in the environment and in the human body. When it enters a living organism, it multiplies and penetrates into the tissues of the nervous system, where it stays constantly.

Cold sores are caused by herpes simplex type 1 – the most common type of virus. To get rid of its manifestations, you need to know how to treat herpes on the lips , as well as what to do in order to prevent the appearance of unpleasant painful rashes. To begin with, you need to remember that if the infection has once settled in the body, then herpes can appear at any time and it will not be possible to completely get rid of it – there is still no medicine for a complete cure of this ailment. Therefore, it is necessary to exclude the factors that become the “trigger” of the disease. These include: 

– hypothermia;

– viral diseases of any etiology;

– bacterial infections (especially colds);

– stressful situations;

– lack of vitamins and other factors.

People who carry the virus need to protect their immunity and avoid stress.

It is very easy to “get” the herpes virus – it is transmitted through common dishes, kissing, using one lipstick, etc. The disease has periods of activity when the symptoms are pronounced, and periods of remission, when the infection does not manifest itself externally. The herpes virus has several different types, but only 6 of them are dangerous to humans. Symptoms and localization of the herpes virus can be completely different, for example, chickenpox, herpes on the lips or genitals, shingles, CMV infection, etc.

How to deal with a “fever”?

And yet, how to treat herpes on the lips ? Therapeutic therapy should not only be symptomatic, but carried out in a comprehensive manner. The first stage, the elimination of the cause of herpes, is an etiological therapy that should act not only locally , but also on the body as a whole. The second stage – it is necessary to get rid of the factor that caused the exacerbation of the disease, for example, to cure the background disease, stop the effects of stress, etc. The third stage is to improve the functioning of the immune system. The last step is one of the most important in the treatment regimen, because the more stubborn the body resists the influence of adverse factors, the less likely the disease will relapse. 

Herpes can be treated with both folk remedies and pharmacy medicines. Traditional medicine recommends treating inflammation on the lip with fir oil, burning them with propolis, alcohol, applying salt to the bubbles. All these methods will help to quickly get rid of the “cold” on the lips, as they dry herpes blisters. But treatment with folk remedies can cause painful sensations and increase the burning sensation, therefore, the selection of such methods should be carried out individually for each patient.

Of the antiviral drugs, acyclovir is the main one, as well as ointments and tablets that contain acyclovir ( Zovirax , Panavir , Valacyclovir ). Remember that symptomatic treatment of the disease, carried out by comprehensive measures, will still help only for a while. The mainstay of treatment is the prevention of recurrence of herpes.