Prevention and Medication Treatments for Cold Sores

If you do not have herpes, the key to avoid getting it is to avoid sharing utensils, kissing, oral sex and touching of lips that harbors sores. Unfortunately there is no vaccine to prevent herpes.

Once you acquire it you have herpes for life. If you have a cold sore, it should go away on its own. However definitive therapy is oral antiviral medications taken at the first signs of an outbreak. Having a prescription on hand in the case of a future outbreak is a good strategy.

Common medications for cold sores treatment include acyclovir, valacyclovir and famcicilovir. Topical medications do not work very well, shortening an outbreak by a few hours at best. These include docosanol, available over-the-counter and acyclovir or penciclovircream available by prescription.

Safe sexual practices including condom use can help prevent the spread of cold sores.