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First of all, we have to get rid of the notion that canker sores and cold sores are one and the same, because they’re not.  Small and shallow, canker sores are mild ulcers which appear inside the mouth.  They may also appear inside your cheek, on your tongue, and on your soft palate.  Being localized in an individual, canker sores are not at all contagious.  At most, all they do is make you uncomfortable with the way you speak and eat.

The exact causes of canker sores are not clear, although they are often attributed to diet and tissue injury.  Eating certain foods which are acidic in content such as tomatoes, lemons, oranges, pineapples and other citrus fruits seem to trigger canker sores.  The same goes for hot and spicy food.  On the other hand, any tooth with a sharp surface which rubs against your cheeks and gums or any dental appliance such as braces and dentures which don’t fit well could cause symptoms of canker sores.

Canker sores are simple, and they naturally go away without treatment in a matter of days.  They may occur as often as three to four times a year, and they usually last for a week at a time.  The most that will be prescribed would be an antimicrobial mouth rinse to prevent any infection.  You would be advised to use a soft-bristled toothbrush and avoid all acidic and spicy foods.   Aside from having a dentist treat your tooth and adjust your braces or dentures you may also need to supplement with some vitamins.  Most of the complex and recurring canker sores are caused by underlying deficiencies in vitamin B, zinc, folic acid, and iron.

Also known as “fever blisters”, cold sores are more painful, fluid-filled blisters caused by the Herpes simplex Type 1 virus.  Erase your fears, and do not automatically associate them with the Type 2 Herpes simplex virus which causes sexually-transmitted genital sores. However, being viral in origin, an outbreak of cold sores can be extremely contagious.  Once you contract Type 1 cold sores in early childhood, it would be so hard to get rid of them.  The virus can be traced to a facial nerve near your cheekbone, and they remain hidden there.  The virus gets triggered and the symptoms start to recur when you suffer from stress, over-fatigue, too much heat, and a change in hormone levels.

Cold sores typically appear outside your mouth, under your nose, and around the lips.  They manifest themselves initially through headache, fever, irritability, and painful swallowing.  After these initial symptoms, the first signs appear as irritating sores around the mouth and feverish swelling in the gums and mouth cavity which progress on the become painful blisters and gray ulcers if left unattended.

If you only try to cope and let your sores run their natural course of 10-14 days, they may interfere with your eating and speaking habits, not to mention your self-esteem.  You cannot get rid of cold sores and cure them immediately, but you could take in certain oral medications or apply topical ointments as a remedy.  For children, the best mode of treatment would be to apply topical creams at the first tell-tale signs of a cold sore.  In order for Zovirax 5% or any acyclovir cream to be effective, it should be applied during the early stages and at a regular dosage to 4 to 5 times a day.  As a non-prescription medicine, Abreva speeds up the healing of tissues and the recovery of old sores.  As a prescription drug, Valtrex can also be a choice for adults who are at the risk of contracting genital herpes.  At a cheaper price and with fewer side effects, Trilex is an alternative pill which is said to boost the immune system.

On the other hand, there are natural remedies for coping with cold sores at home.  Applying ice of some soothing agents like lidocaine, camphor, and phenols numb down the burning and itching.  Likewise, applying tea tree oil and a tea bag on the sore counteracts the virus due to their tannic acid content.  With their antiviral properties, the amino acid lysine and the element zinc also slow down the growth of the virus and inhibit the formation of lesions.  In the process of healing, you can also moisturize scabs with lip balm or petroleum jelly to prevent them from drying and cracking.  Although they are not cold sore cures, these natural forms of therapy are temporary sources of relief.