Cold Sore Scab

Like every morning, I had to push myself out of the bed. I had to get ready for work and get on with the day. After completing the morning essentials, I had a look at myself in the mirror. I froze in horror after looking at my reflection. No, I had not grown pointed ears like Mr. Spock. It was worse, a cold sore on lips. I applied ice over it and placed warm tea bags to reduce the ugly sore. However, nothing seemed to help and within 3 days they grew considerably large. So, as a matter of precaution and after realizing that my boyfriend was due for a visit within the next 3 days, I hurried to the doctors clinic. I was prescribed come medications that was supposed to help reduce the cold sore. Nothing changed for the next two days and I had to take on some extreme measures. So, I began to apply Abreva and put on layers upon layers of Vaseline. I applied a bit of vinegar twice or thrice a day. And, luckily, the cold sore did reduce. But, to add to my woes, I was left with an uglier cold sore scab. I could not face my boyfriend with a cold sore scab right on my lip! Again, I had to look for some quick fix methods that helped in cold sore scab treatment.

So, I began researching the Internet for some answers. I went through can you get herpes from kissing and realized I had to find some cold sore scab cures. My quest lead to me to discover that there are cold sore scab stages on which depends the treatment option. So, let me share with you this information about cold sore scab stages and the cold sore cures in the following paragraphs.

Cold Sore Scab Stages
Cold sores are painful lesions that turn a beautiful maid into an ugly duckling. Once the infection of cold sores heals after 3 to 4 days (depending on individual's immune levels), one is left with a cold sore scab. One is always tempted to pick on the scab and get rid of it. However, this is not a very good idea and will make matters worse. There are different cold sore stages that are very contagious. Let us go through the 8 cold sore scab stages and learn how quickly can you get rid of them.

Stage 1
The cold sore scab stage 1 is called the latent stage. You cannot actually see the scab in the latent stage. It is present deep with the nerve ganglia. It remains there and till the virus turns more virulent. You never know how long the stage 1 is present. This is because the virus maybe lying low in its dormant stage near the nerves.

Stage 2
The cold sore scab stage 2 is called the prodrome stage. This is the stage where the reproductive cycle of the virus begins. It gets favorable conditions and becomes virulent. It begins to travel down the nerve fibers and reaches the skin surface. This makes area where the cold sore will be developed to itch and tingle. The skin begins to become dry and burn. You could feel this quiver feeling for a few hours or even a few days.

Stage 3
The cold sore scab stage 3 is the inflammation stage. This is stage when the virus enters its reproductive stage and causes swelling on the skin. You will see the site of the sore turning red as the viral cells are invading your skin cells.

Stage 4
The cold sore scab stage 4 is called the pre-sore stage. You will begin to see cold sore vesicles that look like pimples or tiny bumps. The area of the cold sore becomes very sensitive and painful to touch.

Stage 5
The cold sore scab stage 5 is the open sore stage. This is the defining movement of the cycle that causes appearance of the ugly large fever blister. The tiny vesicles amalgamate into one and form a big weeping sore. This is the most contagious stage of a cold sore. You should avoid touching the sore and use a clean paper towel or cotton to clean the oozing fluid. Avoid touching your hands to other parts of your body or objects around you after you fidget with the sore. This is because a direct touch will spread the virus and cause new scabs on your body or infect someone else.

Stage 6
The cold sore scab stage 6 is the crusting stage. The oozing sore begins to heal and forms a yellow crust. This is the time when the scab turns the most painful. And whenever you smile, laugh or open your mouth, you can feel the painful crust crack.

Stage 7
The healing phase is the 7th cold sore scab stage. You will see that there is a new skin that begins to form under the crust. However, the itching, irritation as well as pain will be present. This is the time when the virus is moving back towards the ganglia. It will sleep here in a dormant stage waiting for favorable conditions. Once it gets a perfect environment, you will suffer from a cold sore again.

Stage 8
The last stage of a cold sore scab is the post scab stage. There is no visible cold sore scab present and the skin is completely healed. You may however see a red spot for a couple of days more. It is seen because the body is still trying to regenerate the destroyed cells.

Cold Sores Scab Treatment
The cold sore scabs are the most contagious from stage 2 to stage 8. The scabs are the last stage of the cold sore. There are a few cold sore scab cures that you should try. This will help get rid of the horrible looking scabs sooner. Let's have a look at some of the cold sores scab cures.

Ice
You can apply ice over the cold sores as it will help in reducing the severity of the sores. The cold temperatures cause the virus to enter dormant stage and become less virulent. It will also make the cold sore become smaller.

Petroleum Jelly
You need to apply layers of Vaseline over the cold scab. This will help reduce the cracking and bleeding of the sores.

Hot Compress
You can even try hot compress as a cold sore scab treatment. It will help get rid of cold sore faster.

Over the Counter Medication
There are plenty of over the counter (OTC) medications and ointments available that you can use for a cold sore scab treatment. You can apply medications like lidocaine and benzyl, docoanol and Abreva for quick healing.

This was some information related to cold sore scab. I had reduced the intake of salty as well as acidic foods like tomatoes or oranges. This helped in reducing the irritation and helped cure the cold sore scab faster. So, by the time my boyfriend arrived, my cold sore had reduced to a tiny scab. So, I guess all's well that ends well. You too can try some home remedies for cold sore scabs and get rid of these horrifying blisters sooner.