Cold Sore Treatments & Remedies

Cold Sore

Oxford Online Pharmacy Cold Sore Treatment & Prevention Service

If you have cold sores, Oxford Online Pharmacy can provide online consultation with a GMC-registered doctor. Please select your medication and complete the online doctor's questionnaire. Your answers will then be examined by our doctor and, if approved, a prescription will be issued. If you already have a private or NHS prescription, you can select your medication and send your prescription to Oxford Online Pharmacy. The medicine prescribed by your doctor will be dispensed and sent discreetly to you when we have received your prescription.

Symptoms & Causes

Cold sores are itchy or burning small blisters around the mouth or lips. They are caused by the herpes simplex virus of which there are two types:-

HSV-1 is very common and the main reason for cold sores. It is passed from person to person by close contact and is highly contagious. It can remain dormant and may be triggered by fatigue, injury to the area or during a period in women. Some people never have cold sores, as the virus never becomes active.

HSV-2 is less common and can be the result of having oral sex with a person who has genital herpes.

If you have cold sores, you should avoid contact with people who have HIV, newborn babies and those receiving treatment which may weaken the immune system, such as chemotherapy.

Cold sores are most contagious if they burst and remain contagious until they have healed. This means that you should avoid close contact with others until they have cleared up.

Cold Sore Treatment

Cold sores may clear up by themselves in 7-10 days without the need for medication. You can apply antiviral cold sore cream, such as Zovirax, without the need for a prescription. This needs to be applied as soon as the cold sore is detected.

In more severe cases, tablets such as Aciclovir can be prescribed to treat and prevent cold sores. These are prescription-only medicines and our doctor may be able to supply you with a doctor's prescription following the completion of an online questionnaire. If approved our Pharmacist will then dispense the medication.