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I am one of those unfortunate people who suffers terribly with cold sores, I have done for most of my life and unfortunately I suffer with the worst kind - they are large, they are incredibly painful and sore, they are big blisters and they make me want to hide away from being seen until they have gone away.
I have tried every possible treatment there is for a cold sore - be it a cream, a gel, a patch, liquids, ice treatments and even toothpaste with baking powder in it. I have used Google to look for cures, relief, help and just something to mask them, all to no avail. Now I have a device called HERPOtherm which I am going to share with you.
What is a Cold Sore?
Known as HSV-1 or Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1, it is said that 9 out 10 people are infected with this virus but of those, only a third will develop visible symptoms. The HSV-1 is incredibly contagious and can be passed from person to person very easily with close contact. After someone has contracted the virus, it remains dormant for most of the time, but there is also no cure.
As I mentioned above, cold sores appear as small fluid filled blisters, a swelling or as a scab and they tend to appear on the lips, around the mouth but can also present themselves on other parts of the face, including around the nose and on the cheeks but they can spread further because they are so contagious.
Cold Sore Symptoms.
There are lots of reasons why people get a cold sore, for me, they tend to flare up when I am feeling run-down, if I am stressed or have been ill. Most of the time, I am aware there is a cold sore on its way because my lip has an irritating tingling feeling which is uncomfortable, other people feel a burning sensation or an itch, sometimes there is no sign, they just appear somewhere along the lip as a small blister.
If you get a cold sore regularly enough, you can often detect the signs and despite the number of pieces of advice I have been given to apply the cream as soon as the tingle starts, it has never stopped the cold sore from appearing. Once that blister has arrived, for me, they tend to last up to 2-weeks as they go through each of the stages of pre-arrival symptoms, the arrival, the bursting of the blisters to the scabbing over and eventually the slow disappearance.
Treating the Cold Sore
I have lost count as to how many different products there is on the market that claim to treat or speed up the healing the cold sore, some of those I have mentioned above - everything from gels and creams, to patches and toothpaste which contains baking powder. Now we have HERPOtherm, a device which is incredibly unique and unlike anything else I have ever been told to try.Meet HERPOtherm
Described as being the 'hot tip for combatting cold sores' and even though it is a medical device, which can prevent the development of cold sore blisters if applied early enough, it is really easy to use. It is
- Free from chemicals - works solely by concentrated heat
- Suitable for pregnant women, allergy sufferers and children*
- Long-lasting alternative to creams and patches
- Easy and practical to use
- Dermatologically tested
HERPOtherm is a handbag sized pen which is essentially used for treating the symptoms, which I have mentioned, for the beginning of a cold sore - the burning, tingling, itching or tightness. HERPOtherm works by concentrating heat, which it generates up to 51°C on the affected area to kill the virus beneath the skin which in turn prevents it emerging as a blister. This method has shown in tests to have a positive effect on the release of histamine and degradation enzymes and in turn curbs the inflammatory reaction. It is this part which is the most important point, for me, about the device. Being able to prevent the development of the cold sore blister is tantamount to preventing that soreness and pain I have mentioned. For me, the pain is often so intense that eating and drinking hurts because your lips are so sore and the last thing you want to do is to burst the blisters or crack any skin on your lips, both of which can lead to the spread of the cold sore.
HERPOtherm goes that bit further than your average cold sore cream for me because it can also be used to relieve the symptoms more quickly and accelerate healing, which according to some of the case studies was as much as a 50% reduction is symptoms, and condition durations in comparison to creams which contain the ingredient aciclovir, an antiviral medication.
Using the HERPOtherm Device
This device couldn't be easier to use, in fact it is much simpler to understand than some of the lotions and potions I have tried over the years. It goes like this:- Remove the protective cap and place the device onto the affected area
- Very gently press it onto the affected area of your skin/lip
- After pressing the button to activate, the ceramic contact surface heats up to approx 51°C.
- This temperature is remains at 51°C for just three seconds, then HERPOtherm then switches off automatically.
The instructions do state that you should ensure good contact with the skin to have an effective transfer of the heat and that it should be placed accurately to ensure the treatment is delivered to the affected area only. You should leave at least 2 minutes between each application, and you should not exceed a maximum number of 5 applications per hour on the same area of skin.
Where can you get HERPOtherm?
The HERPOtherm Cold Sore Treatment device is available via Amazon, Boots (including Boots.com) and your local high street pharmacy. It is priced at just £34.99, which given everything I have read, is an amazing price. For me, the positives of this product over creams, patches and gels are just too good not to give it a try. Creams and gels have very little impact for my cold sore issue and they're not exactly cheap to purchase either. I also don't find them to be as hygienic as this device, because using HERPOtherm means very little contact with your fingers to the affected area, instead it is just this device which is easily cleaned using a standard alcohol disinfectant wipe and unlike a cream, this device has no expiration date, you just need to change the batteries.
Discover more about HERPOtherm via: www.myherpotherm.co.uk