Other Treatments for Fever Blisters
If you are experiencing pain, some other
fever blister treatments you may want to try include the following:
- Hold cool compresses to the sores for a few minutes several times a day
- Hold ice packs to the sores for a few minutes several times a day
- Take aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol®), or ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®) to relieve pain and fever.
Whether or not you are prescribed medicines, there are other precautions that you should take when fever blisters erupt to speed up healing and prevent spreading the virus to others. Some of these precautions include the following:
- Keep the fever blisters clean and dry to prevent infections
- Eat a soft, bland diet to avoid irritating the sores and surrounding sensitive areas
- Be careful not to touch the sores and spread the virus to new sites, such as the eyes or genitals
- To make sure you do not infect others, avoid kissing them or touching the sores and then touching another person
- Wash hands after contact
- Do not share utensils, napkins, towels, toothbrushes, or any other objects that have touched a fever blister
- Avoid performing oral sex.
Fever Blisters and Sunblock
There is good news for people whose fever blister outbreaks are triggered by sunlight. Herpes research scientists have confirmed that applying sunscreen on the lips can prevent sun-induced recurrences of fever blisters. They recommend applying the sunscreen before going outside and reapplying it frequently during sun exposure. The researchers used a sunblock with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 in their studies.
Little is known about how to prevent recurrences of fever blisters that are triggered by factors other than sunlight.
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