Duration of the disease
In summary, it can be said that an illness with fever blisters lasts about 10-14 days. One can divide a herpes outbreak into two phases. The first phase is also called viral phase and lasts about 3 days.
During this time the blisters form and the virus multiplies in the blisters. At this time the risk of infection is particularly high. When the virus vesicles burst and the contents of the vesicles are discharged into the environment with new viruses, new skin areas can be infected.
After 3 days the wound healing phase usually begins. This takes about 7-10 days. During this period the disease is no longer contagious.
The wound must heal. In this stage it is possible that bacteria of the skin settle in the area of the wound and cause a purulent infection there. Purulent crusts are then formed.
This can prolong the course of the disease by 1-2 days. The use of antiviral ointments shortens the course of the disease. Eventually, however, the fever blisters disappear again without treatment.
Therapy
There are numerous treatments for fever blisters. First of all, however, one should know that the course of the disease is self-limiting. Even without therapy, the disease heals in about 14 days without consequences.
However, since the patients usually suffer from a high level of stress, various therapeutic measures are used to accelerate the healing process. On the one hand, there are various home remedies whose effect has not been scientifically proven. This is also due to the fact that no one sets out to scientifically investigate the effects of home remedies.
To the household remedies belong toothpaste, zinc paste, tea tree oil or Melissenblättertee soaked cloths. More to the different household remedies, which one can use with fever blisters, you find on our side household remedies against herpes Beyond that there are numerous free-selling means in the pharmacy for the treatment of fever blisters. Most of them all contain the active ingredient Aciclovir.
This inhibits the virus in its further spread and thus shortens the course of the disease. Penciclovir ointments are also available in pharmacies. It is similarly effective against the herpes simplex infection.
The ointments are applied to the affected skin areas several times a day. They are very well tolerated, and there are virtually no side effects. Furthermore, there are also ointments on the market that contain blue-green algae.
These active ingredients are said to be able to significantly shorten the course of the disease and accelerate healing. Furthermore, the ointment can also be used prophylactically to prevent the outbreak of cold sores. You can find more about the therapy on our website:
- Creams against lip herpes
- Fever blister ointment
- Treatment of fever blisters
Fever blisters are an infection with the herpes simplex virus.
Drugs such as fever blister ointment therefore usually contain the antiviral agent acyclovir. These fever blister ointments can be purchased over the counter in pharmacies. It should be applied during the day about every 2 hours.
It is most effective if it is applied at the first signs of the disease. However, it is still effective in the blister phase. A therapy with fever blister ointment shortens the healing process and relieves the symptoms such as pain or itching.
In addition to Aciclovir, there are also ointments containing Penciclovir, a similar active ingredient. Both ointments are well tolerated and have virtually no side effects. Patients who are frequently plagued by fever blisters should therefore obtain these ointments prophylactically from the pharmacy so that they can use them at the first signs (feeling of tension in the area of the lips).In addition to the fever blister ointments it is also important to strengthen the immune system.
Plenty of exercise, healthy food and sufficient sleep support the immune system in fighting the disease. Besides fever blister ointments with Aciclovir or Penciclovir, there are now also fever blister plasters available. While the ointment should be applied every 2 hours, a fever blister patch or patch lasts for 12 hours.
Therefore it is especially suitable for night-time application. The patch should also not be removed without reason, so that the wound can “breathe”, this is counterproductive. The patch will come off by itself after up to 12 hours, then it should be replaced by a new one.
According to the manufacturer, the use of fever blister plasters significantly accelerates wound healing and reduces crust formation. Another advantage is the fact that the patch slightly conceals the wound. It also prevents the blisters from being scratched open because they are covered by the patch. Fever blister plasters should also be used as soon as possible after the onset of the disease, in this case as soon as fluid-filled blisters are visible on the skin. These can then be covered with the fever blister plaster.
