When must fever blister ointment not be used? | Fever blister ointment

When must fever blister ointment not be used?

Fever blister ointment should not be used for particularly pronounced skin symptoms in the lip area. This means that cracked blisters with a bloody wound base should not be rubbed with fever blister ointment. But even in the case of sudden attacks of a herpes disease with general symptoms such as high fever and a clear feeling of illness, ointment should not be applied locally.

In this case, the administration of tablets is recommended and, in the case of the most severe courses of the disease, even an intravenous infusion therapy in hospital. Pregnant women, babies and infants are generally not recommended to use fever blister ointment, as side effects can be more serious. This topic might also be of interest to you:

  • Treatment of fever blisters

It should be emphasized that even without treatment, fever blisters recede in about two weeks and the affected child does not suffer any harm or disadvantage from simply waiting if the course of the disease is mild.However, if the infection with a herpes virus is so severe that the child is severely affected, the use of fever blister ointment or even intravenous therapy with acyclovir is also indicated, regardless of the child’s age.

The basic principle is therefore to use an antiviral such as Aciclovir as little as possible and as much as necessary in the child, whereby the dosage and administration must be adapted to the age and weight of the child. However, if a doctor decides on therapy with a cold sore ointment, the application should be carried out by the parents or caregivers and attention should be paid to exact dosage. If side effects such as headaches, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea occur, a doctor should be consulted immediately and the therapy adjusted.

How many times a day should I apply the ointment?

Manufacturers recommend applying the ointment every four hours in a sufficient dosage. For those affected, this means applying a thin film of the ointment to the cold sores about five times a day. Thus, no white ointment residue should be visible after application. The amount is just right if it is absorbed directly by massaging it in gently and briefly and leaves a light, greasy shine on the blisters at most. The time interval of four hours is important in so far as then as many viral pathogens as possible can be reached and thus the spread of the infection can be prevented in the best possible way