Oral Herpes Treatment

Oral herpes is a viral infection of the skin on or around the mouth. Most commonly it is recognized by a sore or blister on the lips. There is no cure for oral herpes and the virus remains in your body. Outbreaks may occur at times or sickness or stress which may be why they are commonly called fever blisters or “cold sores.”

What Oral Herpes Treatment is Available?

There is no current cure for oral herpes but studies are being done on a regular basis to find a cure. Treatment is available and is being improved regularly.

A very large percentage of the population has the virus that causes oral herpes and treatment is important since it is very contagious.

There are several over-the-counter drugs available for treatment of oral herpes and fever blisters but it is best to consult your doctor before using these. Also, many OTC medicines only treat the symptoms. They do not do anything to make the blisters heal quicker.

Your doctor may prescribe antiviral medicines to attack the infected cells that are causing the blisters to form. This will help the existing blisters to dry up and heal and may prevent new ones from forming.

There are also medications available to help ease your discomfort from fever blisters. Often the blisters are painful and creams on the lips can sooth the pain. You could also take some acetaminophen or ibuprofen if your pain is severe or you have many blisters.

Denavir/Penciclovir Used on Fever Blisters

Denavir is the brand name for a drug called penciclovir that is used to treat oral herpes. Denavir is a cream that is applied directly to the fever blisters to reduce them and ease the pain and discomfort from the blisters.

Treatment of oral herpes is important because the sores can be very uncomfortable for the person and also are embarrassing since they are on the face and can not be hidden. Catching the sores at the first sign of outbreak will increase your chances of them healing and disappearing quickly.