Cold sores are tiny, fluid-filled blisters that blossom on and around the lips. Caused by a virus known as herpes simplex virus one, or HSV-1, they affect 15 to 30-percent of the United States population. It's suspected that a much greater percentage of the population-up to 98-percent, in fact!-is infected with HSV-1, but the majority of them do NOT experience cold sore symptoms. Some people who DO have cold sores are actually infected with a similar virus called herpes simplex virus two, or HSV-2. More often though, people with HSV-2 experience genital herpes, which are cold sore-like lesions that appear on the genitals. Both HSV-1 and HSV-2 are incurable. This is the reason that people who experience cold sores or genital herpes usually have recurrent outbreaks. The good news is that there ARE medications that can help shorten the life of cold sores. These medications can be loosely divided into topical creams and oral antiviral medications. All treatments aimed at HSV are most effective if taken during the prodromal stage of infection which is the first 6 to 48 hours before a cold sore appears. It is usually marked by tingling, itching, or burning at the infection site. Prescription creams used to treat cold sores include penciclovir, which is branded as Denvair, and acyclovir, branded as Zovirax. Both can reduce the pain, itching, and tenderness associated with cold sores, and they may speed healing time by several days. A group of NON-prescription topical creams may offer similar benefits. Abreva is one such example. The first FDA-approved, nonprescription cold sore cream, Abreva shortens the duration and severity of symptoms. Other similar products include Herpecin-L, which moisturizes lips and contains sunscreen, and Viractin, which relieves pain while shortening a cold sore's life. Oral antiviral medications are also popular treatment methods. The three most common are acyclovir, which is branded as Zovirax in a tablet form, valacyclovir, which is sold as Valtrex, and famciclovir. All three medications may shorten the life of cold sores by one to two days. If taken early enough in the prodromal stage, they might even prevent sores from developing at all. Individuals who have very regular or severe outbreaks may take these drugs daily to stop cold sores from occurring. But for those of us with more mild or infrequent attacks, nonprescription and home remedies may be sufficient. All cold sores heal on their own eventually. To get more information about home remedies and nonprescription treatments for cold sores, check out other videos on this site.