Cold sores can be one of the most irritating skin problems. It might start with pain when you try to speak or if you try to eat. If you love eating spicy food, this will be a headache. This guide covers how you can treat and cure cold sores with ease, focusing on a natural remedy, Manuka honey.

What are Cold Sores?

Cold sores are also known as fever blisters. They are fluid blisters that are usually clustered. The reason you have a cold sore is because of an infection. 

There are certain stages in the healing process of a cold sore. If you are thinking of curing a cold sore overnight, it won’t be possible. Generally, it takes 2 to 3 weeks to heal the infection and get rid of it completely.

The cold sore is commonly located on top of the lips or the side of the lips.

The herpes simplex virus is the virus that causes the cold sore. If your diet is not healthy and you have a weak immune system, you will get affected easily. In that case, you need to add more skin-friendly food to your diet. Manuka honey is one of the best foods for the skin.

What is Manuka honey?

Manuka honey comes from the bees that pollinated from the flower Leptospermum scoparium. The plant is commonly called Manuka bush or Manuka plant. The plant is rare is generally seen in New Zealand and Australia. 

Manuka honey is known for the medicinal effects it has. Some of the benefits include healing wounds, curing skin diseases, treating infection, improving oral health and alternative for antiviral medication.

Why is Manuka Honey Beneficial?

Now that you have the basic idea about Manuka honey, you will learn how to incorporate it as one of your alternative medicines with no side effects.

Manuka honey contains natural ointments. These properties come from Hydrogen peroxide and methylglyoxal (MGO). These are two compounds that help you with antiviral properties. 

Along with this, it also has dihydroxyacetone (DHA). DHA increases suppleness and decreases flaking. Therefore, it becomes an excellent choice for people looking to cure cold sores. 

Additionally, the antibacterial properties of Manuka honey are the reason why Manuka honey is beneficial for cold sores, as it reduces the infection. 

How long does it take to cure a Cold Sore?

Before we go into the exact time, you need to understand that a cold sore has five stages. 

1. Tingling and itching are seen at first before the blister erupts. It generally lasts for 24 hours to 72 hours.
2. A fluid-filled blister appears. You will start to see red lumps, which will be there for 1 to 2 days.
3. The blister burst (open blister), and releases ooze. This stage tends to be painful. It goes on for 1 to 3 days.
4. The sores will dry, which causes itching. It will take 1 to 3 days.
5. After that, the sore finally falls, and the healing process starts. This usually takes from 4 to 14 days. 

After the fifth stage, your skin will start to heal. Depending on your diet, it might take from 3 to 14 days for all the marks to disappear. 

If you start treating cold sores by consuming Manuka honey from the first stage, it will take very little time to recover from the cold sores. Manuka honey will increase the healing process. Not to mention, it will also enhance and add a glow to your skin. 

What to look for when buying Manuka honey?

There are few things that you need to keep in mind when you are buying Manuka honey. 

Always check the UMF. UMF stands for Unique Manuka Factor. It is a three signature compound factor that determines the honey is in fact manuka honey. The UMF is written on the product page itself. To make sure that it’s genuine.

Secondly, you should check the origin of the honey. Commonly manuka honey is found only in New Zealand and Australia.