You can take steps to guard against cold sores, to prevent spreading them to other parts of your body or to avoid passing them along to another person:

Avoid kissing and skin contact with people while blisters are present. The virus can spread as long as there are moist secretions from your blisters.

Avoid sharing items. Utensils, towels and other items can spread the virus when blisters are present.

Keep your hands clean. Wash your hands carefully before touching another person when you have a cold sore.

Be careful about touching other parts of your body. Your eyes and genital area may be particularly susceptible to spread of the virus.

Avoid triggers. Situations that can trigger cold sores include too much exposure to the sun.

Use sunblock. Apply sunblock to your lips and face before prolonged exposure to the sun — during both the winter and the summer — to help prevent cold sores.

Self-care

Cold sores generally clear up without treatment. In the meantime, the following steps may provide relief:

Use creams. Over-the-counter (OTC) creams can provide comfort, but don't expect them to speed healing.

Take an OTC pain reliever. These include aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others). But don't give aspirin to children. Aspirin may trigger a rare but potentially fatal disorder known as Reye's syndrome.

Use cold Try applying ice compresses to the blisters to ease the pain. Application of ice for five to ten minutes each hour during the day will reduce the temperature of the area where the cold sore is forming. This temperature reduction will lower the area's metabolic rate and, in turn, hamper the cold sore's development. Intermittent application of ice to cold sores can act as a numbing agent, which can lessen their pain and itching.

Apply Tea Bag Tea contains tannic acid and it has been suggested that tannic acid possesses antiviral properties.

Placing a tea bag on cold sores when they begin to form especially during the tingle stage can possibly minimize the extent to which they will develop. One should position the moistened tea bag on the area where the cold sore is forming for a few minutes every hour.

Petroleum Jelly When applied to cold sores, moisturizing agents such as petroleum jelly can help to prevent cold sore scabs from cracking and bleeding.

Let it heal. Avoid squeezing, pinching or picking at any blister.