One good thing about cold sores - they occur on the surface of your skin where you can easily take care of them. If they were an internal sore, like some diseases, they could be life threatening.

Treating a cold sore successfully means you must adjust the treatment based on the stage of your outbreak.

1. The first symptom is the itching stage. This tingling sensation indicates the movement of the herpes virus to the surface to replicate. This virus enters thousands of nerve cells, each one becoming a virus factory.

At this stage you should put something cold on the area. Ice cubes in a plastic bag work well. You can also use a can of soda. Cold really discourages the virus and can cause it to give up before it actually creates the sore.

2. If the virus enters the cells, hard little red bumps and swelling of the area occur. Applying ice for 15 minutes at a time can still work wonders at this stage. Treating a cold sore like this can slow down the virus and possibly stop it.

3. Now the sore appears as an open, weeping wound. This is the result of many cells being destroyed by the herpes virus. Now begins the healing period of your cold sore.

Ice will still provide great comfort, and reduce swelling. But, unfortunately, it slows down the healing process by driving blood away from the area.

During the open wound stage, treating a cold sore includes keeping it as sterile as possible by cleaning with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide often.

One very popular treatment, for this stage, is a product called Campho-Phenique. It numbs the sore for more comfort, and it combats infections.

4. Treating a cold sore, during all the healing period, should include applying heat. This will bring additional blood to the area for very fast healing results.

Continue to keep the area sterile. Also, continue applying the comfort treatment (numbing agent) of your choice. Keep in mind that most all drug store cold sore treatments are for comfort and have not proven to speed healing.

HOW TO APPLY HEAT. To apply healing warmth, you can use a washcloth or paper towel dipped in hot water. You also can dampen the washcloth and warm up in your microwave. Just be careful not to burn your skin. Such a trauma to the skin could create a new sore.

You might want to try treating a cold sore by applying a warm, wet tea bag. You get the benefit of healing warmth to shorten the outbreak duration.

You also will find the tea plant has ingredients especially good for quickly healing cold sores.

PLEASE USE CAUTION. Cold sores, which are another name for oral herpes, are extremely contagious. You can easily infect others or create new areas of infection on yourself.

Cold sores can easily be spread to other areas of your body including your fingertips. Anywhere the herpes virus can get through the skin will be a new cold sore trouble area. Especially dangerous is getting the virus in your eyes. This really happens, and it can cause damage to the cornea.

While treating a cold sore, try not to contaminate your fingers by touching the area. Always clean your hands thoroughly after treatment. Use cotton balls, swabs, or tissues to apply any liquids and for cleansing the sore. Use a hand sanitizing gel too.

Remember, apply cold when the sore is forming, and warmth when it is healing. Keep it clean and keep from touching the area with your bare fingers while treating a cold sore.