Toothpaste for herpes on the lips: can it help?

Herpes, which periodically appears on the lips, worries more than 90% of people on Earth. The disease spends most of its time in a state of remission, making itself felt only during periods of stress and decreased immunity. The rash with this disease is a group of blisters concentrated in a small area. Most often this symptom appears on or near the lip. Before deciding whether it is possible to smear herpes with toothpaste as a therapy, you need to understand where this disease comes from.

Features of herpes

The main reasons for the spread of herpes are overcrowding, poor personal hygiene and unfavorable living conditions. Most people get this virus as children, but it rarely manifests itself until puberty. The danger of herpes is that it is transmitted in several ways: tactile, airborne and sexual. Symptoms of rashes:

• itching and tingling in the lip area;
• the appearance of a slight red spot;
• the appearance of a small bubble, swelling and pain;
• after 3-5 days the bubble begins to shrink and crust over;
• the crust falls off on its own and no trace remains of the herpes.

Treatment of herpetic rash must begin already at the stage of the appearance of a red spot. Under no circumstances should the integrity of the vesicle shell be violated, otherwise there is a risk of infection in the wound, which will lead to longer healing.

Many people are carriers of herpes without knowing it. This indicates their strong immunity. In this case, no treatment measures are taken. As soon as the immune system fails, the virus begins to manifest itself. Another trigger for its development is often hypothermia.

Herpes “wakes up” when immunity decreases

Causes of recurrence of herpes on the lips: stress or emotional distress; various other diseases, in particular colds, flu, diabetes, HIV; poisoning or intoxication; drinking alcohol, caffeine and smoking; excessive ultraviolet radiation; hypothermia or overheating; onset of menstruation; overwork and exhaustion; poor nutrition/diet or stomach upset; other factors individual to each person.

After “awakening,” the virus travels back to the skin. As the virus moves through a nerve, it causes inflammation of the nerve tissue.

The development of herpes can be divided into several stages. At the first stage, the person feels unwell. At the site where the “fever” appears, there is pain, tingling, and the skin turns red. At the inflammation stage, a small painful blister filled with fluid forms. After some time, the bubble bursts and a colorless liquid containing billions of viral particles flows out of it. An ulcer appears in its place. At the final stage, the ulcer becomes covered with a crust.

Most often, herpes appears on the lips, but lesions can also appear on the face, in the ears or in the mouth.

How toothpaste can affect herpes

Toothpaste is not able to completely rid a person of the herpes virus, but it can help relieve symptoms and prevent infection of the rash. Doctors allow the use of toothpaste in children over 12 years of age and adults to relieve symptoms of the disease, but only if you are not allergic to its components. You also need to not be too persistent, so as not to cause yourself a chemical burn.

According to doctors, formulations that contain a lot of fluorine help best. This trace element destroys the cell walls of viruses and bacteria. The combination of fluorine and urea allows you to achieve maximum effect. When using toothpaste, a crust forms at the site of the rash, which falls off over time. If you don’t touch it, then the herpes will go away without a trace in a week.

How to minimize discomfort

You should start using antiherpes medications as soon as you feel a tingling sensation. Medicines will not get rid of the virus, but they will stop its development and speed up recovery. There are drugs that prevent the development of the virus: tablets, ointments for external use, which help heal blisters and ulcers and reduce discomfort.

When applying the ointment, use cotton swabs to avoid transferring the virus from your lips to the skin of your fingers.

Herpes requires the attention of specialists! A “cold” on the lips can be a symptom of serious diseases: a sharp decrease in immunity, cancer, HIV infection.

If you are suffering from relapses of herpes, consult a doctor. A specialist will not only save you from unnecessary worries and eliminate health hazards, but will also help you choose a comprehensive program for the prevention and treatment of herpes.

In order to make an appointment with an immunologist or dermatologist for a program for the diagnosis and treatment of herpes, call the Family Doctor clinic (clinic hours: Mon-Fri from 8.00 to 21.00, Sat-Sun from 9.00 to 20.00), or sign up for reception and diagnostics via online registration form

How to choose toothpaste

You should only purchase a composition for cleaning tooth enamel at a pharmacy, carefully studying the composition of the product. Not every paste can help. There are several rules to follow when choosing:

• formulations with a gel consistency are not suitable for therapy, since their components often cause allergies;
• the composition should not contain menthol and alcohol compounds, as these substances lead to skin burns;
• whitening compounds have a detrimental effect on skin pigmentation, lightening it;
• the color of the composition must be white, pastes with dyes cannot be used, the effect can be unpredictable;
• try to choose formulations without artificial flavors, with herbal ingredients.

Choose the most hypoallergenic formulations. Before using for the treatment of herpes, apply the product to the inside of the elbow and wait 30 minutes, if you do not feel itching or burning, you can be treated with this product.

If you use products with herbal ingredients to brush your teeth, it’s time to try using them to treat herpes. The best options are those that include:

• Oak bark;
• calendula;
• chamomile;
• eucalyptus.

They soothe itching and provide an anti-inflammatory effect. Pastes with herbal ingredients allow you to quickly get rid of herpes rashes.

Prevention of infection and manifestations of the disease

It is not always possible to quickly get rid of herpes on the lips if it has entered the active stage, but you can strive to prevent the spread of the virus and minimize its manifestation.

Prevention of herpes consists of following basic sanitary and hygienic recommendations:

• keep your hands clean;
• use personal hygiene items;
• Avoid skin-to-skin contact with people with active disease.

If exacerbations occur frequently, this is a signal that the immune system needs help: it may be necessary to take a long-term antiviral drug as prescribed by a doctor [2, 9]. If the onset of the disease is provoked by sunlight or low temperatures, it is advisable to use special protective creams on the lip area and the skin around them.

Only a qualified doctor knows how to cure herpes in each specific case. But on your own, you can prevent further spread of the viral infection and reduce the number of relapses.

Medical expert: Oleg Sergeevich Shchekin

Last updated: July 21, 2021

List of sources

1. Peradze Kh. D., Sukhoruk A. A. Features of herpes viruses. // URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/osobennosti-gerpes-virusov (date of access: 04/09/2020).
2. WHO fact sheet. Herpes simplex virus. // URL: https://www.who.int/ru/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/herpes-simplex-virus (access date: 04/09/2020).
3. Vasiliev A. N., Fedorova N. E., Klimova R. R., Adieva A. A. Improving the diagnosis of herpesvirus infections. // URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/sovershenstvovanie-diagnostiki-gerpes-virusnyh-infektsiy (date of access: 04/09/2020).
4. Kazmirchuk V. E. Clinic, diagnosis and treatment of human herpesvirus infections: monograph / V. E. Kazmirchuk, D. V. Maltsev - K.: Phoenix, 2009 - 248 p.
5. Kharlamova F. S., Egorova N. Yu., Guseva L. N., Guseva N. A., Novosad E. V. Viruses of the herpes family and immunity. // URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/virusy-semeystva-gerpesa-i-immunitet (date of access: 04/09/2020).
6. Isakov V. A., Arkhipova E. I., Isakov D. V. Human herpesvirus infections: a guide for doctors. – St. Petersburg: SpetsLit, 2013 – 670 p.
7. Lutsenko M. T., Gorikov I. N. Some information about the morphology of herpes viruses and their properties. // URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/nekotorye-svedeniya-o-morfologii-gerpes-virusov-i-ih-svoystvah (date of access: 04/09/2020).
8. Zuikova I. N., Shulzhenko A. E., Kuzmin V. N. Recurrent herpes. A new approach to treatment. // URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/retsidiviruyuschiy-gerpes-novyy-podhod-k-lecheniyu (date of access: 04/09/2020).
9. Kalinina N. M., Davydova N. I. The role of immunotropic therapy in increasing the effectiveness of treatment of herpesvirus infections. // Terra Medica. – 2009 – No. 1(56). – P.17-22.

How to use toothpaste

If herpes occurs in a small child, then using toothpaste is not recommended. In this case, replace the product with specialized ointments and gels. Teens and adults can safely use a dental cleaner if it has passed an allergy test. The paste should be used according to the following algorithm:

1. Start treatment the moment a painful red spot appears on your lip. Wash your hands.
2. Squeeze a small amount of paste (about the size of a pea) onto your finger.
3. Apply a thick layer of cleanser to the rash. Leave it for half an hour.
4. Gently rinse the composition with water, being careful not to damage the bottle.
5. It is necessary to cauterize the rash three times a day. The duration of treatment can be up to 3-5 days, until a crust appears at the site of the rash.

Criteria for selecting quality products

You need to carefully choose a hygiene product to treat herpetic elements on the lip using this method. A good therapeutic effect for herpes will be achieved if the selected paste has the following characteristics:

• natural composition;
• absence of coloring and flavoring substances;
• presence of phytocomponents.

The more natural the composition of the toothpaste, the more effective it will be in the fight against herpetic rashes. The ideal option is a cleaner containing hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. These substances have pronounced antiseptic and drying effects. You should not choose products containing menthol or alcohol. These components have a pronounced irritant effect, which is extremely undesirable for inflamed rashes.

What else to read Balsam Boro Plus instructions for use

Toothpaste for the treatment of herpes should not be colored or flavored, as these substances can have an undesirable effect. You should also not use a gel-based toothcleaner, as it will be much less effective.

Preference should be given to toothpaste containing phytocomponents. Cedar or sea buckthorn oil, calendula or chamomile flowers, oak bark extract, and eucalyptus provide a good healing effect. These components are characterized by anti-inflammatory, healing and soothing effects.

How does primary infection occur?

Often, the initial infection with a herpes infection has no symptoms and is not noticeable. But it happens that complications appear along with herpes:

• gingivostomatitis - inflammation of the oral mucosa and gums;
• an increase in temperature, accompanied by the appearance of blisters and ulcers in the mouth;
• herpetic panaritium (inflammation of the finger tissue) - the infection can spread to the fingers if they are pulled into the mouth;
• rashes can occur throughout the oral cavity, affecting the gums, which turn red and bleed. The child refuses to eat because the process becomes painful.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis includes visual inspection of the patient's clinical manifestations if an exacerbation is typical. The diagnosis of HSV infection is often based on clinically characteristic lesions. Laboratory confirmation may be necessary if the infection is severe, the patient is immunocompromised, or the patient is pregnant, and the lesions are atypical. Depending on the severity of the clinical picture, a number of necessary auxiliary diagnostic procedures are performed:

• a set of standard laboratory tests (general blood test, urine test, etc.);
• serological tests (ELISA) to detect antibodies to a specific type of virus in the patient’s blood;
• PCR analysis is a highly informative diagnostic method that allows you to detect the presence of a virus in the body with up to 99% accuracy.

Herpes simplex virus must be distinguished from herpes zoster, which rarely recurs and usually causes more severe pain and larger lesions that are distributed along the dermatome and usually do not cross the midline. It should also be noted that collections of vesicles or ulcers on an erythematous basis are uncommon in genital lesions other than those caused by HSV infection.

Side effects

Persons who are hypersensitive to the components that make up the paste are not recommended to carry out such treatment. In order to find out the body's reaction to the paste, you should conduct a sensitivity test.

Apply it to the bend of your elbow, wait 20 minutes, if nothing appears, you can safely begin treatment. Unpleasant symptoms can appear when the treatment is abused, as well as when a large amount of paste is applied to the problem area.

In this case, the following symptoms may appear:

• burning;
• itching and redness;
• swelling.

There may be a burning sensation after application

If such signs occur, wash off the paste. If symptoms do not subside, seek medical advice.

How to find out if there is a virus?

Already during the initial examination of the patient, the doctor can determine the presence of herpes (often people who have visual manifestations of the disease seek medical help). But in order to confirm the diagnosis and determine the degree of development of the infection, laboratory tests are prescribed.

Tests are important when planning pregnancy, since the virus is dangerous to the fetus. Tests are also required for patients preparing for transplantation.

There are several diagnostic methods - which one will be optimal in a particular case, the doctor will tell you. The presence of the herpes virus and its type can be determined by blood tests (enzyme immunoassay, PCR analysis, immunofluorescence reaction) and scrapings (culture method, immunofluorescence reaction). The most accurate, but also the most time-consuming and expensive method is the cultural method, which involves “growing” a virus obtained from a patient’s biomaterial in laboratory conditions.

Diagnosis of herpes