COMPARE PRODUCT OPTIONS AND EXPECTATIONS

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No reduction in duration or severity of the infection. 

1. Camphor, menthol, eucalyptus oil, phenol can be good at providing temporary or partial relief of symptoms.  

2. Benzocaine and/or lidocaine are topical anesthetic agents. They treat the symptoms by blocking the nerve signals to the brain. 

3. Dimethicone, mineral oil, petrolatum act to retain moisture and may help provide relief after the formation of a scab, but the cold sore still has to go through its 7-14+ day healing process. They can be inconvenient by leaving a visible residue since they do not get absorbed by the skin. 

4. Glycerin is a humectant, which means it helps to retain moisture and can help soften a scab that forms, but the cold sore still has to go through its 7-14+ day healing process.

5. Lysine is an amino acid that blocks another amino acid , arginine, which promotes HSV replication. It is taken either orally or applied topically. Reports indicate varied rates of success for different individuals. And it is dependent on high dosage when used orally.  

6. Table salt (sodium chloride) or epsom salt.  A “home” remedy that may be suggested on well-meaning websites or social media posts. Direct application of salt to a cold sore blister/scab may be able to help drying out the liquid-filled blister or scabs, but salt can cause the skin to crack, which can prolong the recovery process. 

NOTE: These descriptions of treatment options are not meant to suggest medical advice, and to not provide a comprehensive review, but are provided as general information so you can start to assess your situation with your doctor on how best to treat your symptoms.    

1. Docosanol based cold sore treatments, must start within 2 days of the first sign of symptoms, typically tingling or itch, for any noticeable benefit. Docosanol is not effective once a cold sore/ blister is formed because it works by preventing the virus from entering healthy cells. If treatment does not begin early, the virus will have already entered a large number of the host's cells, which means that it would have spread and replicated rapidly. At this stage, there is no benefit in preventing viral entry as this process has already been completed. 

Clinical studies with docosanol report: “median time to healing in 370 docosanol-treated patients was…18 hours shorter than observed in 367 placebo-treated patients.” (Sacks, SL, et al; 2001, August - J American Academy Dermatology). This means it reduces healing time by 18 hours in a lesion that typically lasts 7-14 days. Don’t forget to read reviews to make the best choice for you. 

2. Acyclovir, valacyclovir (Valtrex) and penciclovir (Denavir) require a prescription in the USA. They work by stopping the replication of viral DNA. Like docosanol, these prescription medications do not kill the virus. By their own recommendations, application should start before the cold sore lesions have formed (i.e. within 2 days of the onset of symptoms, or there is likely no noticeable benefit). In addition, the virus can develop resistance to these medications for individuals who use them frequently, rendering them ineffective at some point. 

3. Hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol.  These are mentioned merely because you may find them as so-called “home” remedies.  You might read about these on well-meaning websites or social media posts. Note that they will sting an open blister or scab. More importantly, they can damage surrounding healthy tissue and can leave a scar. Efficacy has not been proven.

NOTE: These descriptions of treatment options are not meant to suggest medical advice, and to not provide a comprehensive review, but are provided as general information so you can start to assess your situation with your doctor on how best to treat your symptoms.      

Understanding how Zap-H™ improves cold sore healing. 

Zap-H™ helps the body to fight the virus due to a unique combination of ingredients that aid the body's immune system so it can attack the virus more effectively. Zap-H™ clears the path to healing by disrupting the viral envelope.  In the lab (i.e., in-vitro) viral envelope disruption results in immediate killing of viral particles.  In the body (i.e., in-vivo), disrupting the viral envelope allows for the immune system to target and eliminate the virus more effectively – it reduces the immune system workload. The immune system is the ultimate healing agent. 

What could be more “natural” than THE BODY’S OWN™? 

Key ingredients in Zap-H™ are the same as certain protective agents produced by the human body to fight, not only viruses, but other pathogenic microbes. We put The Body’s Own ingredients into a package for your convenient use and enhanced their performance by combining them with a special blend of food grade ingredients.  Notably, mother's milk has similar enhancing agents. 

Why is Zap-H™ more effective? 

The herpes virus relies on two key protective mechanisms that challenge the body’s immune system in fighting cold sore infections are (1) the viral envelope and (2) biofilm [For reference, teeth can form a layer of biofilm called plaque, though it is a different structure than in a cold sore scab.]  

Zap-H™ is the only treatment that attacks both of these protective entities. This makes the body’s immune system more effective in fighting the virus, which can lead to a shorter healing period. And it is also the reason for being effective up to 5, and potentially 7 days after symptom onset.  

When we say that Zap-H™ rapidly kills viral particles in the lab, this is accomoplised by its breaking down the viral envelope.  When Zap-H™is applied onto a fever blister, disrupting the viral envelope in the cold sore results in the virus being exposed for more effective attack by the immune system.  This can lead to faster resolution of the sore and of symptoms. While this feature has not been evaluated by the FDA, as to how it might work in the treatment of a cold sore/ fever blister, our hospital clinical studies indicate significant reduction in time for symptoms to disappear.  

The ingtedients in Zap-H™ cold sore serum were initially developed as a biofilm disrupting agent. Biofilm is a microscopic matrix (think slime) that microorganisms produce to protect themselves from their surrounding local environment. Biofilm can form both in the blister/cold sore and the scab, p rotecting the viral particles.  The ingredients in Zap-H™ have been shown to disrupt biofilm.  Although some of the individual ingredients have been shown in the past to have anti-biofim effects, the novel proprietary combinations of ingredients enhances and significvanly improves such biofiom-disrupting effects. 

In these ways Zap-H™has a two-fold effect..  It first disrupts biofilm in which virus particles are hidden and protected, thus exposing the viral particles.   Second, the exposed viral particles are now subjected to having their surrouding envelopes disrupted by the Zap-H™.  This viral envelope disruption  allows the immune system to target and rid the viral particles, and also potentially Zap-H™ could directly kill the virus particles.   

-     Hess DJ, et al; Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2015 Oct;16(5):538-42. 

-      Schlievert PM, Peterson ML.. PLoS One. 2012;7(7). :e40350. 

-     Lab studies at Nelson Laboratories, Bozeman, MT, have documented the killing of numeous biofilm-producing micro- organisms and viruses with Zap-H™ ingredients.

(Once a scab is mature, generally after 5-7 days from the onset of the cold sore symptoms, the anti-inflammatory features in Zap-H™ are proposed to help with scab healing, but this has not been proven by the FDA).  

NOTE: These descriptions of treatment options are not meant to suggest medical advice but are provided as general information so you can start to assess your situation with your doctor on how best to treat your symptoms.