How long do cold sores take to go away?!

How long do cold sores take to go away?

I have a total of THREE in my mouth right now.
Little white circles.
Two on the lower right inside cheek of my face.
And on the inside of the front, but this one's just forming.

Is it normal to have so many at one time?
I'm really sick at the moment with a virus.

How do I prevent them?
Especially the one that's popping up now?

What do I use to treat it?
Right now, I'm using generic abnesol, which numbs my mouth down. And I have GUMX for mouth sores.

2 weeks ago
EDIT: So, apparently, they're canker sores according to the users of Answers.Yahoo!
My doctor who diagnosed my virus said I had a cold sore. *shrugs*

Due to my virus, I can't take acidic things.

Would swishing them in my mouth instead be equally as effective?

Those are canker sores and are sometimes unavoidable. There is a very good product called Glyoxide for canker sores inside the mouth. Any pharmacy or Kroger with a OTC drug aisle will carry it.

It's a combination of Glycerin and Peroxide intended for use inside the mouth. The Glycerin tones down the Peroxide, but it still foams. After using it, you can rinse your mouth with just regular temped water. It does help sooth the inside of the mouth.

I know how that feels. Been there myself...and that one was the most effective as far as healing. Then, you can always dilute some Citrus flavor Listerine to rinse them as well. 1 teaspoon of Listerine to an 8 oz glass of water. Hope that helps.