About Cold Sores

Cold Sores are caused by the Herpes Simplex virus. It is not known exactly what stimulates the appearance of cold sores but they are commonly exacerbated by stress, sun, alcohol, sugar, a concurrent viral infection, or simply being run-down. There is no known cure for the virus, but it is said that supplementation with lysine (also known as L-Lysine) can help prevent and reduce the severity of cold sore symptoms. 

Lysine for Cold Sore Treatment

Lysine is an amino acid that cannot be synthesised by the human body and must be ingested. It is a necessary building block for all protein in the body and plays a major role in the production of enzymes. 

Numerous studies have shown that supplementation with Lysine may reduce the onset and severity of cold sore symptoms. Sufficient levels of Lysine in the body are said to inhibit the replication of the virus.

It is recommended that cold sore sufferers ingest 1-1.5g of Lysine daily for prevention and increase supplementation to 2-2.5g when an outbreak occurs.

There is some evidence to suggest that Lysine may stimulate the liver to increase the production of Cholesterol. You should watch your cholesterol levels if you supplement with Lysine.

Disclaimer 

Healthy Comparisons does not give or purport to give any medical or healthcare advice and is not qualified to do so. You should not under any circumstances substitute qualified medical advice with information found in this fact sheet. The information contained in this fact sheet does not take into account the physical state, medical status or health requirements of any particular individual which are relevant to the proper diagnosis and treatment of any problem, condition or disorder. You should never use or act upon this information without first properly consulting, and seeking proper information and advice from, a qualified healthcare professional. Healthy Comparisons, its related companies and its licensors expressly disclaim all responsibility for and liability in respect of the accuracy of the information provided in the website, its improper application and the consequences of anyone's failure to obtain a proper medical examination and advice from a qualified healthcare professional in the relevant circumstances. 

© HealthyComparisons.com.au 2008 

Home Remedies for Cold Sores

There are a large number of home remedies for cold sores. In some cases these traditional treatments have been known to work as well as antiviral pills or numbing creams. One advantage of using a home remedy for cold sores is that treatment can begin immediately since there is no need to visit the doctor to get a prescription or go to the drugstore and choose between several creams. As soon as someone realizes they are developing a cold sore, they can begin the home remedy.

There are a large number of home treatments for cold sores. These remedies can include diet changes, taking vitamins and supplements, applying different types of juice or powder to the sore, or simply holding an ice cube against it. While some of theses remedies work better than others, there is a chance that some of the more obscure home remedies may not offer any relief at all. However, some of them are proven to help heal cold sores.

Pressing or rubbing ice on a sore is possibly the best-known home remedy for cold sores. There are several benefits to this remedy. If the ice is applied early in the development of the cold sore, it can slow down the metabolism of the area around the cold sore, greatly slowing its growth. It is good to hold the ice to the sore for a few minutes every ten minutes for a few hours. The ice will also make the sore smaller and keep the virus from moving or spreading.

Rubbing aloe, lemon balm extract, or tea bags to cold sores is also known to lessen their size and help reduce pain. Drinking less coffee is another home remedy for cold sores. It is believed that coffee can be a catalyst in the formation of cold sores. It is recommended that people who are susceptible to cold sores cut back on their coffee intake.

A number of home remedies are great for healing cold sores. These treatments are quick, easy, and cheap and can help relieve the pain of a cold sore as well as help make it heal quicker.

Cause of Cold Sores provides detailed information on Cold Sores, Cause of Cold Sores, Are Cold Sores Contagious?, Cold Sore Treatment and more. Cause of Cold Sores is affiliated with Infant Constipation.

What Cause Cold Sores?

Cold sores are caused by a virus, the herpes simplex virus or HSV. There are two kinds of herpes simplex virus, called type 1 and type 2. While both types can cause cold sores, type 1 is the variety usually responsible. Type 2 HSV is found in genital herpes and is much more rare than type 1 HSV.

HSV-1 is the most common cause of cold sores. Most people are exposed to HSV-1 between the ages of three to five. There are many ways that a person can become infected by HSV-1, including among them coming into close contact with a person who has a cold sore, ingesting contaminated fluids that have been sneezed or coughed into the air, or by coming into contact with objects that a person with a cold sore touched or used. Although most people are first infected with the HSV-1 virus early in life, they do not get their first cold sore until after puberty. Once someone is infected with HSV-1, the virus remains with them for the rest of their lives.

HSV-2 is much less common than HSV-1. It primarily causes genital herpes. HSV-2 usually only affect body parts that are below a person's waist, but in rare cases, it can cause a person to get cold sores.

Once a person is infected with HVS-1, a number of things can cause cold sores. A bad cold, a case of the flu, or any sort of disease that affects the immune system can lead to the appearance of cold sores. Extremely chapped or sunburned lips can increase the chance of a cold sore outbreak. Women who are pregnant or menstruating also have an increased risk of cold sores.

But cold sores are not just caused by physical factors. Emotional stress or prolonged upset is another factor that can bring about a cold sore outbreak. Another factor that has been seen to increase the risk of an outbreak is physical stress or fatigue. All of these stress factors weaken the immune system, making it more difficult for the body to fight the outbreak.

Many people experience cold sores only a few times in their life, while others have them much more regularly. There is no cure for cold sores. And with so many different causes that people have no control over, treatment and therapy by trained professionals are often the best ways to manage troublesome outbreaks.

Cold Sores provides detailed information on Cold Sores, Cause of Cold Sores, Are Cold Sores Contagious?, Cold Sore Treatment and more. Cold Sores is affliated with Infant Constipation.

by: Thomas Morva

To find other free health content see e-healtharticles.com

Is There a Cure For Cold Sores?

One question on the minds of many people who frequently suffer from cold sores is �is there a cure for cold sores?� Sadly, the answer is no. But while there is no cold sores cure, there are numerous preventive measures people can take to keep their cold sore outbreaks to a minimum.

Some of these preventions include not kissing people who currently have cold sores, protecting the lips from prolonged exposure to the sun, use lip balm with sun block on the lips at all times, and avoiding personal triggers that can lead to a cold sore outbreak. Following these procedures will not guarantee that a person will never have another cold sore, but it will decrease the likelihood that they will have another outbreak.

It is a good idea to avoid any close contact like kissing with anyone who currently has a cold sore. Although people can spread the cold-sore-causing HSV-1 virus even when they do not have a cold sore, it is much more likely to spread when a sore is present. It is advisable not to share any items with people who have cold sores as well. Items such as toothbrushes, towels, razors, and tableware can carry the HSV-1 virus.

It is also a good idea to protect the lips from the sun. People should wear a lip balm containing sunscreen at all times to prevent any burning or drying. Even with the sun block, people should still limit the amount of direct sunlight their lips get. It is advisable to wear a hat or stay in the shade to keep the lips from getting too much sun.

Some foods seem to trigger cold sore outbreaks in some people. Foods and drinks containing caffeine like chocolate, coffee, and soft drinks make some people more susceptible to cold sore outbreaks. People who are sensitive to these substances should limit their intake in order to decrease the likelihood of a cold sore outbreak.

There is no cold sores cure, but taking these precautions can greatly reduce the likelihood of a cold sore outbreak. Anyone who has a weakened immune system is at a risk for cold sores, but many of these preventive measures can still be effective.

Cold Sores provides detailed information on Cold Sores, Cause of Cold Sores, Are Cold Sores Contagious?, Cold Sore Treatment and more. Cold Sores is affliated with Infant Constipation.

by: Thomas Morva

To find other free health content see e-healtharticles.com

What Exactly is a Cold Sore?

Cold sores, also called fever blisters, are small wounds that appear on the lips or around the mouth. These sores seemingly appear at random and can be both painful and embarrassing. The reality is that the herpes simplex virus (HSV) causes cold sores.

Most people find the connection between herpes and cold sores to be very alarming, but it is not. There are two types of herpes simplex virus, HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV-1 usually causes cold sores and is found in most people. HSV-2 usually causes genital herpes and is much more rare. Sometimes HSV-2 does cause mouth herpes and HSV-1 can cause genital herpes, but it is uncommon and not seen very often.

The HSV-1 virus is usually transmitted through contact with a contaminated fluid such as kissing, or it can spread through sneezing, coughing, or touching a cold sore. The HSV-1 virus is often spread from parent to child when the child comes in contact with an item that a parent with a cold sore has touched or used. The first time a person is infected with the HSV-1 virus is called the primary herpetic stomatitis and usually does not result in a cold sore. The virus can lie dormant for many years. Most people come into contact with the HSV-1 virus by the time they are five years old but do not get their first cold sore until after puberty.

Cold sores usually go away on their own over the course of a week to ten days. They do not leave scars and often do not recur for many years. The cold sores often burst open after a few days and expel a clear fluid before drying up and disappearing.

For some people, cold sores are too painful or embarrassing to be left alone to simply disappear independently. For these people, there are OTC and prescription medicines to speed up the healing process. Cold sores are a painful nuisance that nearly everyone experiences. There is no prevention for cold sores, but there are many treatments available to make the experience as easy as possible.

Cause of Cold Sores provides detailed information on Cold Sores, Cause of Cold Sores, Are Cold Sores Contagious?, Cold Sore Treatment and more. Cause of Cold Sores is affiliated with Infant Constipation.

by: Thomas Morva

To find other free health content see e-healtharticles.com

Are Cold Sores Contagious?

When someone gets a cold sore or knows someone who has one, it is not uncommon for them to wonder, "Are cold sores contagious?" And the answer to this question is yes, cold sores are contagious in more ways than one. The herpes simplex virus that usually causes cold sores is easily spread--even if the infected person does not have an active cold sore.

Cold sores are contagious, and the HSV-1 virus that causes cold sores is present in an estimated 80% of the population. Most people are infected by HSV-1 at an early age, usually by the time they are five years old. Once the virus infects an individual, it will remain in that person's body forever. Though HSV-1 is latent or dormant for much of the time, it is still present in the body. The virus is usually present near the person's mouth, but it can spread all over the body. It is important to understand that an infected person can spread HSV-1 to others even while not currently experiencing an outbreak.

One of the most common ways that HSV-1 is spread is through an object an infected person used, like a toothbrush or tube of lip balm. If particles of the HSV-1 virus are transferred to an object and it is used by someone else, that person runs a strong risk of infection.

People are most likely to become infected by HSV-1 by exposure to someone with a cold sore. A cold sore goes through several phases before it disappears. The tingle stage is the first. At this point, the cold sore has not yet formed, but the virus has been reactivated. The risk of spreading the virus increases at this time, but the risk is highest when the sore is in the weeping stage. This is when the sore bursts open and expels a clear liquid. Even during the crusting stage, when the sore is scabbed over, the risk of infection is greater than normal.

It is important to note that HSV-1 can not only spread between people, but also to different parts of the infected person�s body. Herpetic whitlow, the HSV-1 infection of the fingers is particularly painful. People must be sure to wash their hands thoroughly when they have a cold sore to prevent the spread of HSV-1.

By Thomas Morva

Cause of Cold Sores provides detailed information on Cold Sores, Cause of Cold Sores, Are Cold Sores Contagious?, Cold Sore Treatment and more. Cause of Cold Sores is affiliated with Infant Constipation.

A Look at Cold Sore Treatments

Cold sores usually disappear without any type of medication in about a week to ten days. Many people choose to wait out their cold sores, just ignoring them until they go away. Others decide that ten days is too long to have a large, painful, embarrassing facial blemish near their mouth and seek out medicine or other treatments to make the cold sore easier to deal with. There are many different types of cold sore treatment available, from antiviral pills to over the counter and prescription creams. Many people also use conventional pain relievers like aspirin and acetaminophen as cold sore treatment.

People suffering their first cold sore outbreak are often recommended to take antiviral medications. These pills are only obtainable by prescription, so the cold sore sufferer must consult a doctor first. Cold sore medication such as acyclovir or famciclovir can provide pain relief and reduce the healing time of a cold sore. Antiviral medication is most effective if people start taking it when the cold sore first appears.

There are several types of creams used to treat cold sores. Creams containing docosanol are particularly useful. Docosanol is used to fight against the HSV-1 virus that causes cold sores and it can relive pain as well as help heal the cold sore sooner. Other types of cold sore treatment include creams designed to numb the area around the cold sore and moisturizer creams that help revitalize the skin around the cold sore. Lip balm can prevent the cold sore from cracking open.

Many conventional pain relief medicines like acetaminophen, aspirin, and ibuprofen are great cold sore treatments. These medicines treat the inflammation, providing pain relief. While there is no cure for cold sores, there are several types of cold sore treatment that make having a cold sore a shorter, more bearable experience.

By Thomas Morva

Cold Sores provides detailed information on Cold Sores, Cause of Cold Sores, Are Cold Sores Contagious?, Cold Sore Treatment and more. Cold Sores is affliated with Infant Constipation.

Foods that prevent cold sores

If you are searching for foods that prevent cold sores, you are wise indeed. Nutrition is the most effective and natural way to eliminate cold sore outbreaks.

In this article you will learn about delicious foods that prevent cold sores. You will also discover foods that cause cold sores. Best of all, in about 2 minutes, you will know how best to balance the two for your personal needs. Check it out.

Cold sores are the visible result of the herpes virus replication process. The virus enters a cell on the surface of your face and forces that cell to create copies of itself. Then the original virus destroys the cell to release hoards of new virus. The open cold sore is the result of millions of cells in close proximity that have been destroyed like this.

Lysine and arginine are two amino acids much talked about in their relation to cold sores. Amino acids are small fractions of protein that your body needs everyday to stay in tiptop shape. To create new cold sore virus, the cell needs certain materials. One necessary building block for herpes virus replication is arginine.

Lysine has been proven very effective in treating and preventing cold sores. Lysine prevents cold sores mainly by replacing some of the arginine in your cells. If you have a higher lysine than arginine content in the cells, you are less likely to get cold sores.

Foods that prevent cold sores are rated by how high the ratio of lysine to arginine content. Most foods contain both lysine and arginine. If there is the same amount of both, the ratio is 1 to 1. If there is twice as much lysine as arginine, then the ratio is 2 to 1. This is an excellent ratio for preventing cold sores.

So the strategy here is to increase the ratio of lysine over arginine in your diet. For example: cheddar cheese, in one ounce or 28 grams, contains 588 milligrams of lysine and 267 milligrams of arginine. This is a ratio of lysine to arginine of 2.2 to 1. Excellent.

Here is a list of foods that prevent cold sores. Most meat, particularly beef, fish, turkey and chicken. Cheese, yogurt, milk and other dairy products are also quite high in lysine and often offer a 2 to 1 ratio. Ricotta cheese is unusually high in lysine. Eggs, soy beans, soy products and brewers yeast will also provide you higher lysine intake.

SPECIAL NOTE. Flounder is very rich in lysine. Some people use flounder as a total cold sore treatment. When getting a cold sore, they will eat one pound, or 300 grams, of flounder. This provides 12 grams of lysine. Lysine from food is 200% to 400% more usable by the body than the lysine in supplements. You would have to take 50 lysine capsules, at least, to equal the flounder, which would be crazy. Your body knows the difference.

Here is a short list of foods that cause cold sores. These foods have high content of arginine to lysine. Most nuts, including peanuts, almonds, cashews and walnuts. Grains, such as wheat and oats. Seeds, such as sunflower and sesame, are arginine providers. Also avoid most beans, peas and lima beans. Most vegetables are higher in arginine than lysine, such as carrots, radishes, eggplant, and cabbage. Chocolate is high in arginine.

STOP. Before you give up right here, let me say two things in closing.

Do not hesitate to take lysine capsules just because this form of lysine is not as well absorb