Entries Tagged 'Medicine' ↓

Lysine and cold sores? Yes, lysine is an excellent cold sore treatment, but only if used correctly. Please read this article to avoid a common mistake in how you use lysine for cold sores.

Lysine for cold sores has been proven an effective treatment by years of empirical data and studies.

But, first, let us go over what actually creates cold sores, fever blisters, and oral herpes outbreaks so we can see more clearly how lysine works for cold sores.

The process of the herpes simplex virus creating new virus causes the actual sore. This virus normally is dormant and hiding in the root area of the ****** nerves.

When it becomes active, the herpes virus squirms to the surface through the nerve fibers and takes control of millions of surface cells to force them to create new virus.

Once the cell is full of new virus, the controller explodes it to release hoards of new virus particles. It is this massive destruction of surface cells you see as a cold sore, fever blister, or oral herpes.

There is one specific protein that must be used by the cells to create the herpes simplex virus. It is arginine, a common amino acid found in many foods.

Without this key component, the cell cannot create new herpes virus. The cell has many uses for arginine, and has a special area within the cell to store ample supplies of it.

Lysine is also a protein, another common amino acid. It also has many uses in the body. The cells store lysine in the same storage area as arginine. The more lysine in storage, the less room for arginine.

And, the great news is that lysine cannot be used to create herpes virus. Lysine is anti-virus in this respect.

If you flood your cells with available lysine, it will crowd out much of the arginine. This will make those cells useless as virus factories. The herpes virus will see this and go back into being dormant.

This often quickly stops the progression of a cold sore. It also can prevent cold sores, fever blisters and oral herpes events.

The key is to get more lysine than arginine in your diet.

You could decrease your arginine intake by avoiding chocolate and nuts. At the same time, increase your lysine intake by eating fish (especially flounder), cheese, yogurt and vegetables.

Although a restrictive diet such as this will work, it is a slow to show results. Also, it is often inconvenient or impractical. Because of this, many people depend on supplements to achieve success when using lysine for cold sores.

Lysine supplements are very cheap and available almost anywhere. The best choice would be 500-milligram capsules. The capsules disperse faster in the stomach.

Commonly, people will take two to four grams per day (2000 to 4000 milligrams) during a cold sore outbreak.

Lysine is a simple, common protein and is quite safe. For example, eating a pound of flounder would give you about 14,000 milligrams (14 grams) of lysine.

Some people also take 500 to 1000 milligrams per day as a maintenance dosage to help prevent cold sores. This does work, however, your body tends to get used to it and you will have to take higher and higher dosages as time goes on.

But stop. Do not be fooled.

Lysine will work very well for you if taken orally. But, if you put it directly on the sore it has very little value.

The reason I mention this is because there are cold sore remedies at the store and on-line that are topical treatments containing lysine. They may have other ingredients that help, but the lysine will add nothing to the results.

Lysine must get into the cells to fight and prevent cold sores. It does not absorb through the skin, but must come from your bloodstream.

Yes – lysine for cold sores is one of the better cold sore remedies for you. You may find that it can be many times more powerful when used with my other well-respected cold sore remedies. I wish I had more room here to share with you.

Whether your cold sores, fever blisters or oral herpes sores seem to drag on forever, or you are getting a lot of outbreaks, lysine for cold sores could be your biggest step toward lifetime freedom from the hideous cold sore.

The internet is swarming with products and home remedies that claim to heal and prevent cold sores. If you have ever suffered from a cold sore, you probably know all too well that that they tend to develop at the most inopportune times and are quite embarrassing, sending you desperately scrambling for a quick remedy that will cure a cold sore fast. Many home remedies and medications are helpful, however what works for one person may not be effective for someone else. One of the best techniques in tackling this problem is prevention. This article will provide you with 5 important tips to prevent cold sores.

Stock up on vitamins:

Take a good multivitamin every day. In addition, a daily supplement of L-lysine, the most studied and researched dietary supplement in association with cold sores has shown positive results in decreasing the recurrence of the cold sore virus.

Stay healthy and watch your diet:

The cold sore virus is often triggered during stress, colds, fevers, during menstruation, after exposure to the sun, or for no apparent reason. It is generally believed that anything that compromises the immune system can trigger a cold sore. Eating foods that have high concentrations of L-lysine will help reduce your chance of developing a cold sore during times that your immune system has been compromised. Some foods that are high in L-lysine include dairy products, chicken, beef, beets, apricots, avocado, apples, soybeans, and fish. On the flip-side, an amino acid called arginine has been found to increase the risk of developing of a cold sore. It is a good idea to limit your intake of foods containing arginine. Some foods with a high concentration of arginine include chocolate, nuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, seeds, seafood, peas, oranges, grapes, other fruits or berries; broccoli, carrots, and corn.

Protect your lips:

Exposure to the sun, wind, and cold are big contributors to cold sore flare-ups. Wear sunscreen when exposed to the sun and always carry a lip-balm that contains SPF. A good lip-balm to carry is Herpecin-L which contains L-lysine as well as an SPF. This will protect your lips whether exposure is related to sun, wind, or cold temperatures.

Toss the toothbrush:

Although the cold sore virus generally cannot live outside the body for a long period of time, numerous studies have shown that the virus can continue to live for more than a week in a toothbrush.

Get enough sleep:

Fatigue and stress weaken the immune system, triggering cold sores. Make sure you get enough sleep to keep the body from becoming run-down and vulnerable to attacks.

These are just a few simple precautions to take, however there are numerous other ways to protect yourself from an unsightly cold sore. But no matter how many safety precautions you take to protect yourself, remember there is no guarantee that you will not fall victim to a cold sore at some point. There are several home remedies and medications that will visibly heal a cold sore in as little as two days.

A cold sore can be a huge inconvenience due to the pain, embarrassment caused, and difficulty to get rid of. Cold sores are an extremely common condition due to being highly contagious and are actually caused by the herpes simplex virus, which is currently incurable. Although the virus does not yet have a cure, it is possible to cure a cold sore using both natural remedies and over-the-counter products.

It is best to treat the cold sore at its first sign, since a cold sore can last a week or longer if it is not attended to. Salt water works great at cleaning out the sore, and is especially beneficial if it is located inside or on the corner of your mouth. You can even try rubbing a small amount of salt water on the sore if it is located on the lips, but salt water works best when it is swished around the mouth.

There are various over-the-counter ointments that provide pain relief and promote healing, as well as many prescription medications that require a doctor’s visit beforehand. Lysine ointment is very effective in treating cold sores, and can actually reduce the time a cold sore is present by up to 50 percent. It is fairly inexpensive and is available at your local pharmacy, and can diminish the signs of a cold sore in as little as three days.

Regular Chap Stick is also beneficial for those with a cold sore, since it can provide pain relief when applied on a regular basis. It can, however, prevent the cold sore from healing, so it should be cleaned off after about an hour, and a salt water solution should be used to reduce swelling and clean out the sore.

Gilatin is another over-the-counter product that works great at healing cold sores, and is actually intended for healing blisters and other open sores. Because it is a strong ointment, it should only be applied about once every four hours, yet can still reduce swelling and get cure a cold sore in only a matter of days.

There are various home remedies that work just as well as over-the-counter medications, but they actually don’t have any side effects. Lemon balm works great at soothing the sore, and also helps to promote overall healing of the sore in a short period of time.

Tea tree oil and tea bags are also great at soothing open sores, and they help to promote cell production, which in return helps new skin form to help heal the sore. Garlic is another home remedy that many use for curing a cold sore, but it can leave one feeling uncomfortable for the first few days. It does have a strong odor and doesn’t work at soothing the open sore, but is great for healing and can get rid of a swollen cold sore in only a short period of time.

Cold sores are very contagious, and many find themselves looking for a way to cure their cold sore. Although they can be inconvenient, they can be easily treated in only a matter of days. Even though the virus that causes cold sores is considered incurable, there are many different ways to cure a cold sore, and it can disappear in a matter of only a few days.

Cold sore cures? Wondering if there really is are cold sore cures – or are just Internet hype?

This short article should clear up a lot of questions for YOU. Read it now and you will finally know the truth about cold sore cures.

Many experts, such as my good friends at Mayo, state that there are NO cold sore cures.

Other, equally trustworthy professionals, state, YES, there are cold sore cures. And they are being used with much success today by hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world.

Someone lying?

The fact is – they are both absolutely, 100% correct. It just happens that they are not referring to the same thing.

The group saying there are no cold sore cures is right. With their statement, they mean there is no known way to remove the herpes simplex virus from your body once infected. This is known as the cold sore virus.

Right now, the herpes virus is definitely a lifetime resident of your body. No vaccine, nor any other method, has yet been discovered that will find and kill it within the body.

And don’t be fooled. Those anti-viral prescription drugs do not work either. They do nothing to rid your body of this tough, parasite virus.

There are better choices, as you will see shortly.

But first, let’s set the record straight.

Those who claim viable cold sore cures exist are right also. They are referring to the ability of a remedy to clear your face of a cold sore and prevent future outbreaks.

After all, if you never get cold sores again, is that not a cold sore cure? Who really cares about the cold sore virus, as long as we do not get the actual sores – right?

Think about that.

Every disease in the world is diagnosed based on the symptoms specific to that disease. We all carry pathogens that can cause a variety of serious diseases.

But if your body keeps these germs from creating symptoms, you will not get sick. You do not have the disease.

And if you do get sick, and the doctors can cure the symptoms, they will declare you cured. You see this every day with cancer, as well as other illnesses.

And the same holds true for cold sores, fever blisters and oral herpes.

Nearly everyone in the world carries this highly contagious virus. Yet, a good third of those people will never know it because they will never get an oral herpes cold sore.

Their bodies have built-in cold sore cures. Their immune systems and the associated antibodies do not allow the virus to come out of dormancy.

The rest of us have to work at finding our own cold sore cures.

But one thing is for sure.

We now know ways the herpes virus can be pushed back into hibernation, and kept dormant for up to a lifetime. People are doing it everyday. No reason you can’t be one of them.

Do you want to cure a current cold sore? Or are you looking for a way to prevent future cold sores?

Whichever is most important to you at this moment, the very first thing you must do is start taking the highest quality vitamin supplement you can afford.

This one thing is all many folks need to be cold sore free.

In addition, start taking a lysine supplement. This is a very safe amino acid found in fish and dairy products. Flooding your system with lysine, fights cold sores like pouring water on a fire.

Commonly, folks use 2000 to 4000 milligrams of lysine during a cold sore, and 500 milligrams daily for prevention.

There are many other proven cold sore cures. I would love to tell you about them. But it would take pages.

Some will work, others will not.

Often they depend on your immune system being in tip-top shape. You do that with the nutritional boosters mentioned above.

Yes, there definitely are cold sore cures. Some are very simple. Some work best when combined with other methods. You must try different things to successfully discover your own, personal, cold sore cures.

A cold sore or fever blister is painful and can occur on the lip, ******* area or other places on the skin and the mucous membranes. They start often with a tingle feeling and then grow into a sore which may itch. Keep in mind that this can be contagious during an outbreak so use caution around others. Many people are upset by catching a cold sore from a romantic encounter as it is something that is now in your system for life.

Please note that a cold sore symptom or fever blister outbreak is not the same as an aphthous ulcers or canker sores. These are similar in appearance but appear inside the mouth they are not caused by HSV. People on chemotherapy treatments may get canker sores in the mouth but these are not cold sores.

Lysine and zinc supplements are mentioned by some for helping the immune system against cold sores. For myself, I find if I eat peanut butter I may get a cold sore outburst on my lip, but if I take lysine at same time I won’t. The amino acid ratio is very important in our systems. Some people find that argine will upset their system and cause an outbreak and this is in a high ratio in some body building formulas and supplements. If you take this to bulk up and tend towards cold sores, a lysine supplement can be helpful.

Sometimes before you get a cold you can get a cold sore because your body is not working optimally and you may not be sleeping enough. Be sure as well to always use sunblock on your lip when you are outdoors as I know I can get a fever blister on my lip if it is not protected due to UV lighting.

The application of ice as well as tea bags are two home remedies for cold sores that are advised to help to minimize the pain and inflammation. Tannic acid (in tea) has anti-viral properties and ice is always good to reduce inflammation. Neither of these are a cure but still can be an aid.

Most outbreaks of cold herpes sores are preceded by a sensation of burning, itching or tingling in the area prior to the blistering becoming visible. At times the cold sore will be dry and it forms a crust at the end stage. You are still contagious at this point however. Do not think that you can’t pass the virus on just because it is no longer red or bleeding.

Traditional natural remedies that purport to ease the pain and length include acidopholous, grapefruit seed extract, aloe juice and b-12 supplements. Though some people say vaseline will stop the cracking, I found this spread my cold sore to create a second one next to it so I cannot recommend the vaseline.

They haven’t found a cure for fever blisters and cold sores yet but you can find comfort in knowing that with a good system of prevention as well as measures you take with the initial tingle the length, severity and frequency can be greatly minimized and you don’t have to live in a crisis mode with this.

Cold sore lysine – is it the miracle cure for cold sores that many claim? In this article you will get the latest research facts about cold sore lysine remedies for herpes sores.

Cold sore lysine treatment has been in the news a lot in recent years. Studies continue to show it to be very helpful for relief of these persistent sores. But many people who write about lysine do not know how it actually works.

FACT: Cold sores are quelled by lysine similar to a fire being quenched by water.

Water puts out a fire by starving it of the oxygen it needs to burn. Lysine works in a similar way – it represses cold sores by depriving the herpes virus of what it must have to create the sore.

Before using lysine, however, let us explore the cause and effect of these outbreaks and how lysine actually works for you.

The herpes simplex virus moves to the surface for the sole purpose of creating new virus. This parasite virus enters a cell and forces that cell to produce new virus clones. When full, the cell is broken open to spill out the fresh virus.

The herpes virus, type 1 or 2, creates the open, ugly ulcer on your lip or nose by burning up thousands of nerve cells during this replication process.

FACT: Arginine feeds cold sores like oxygen feeds fires.

The herpes virus is made of protein. The main protein used by the cells to create this sub-microscopic virus is the amino acid arginine.

Arginine and lysine are considered essential amino acids. Your body cannot create these. They are essential for your health and must come from your diet.

Your body cells store arginine in a special area within the cell. If forced to create new herpes virus, your cell will draw on these stores until depleted. Without arginine readily available, new virus cannot be created.

FACT: Lysine smothers cold sores by making arginine unavailable.

Your cells stock up on lysine too. And they do so in the same storage space as arginine. Since these two amino acids compete for the same storage area, the more lysine you eat and make available to your cells, the less arginine will be available for virus creation.

Here is the best news. Lysine cannot be used to create new virus. Like water, it cannot burn. And because lysine forces arginine out of the cells, it removes the main building block for the virus.

FACT: Lysine is only available to the cells if taken orally.

The best way to flood your cells with cold sore lysine is by eating foods high in this protein. Dairy products, meats, and fish are excellent sources of this amino acid.

Lysine capsules, although not as well absorbed, are much more convenient for many people. A special diet is often hard to keep, especially with your busy schedule. But, it would be best to combine dietary sources with these supplements.

There are several drug-store treatments that contain lysine. These treatments often contain other herpes fighting ingredients that will help – at least for comfort. Lysine sounds good on the label – but, as a topical remedy for cold sores, it has not been proven to work.

Amino acids, such as lysine, do not go into the cells through the skin. Putting it on the skin before the sores blossom is of no value. And applying this amino acid after the sore opens up, even if it did work, is too late. The damage is already done.

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT – lysine is great for extinguishing, and preventing, cold sores. But keep in mind that it only works when it gets into the cells. This can only happen when taken by mouth and absorbed internally from food and supplements.

Lysine is perfectly safe. It is only a protein fraction. Commonly, lysine supplements are taken in doses up to 4000 mg. per day during the outbreak. Some folks also take 500 to 1000 mg. daily to prevent cold sores.

Consuming high lysine foods is the best source of quality lysine. Taking lysine capsules may also be necessary for you to reach the levels you need for effective cold sore lysine treatment.

Incredible, but true – Cold sores and fever blisters have been a world-wide epidemic since before Christ. The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 90% of earth’s population is infected with the cold sore virus today.

Outbreaks of cold sores or fever blisters are caused by the replication process of the herpes simplex virus. Both strains – type 1 and the type 2 – cause identical sores. Many viruses disappear over time but the cold sore virus will be with you for life.

The good news – although with you a lifetime, the cold sore virus is normally asleep. It hides in your nerve cells near the initial infection. 35 people out of a 100 that carry the herpes virus will not get one outbreak in a lifetime. The other 65 of us will get a cold sore at least once every 8.4 months.

Cold sores and fever blisters are highly contagious. Not only must you be careful not to infect someone else, but you should be extra cautious not to re-infect another spot on your own body. Wherever the virus can get through the skin, it will form a new cold sore colony there.

Often you will see people with multiple sores around the mouth. These cold sores are spread from lack of properly treating the original sore. Also, every caution must be used to avoid getting the cold sore virus in the eyes. This usually causes vision loss with non-reversible damage to the cornea.

Responsible care of your cold sore is very simple and will greatly reduce the chance of creating new sores on yourself or your family. Never touch the sore with your bare fingers, no matter how much it itches. A cold sore is most contagious from the initial tingling until totally healed.

Use throw-away cotton balls, swabs, tissue or paper towels to continually cleanse the sore with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. This will greatly reduce the virus count of the wound and will help keep your fingers sterile. Use hand sanitizing gel frequently, even if you did not think you touched the wound.

Prevention of cold sores and fever blisters, of course, is the ideal solution. Then the risk of spreading is almost zero. Best of all, you do not have to suffer the pain and embarrassment in public. Let us take a look at a couple really easy ways to prevent them that have proven to work well.

First and foremost, if you are prone to getting cold sores, it would be wise to take a good quality vitamin supplement on a daily basis. This not only reduces the effects of cold sore causing stress, but greatly enhances your immune system.

One extremely popular treatment for cold sores is the amino acid lysine – using about 3000 milligrams spread out during the day. Between cold sores, as a preventative, many people take one capsule (500 milligrams) per day.

Keep in mind that the cause of all cold sores and fever blisters is the extremely contagious virus called herpes simplex. Please use every caution to prevent further spreading to loved ones and to other parts of your body – especially your eyes.

Finally, you should use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol soaked cotton balls or tissues to continually cleanse and disinfect the sore. Also, taking a regular vitamin supplement will help reduce your stress, keep your immune system super strong, and ultimately help prevent cold sores and fever blisters.

Which of these causes of cold sores are responsible for your outbreaks? In this article you will discover your top three causes of cold sores.

Stress and illness are considered causes of cold sores because an outbreak is often nearby. Actually they are just triggers. The real causes go much deeper.

Nearly everyone in the world carries the herpes simplex virus. This virus is the root cause of every cold sore, fever blister or oral herpes sore. Usually the herpes virus is latent – hiding in the root of its chosen nerve fiber.

The herpes simplex virus chooses to live in your nerves and so can quickly tell the slightest change in your body. When conditions are right, the virus will move to the surface along the nerve – usually to the lip or nose area.

The main purpose of the herpes virus is to create new virus. It does so by forcing the surface cells to be virus factories. This replication procedure destroys many adjoining cells resulting in an open cold sore wound.

Here are the top three causes of cold sores. These cause the favorable conditions for herpes activity.

1. AN ACID BODY.

The pH level of your body is a critical factor in your health. You are in the best health when your body is slightly alkaline. This would measure 7.45 on the pH scale. Your body becomes acid when it drops below pH 7.0.

The more acid your body becomes, the lower your oxygen levels will be. This lowers your immunity and encourages many diseases including cold sores.

The cold sore triggers – stress, illness winter weather – cause your body to become acid by changing your chemical and hormonal balances. If you get a lot of cold sore outbreaks, you are quite likely in the acid side of normal.

Our bodies will always try to maintain the healthy alkaline balance. The primary nutrient it uses for this is calcium. Foods that are rich in calcium will help to avoid a cold sore causing acid situation.

Items such as soda, alcohol, white flour, pickled products and pork tend to encourage an acid body.

You will find kits at vitamin stores that will keep you in the alkaline zone. Many folks have good success with these.

2. ARGININE AND LYSINE BALANCE.

Arginine is the main protein (amino acid) making up the herpes simplex virus particle. Your cells cannot create new virus particles without a plentiful supply of arginine. Your cells store arginine in a special area within the cell.

Lysine is another protein (amino acid) that is very similar to arginine. And it uses the same storage place within the cell as arginine. But your cells cannot use lysine to build new herpes virus.

To stop cold sores, the key tactic is to flood your cells with lysine. Your cells will then store more lysine and less arginine. If the cell low on arginine, it will discourage the herpes virus and send it packing.

Eating high lysine foods – such as fish, chicken and dairy products – will help. Avoiding high arginine foods – such as nuts, seeds, grains and chocolate – will help also.

The most convenient approach to “lysine loading” is to use lysine capsules. People using this tactic will take about 4000 to 6000 milligrams per day during an oral herpes cold sore outbreak.

3. POOR VITAMIN AND MINERAL LEVELS.

One of the main causes of cold sores is vitamin and mineral deficiency. And scientists have proven beyond a doubt that the vegetables we eat today contain 50% less nutrients than 50 years ago.

Your health and immunity depend on the vitamin and mineral building blocks. When your immunity drops, so does your pH balance. Then the herpes simplex virus is free to create another sore.

If you get a lot of cold sores, or they last forever, you should be sure to get and take a high quality vitamin supplement. Look for at least 50 milligrams of the B vitamins, 300 milligrams of vitamin C.

Also very critical is the intake of at least 1000 milligrams of calcium each day. As mentioned above, calcium will greatly help in keeping your body alkaline and prevent cold sores.

Of all the base causes of cold sores, your pH balance is probably the most important. If you keep this in the alkaline zone, you probably will not be bothered with oral herpes or cold sores. Eat green vegetables.

Decreasing stored arginine and taking a high quality vitamin supplement will also greatly help. Hopefully you now have a better idea as to what your causes of cold sores are.

How to get rid of cold sores, fever blisters and oral herpes quickly and safely is very good to know if you suffer from these uncomfortable and unsightly lesions.

There are a lot of wild claims going around. Many offer to show you how to get rid of cold sores using their costly methods or products. Although you will have varying degrees of success, quite often you are disappointed. Very few live up to their claims.

If you truly want to learn how to get rid of cold sores, first understand what causes the oral herpes outbreaks that we call a cold sore or fever blister.

Type 1 or type 2 herpes simplex virus creates all cold sore, fever blister or oral herpes sores. Nearly 90% of the world population carries the virus since it is so contagious.

And once you catch it, you will carry it for life. The herpes virus is a master at hiding. Even you immune defense system cannot find it when it is dormant.

In the case of ****** sores, the virus is hiding latent in the root cells of your ****** nerves. When it senses that your immune guards are weak or distracted, it rushes to the surface with hopes of creating more of its own kind.

The herpes virus is unable to reproduce on its own, but must force your surface nerve cells to become virus factories to create its offspring. Once the cell has created all the virus possible, it is destroyed to release the new virus.

It is this destruction of millions of adjacent cells that creates the open, weeping wound.

If you want know how to get rid of cold sores as quickly as your body will allow, then here are the three basic steps you must use, even if you are using other cold sore remedies.

1. EARLIEST COLD SORE FOREWARNING.

If you have much experience with cold sore outbreaks, you will possibly have noticed an itching, tingling, burning or dryness in the spot where you normally get the sore.

You are actually feeling the virus moving up the nerve and entering the cells at the surface. If you act fast, you can get rid of cold sores (or at least slow them down) during this period.

There are a variety of cold sore remedies that work well for this. The most convenient, no matter where you are, is ice. It really discourages the virus. Sometimes it just gives up on the idea and moves back into hibernation.

The neat thing about this – if you are able to get rid of cold sores at this early stage, you can avoid the painful and lengthy healing process.

2. CONSTANT STERILIZATION OF THE COLD SORE AREA.

How to get rid of cold sores? Take a hint from your body. As soon as the cold sore opens up, your body creates a thick fluid that weeps constantly from the wound. This is your body attempting to wash away the virus particles.

You can speed this process along very easily.

Soak a cotton ball or tissue in rubbing alcohol, wine or peroxide. Use this to wipe the sore as much as possible. Then toss away. The more you do this, the quicker your body can get the healing underway.

And this will reduce the likelihood of spreading the virus to another spot on you – or to another person.

3. REPAIRING THE COLD SORE DAMAGED CELLS.

When the cold sore was forming, ice was an excellent cold sore treatment. Now it is not.

Do not use ice after the sore breaks open as it will greatly slow down healing by driving blood away. Now you should be applying heat to bring healing blood to help repair the sore.

You can do this by using a hot, wet paper towel – then throw away. Or you can do what many have found very successful – using hot tea bags.

Not only are they cheap and easily available, but every time you use them, you are also bathing the wound with the healing tea fluid. This is an excellent way to get rid of cold sores quickly and permanently.

Learning how to get rid of cold sores is not too difficult. You should know that the methods outlined above are excellent and used successfully by millions.

Just use caution when someone tries to sell you some magic cold sore treatment salve or lotion. You will most often be disappointed.

Perhaps a little more research and you will know as much about how to get rid of cold sores as anyone.

There are foods that can cause cold sores – and foods items that can also prevent them. Fact is, what your diet choices have a big affect on cold sore healing and prevention.

This short article does not provide meal recipes. It will reveal to you the different foods you need to pay attention to if you suffer from cold sores.

WHAT CAUSES THE COLD SORE?

Cold sores are the collateral damage caused by the replication process of the herpes simplex virus.

Unlike bacteria, the herpes simplex virus can’t reproduce its own kind. In parasite fashion, it enters your surface nerve cells and makes the cells build new virus copies.

Once the cell becomes full or is exhausted, the virus destroys it to spill out millions of fresh herpes simplex virus. This destruction of a large number of cells in close proximity causes the open cold sore wound.

AMINO ACIDS LYSINE AND ARGININE.

Arginine and lysine are quite common protein fractions (amino acids) found in most foods. They play a big role in cold sore development.

Herpes simplex virus is made up of primarily arginine. The herpes virus can’t replicate without sufficient arginine in the host cells. Your cells have specific receptors for arginine storage.

Lysine is very similar to arginine but cannot be used as a protein for building herpes simplex virus. Also, lysine shares the same storage area in the cells with arginine.

Flooding your cells with lysine will push much of the arginine out, making it impossible for that cell to create herpes virus particles. This will stop cold sores, heal them quickly and prevent future outbreaks.

HIGH LYSINE FOODS HELP STOP COLD SORE EVENTS.

Although most food items contain both lysine and arginine, they may contain more of one than the other. The recipe for success here is eating foods that are higher in lysine. A ratio of 2 to 1 – lysine over arginine – is preferred for cold sore control.

High lysine foods in this category include most meat, fish and other seafood (avoid pork). Dairy products and eggs are excellent sources of lysine. This includes cheese and yogurt.

If you like fish, you are in luck. Flounder is a great eating experience and provides the highest levels of lysine we have seen. You will get an unbelievable 14,000 milligrams of lysine per 450 grams (16 ounces) of flounder.

Some folks have reported a one-time serving (450 grams) of flounder quickly gets rid of cold sores.

FOOD ITEMS THAT MAY ENCOURAGE COLD SORES.

Foods that tend to encourage cold sores are high arginine foods.

Avoid nuts, beans and seeds of all sorts. This includes almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts and sunflower seeds. Grains, especially oats, are high arginine food items.

Most vegetables are borderline in that they contain almost equal amounts of lysine and arginine. If you are prone to cold sores, eating vegetables could provide a little too much arginine.

Chocolate is loaded with arginine. Ouch!

BALANCING LYSINE AND ARGININE.

Using food alone to flood your cells with cold sore preventing lysine can be quite a challenge. Many of the foods that you are tempted to avoid are essential to your optimum health.

Do not give up nutritious food products, such as vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. Instead increase your intake of high lysine foods so that, at the end of the day, your diet balances out to higher levels of lysine.

Or you can do what many cold sore victims do – take lysine supplements. These supplements are cheap and easy to find. This way you don’t have to change your diet.

Lysine supplements come in 500-milligram capsules or tablets. During a cold sore, many folks will take 4000 to 5000 milligrams of lysine – spread throughout the day. This will usually stop a cold sore and heal it very quickly.

We know that arginine and lysine are major players in the cold sore arena. If you find that lysine therapy does not work as well as you would like, do what others have done – try combining it with other good, proven cold sore treatment methods.