What Causes Cold Sores And How Can I Inhibit A Cold Sore?

What causes cold sores for you? You may have one or more causes of cold sores affecting you. Identifying these causes is powerful medicine for healing and prevention.

What causes cold sores for all people is basically the herpes simplex virus, type 1 or 2. Do not be embarrassed. Estimates are that close to 90% of the population carries this virus.

You probably know that. What is more important for you to know, however, are the three primary triggers that activate a sleeping herpes virus. These triggers are the most common causes of cold sores.

When the herpes virus activates, it will wiggle its way to the surface along a nerve fiber and invade the cells there. This destructive virus then forces the cells to create new virus particles.

The cells swell as they fill up with new virus particles and finally they rupture open. This spills out hoards of new virus and another painful open sore is the result.

Below are three of the main triggers that activate the herpes virus. You will find these to be your actual causes of cold sores.

1. YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM IS TOO WEAK.

Your antibody soldiers exist to defend you from pathogens such as the herpes virus. The vitality and potency of these determine the strength of your immune system. Your vitamin and mineral intake from food and supplements is very important. They are critically important for building effective antibodies.

If you get frequent sores, it is a very positive sign your immune system needs a boost.

Increase your intake of fresh and raw vegetables and fruits if possible. These provide the best quality and best absorbed nutrients.

For optimal results, it is important you start taking a top-shelf vitamin and mineral supplement. For many people, this is all they need to do to stop their cold sores.

But one big mistake many folks make is buying those one or two per day grocery store vitamins. If you do not buy a high quality vitamin supplement, you will not get good results.

High content of all vitamins is important. Some of the most important for your needs here are high amounts of vitamins A, C, E and the B family. Also, calcium, magnesium and zinc are necessary minerals for this purpose.

2. ARGININE QUANTITIES ARE MUCH HIGHER THAN LYSINE.

Arginine and lysine are two amino acids essential to your health. They are both found, in varying degrees, in most common meats and vegetables we eat. Both of these greatly influence your cold sore events.

Arginine is the one essential protein for building new herpes virus. Without an ample supply of arginine, it is impossible for the herpes virus to create new virus copies. It will not create a new sore.

The herpes simplex virus is not able to use lysine protein to build new virus copies.

Your cells use the same storage area within the cell for both arginine and lysine. The more of one you supply your cells with, the less of the other will be stored.

By showering your cells with lysine, you will greatly reduce the storage of arginine and this alone can prevent cold sores. Lysine, as a cold sore treatment, is one of the easiest and best remedies you can use.

Dairy products, especially from Wisconsin, are particularly high in lysine and useful for raising your lysine levels. The majority of folks, however, find lysine capsules are easy and most convenient.

3. YOUR pH LEVEL IS TOO ACID.

When your pH is alkaline on average, it is nearly impossible for a virus to make you sick. On the pH scale of 1 through 14, 7 is neutral. Alkaline is above 7 and acid is below 7. Your pH will commonly vary between 6.6 and 7.35 pH. When you drop below 7, you are becoming acid and your resistance to disease is greatly reduced. If you are prone to outbreaks, this alone will often activate an otherwise dormantherpes virus.

Your tissue oxygen levels continue to drop the more acid you become. These are perfect conditions for the herpes virus to successfully replicate.

Avoid acid causing foods such as white flour, sugar and carbonated drinks. Eat more green vegetables. Cabbage and asparagus are top choices for this. Also, many people keep their pH levels alkaline by using kits available for this purpose at most good vitamin outlets.

There you have it. The triggers mentioned above are the three most common situations that cause a cold sore. There are other advanced triggers, but knowing how these three affect your outbreaks will be the biggest help to you right now.

Also keep in mind, finding and using good cold sore remedies depends so much on what causes cold sores for you.