What causes cold sores (or oral herpes and fever blisters) in most folks? By the time you are done reading this article, you will know for sure what causes cold sores in nearly all situations.
What causes cold sores, basically, is the herpes simplex virus. It comes in two varieties - type 1 and type 2. Both create identical sores. Most common is type 1 which is responsible for about 80% of the outbreaks.
Usually the herpes virus is dormant, hiding deep in the ganglia of your facial nerves. For about 30% of infected folks it never becomes active. The other 70% will experience at least one cold sore within 9.5 months.
Because it lives in your nerves, herpes simplex virus can quickly sense conditions that are favorable for it to replicate. It will move to the surface and enter nerve cells there. The herpes simplex virus then forces the cells to create new virus.
When you see the swelling, the cells are filling up with new virus. When full, they burst open. This releases the virus particles and creates the visible sore.
Yes - the herpes virus is the common factor in all cold sores, fever blisters and oral herpes events. But, if we want to prevent them, we need to know what the conditions are that causes cold sores in some and not others.
These are the three main triggers that produce the right conditions to activate the herpes simplex virus.
1. POOR IMMUNITY.
An effective immune response is directly related to the quality of your antibodies. Certain factors must be available for your body to build great antibodies.
Building powerful antibodies is dependent on the nutritional value of the food you eat and the vitamin supplements you use.
Frequent cold sore events mean your immune system is too weak to protect you. You should begin eating more vegetables - especially those grown organically. Your best quality nutrients, by far, come from the foods you eat.
In addition, it would be smart to add a daily multi-vitamin to your diet. This makes all the difference for many folks in preventing cold sores. But, beware of those worthless grocery store vitamin pills.
Go to a vitamin store and buy a good quality product - or you will be unhappy. The B and C vitamins are important for stress situations, but burn up quickly. You need to replenish these water-soluble vitamins every day.
2. ARGININE TOO HIGH - LYSINE TOO LOW.
Arginine and lysine are two very important amino acids critical to your good health. The also are important when it comes to cold sores, fever blisters and oral herpes.
For the cell to create new particles of herpes simplex virus, it must have ample arginine nearby. Without this one main building-block, virus cannot be created. Thus a cold sore is avoided.
Lysine does not support herpes virus creation - like water does not support fire. Your cells store both lysine and arginine in the same area of the cell. More of one means less of the other.
Eating high lysine foods - dairy products and fish, for example - crowds out a lot of the arginine. Lysine capsules are available and a great way to go. Often this lysine remedy is enough to prevent cold sores for many.
3. YOUR pH LEVEL IS ON THE ACID SIDE.
You are very healthy when your alkaline level is around 7.4 on the pH scale. The pH scale measures from 1 (acid) to 14 (alkaline). pH of 7 is neutral. You need to be slightly above neutral.
Your body tries to maintain pH levels of 6.5 to 7.4. When you drop below 6.5, you are becoming acid. This is inviting illness - and responsible for causing cold sores.
The herpes virus loves an acid environment. This also means lower oxygen levels and weak immune defense. Contributing factors that acidify your body include coffee, carbonated drinks, sugar and tobacco. Surprisingly, citrus fruits do not.
Other causes of cold sores are created during the winter season. Cold air, reduced outdoor activity, less fresh vegetables, and lower exercise levels all create acid in your body. That is why cold sores are more common in the winter.
Keeping you pH balance in the healthy alkaline range is not hard at all. Avoid acid creating food and drink. Eat more green vegetables for the calcium they provide. Also, vitamin stores have great kits for raising you pH level quickly and safely.
There a few other causes of cold sores to share with you. But, hopefully, this short article has helped you toward answering the question of what causes cold sores in your life.
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