Cold Sores (Herpes Simplex)

Overview

Cold sores are small, often recurring fever blisters that can appear anywhere around the mouth, and which are caused by the virus herpes simplex 1 (HSV1). Groupings of cold sore blisters are called a cluster.

Symptoms

The first outbreak of cold sores may be accompanied by flu-like symptoms, with fever, neck pain, lymph node enlargement, and fatigue, or it may go unnoticed. Typically, recurring outbreaks can appear weeks or months after the first, but it almost always is less severe and shorter than the first episode. Recurring outbreaks usually start with a burning sensation that is quickly followed by blisters that itch and can be very sore. Within a few days to several weeks, they burst, dry, encrust, and disappear. Although the infection can stay in the body indefinitely, the number of outbreaks tends to go down over a period of years. They can be controlled and in some cases eliminated.

Cold sores are very contagious, and can be spread from the mouth to the genitalia via oral sex.

Caution: The drug acyclovir is typically prescribed (both orally and topically) to treat cold sores. However, it may cause an increase in symptoms when it is discontinued. In addition, antiviral drugs can be hard on the body and especially the liver, making natural, alternative treatment approaches more advisable.

Causes

Herpes simplex virus is the cause of herpes. HSV causes cold sores on the lips and in the mouth and genital herpes in, on or around the genital area. Although once you contract the herpes virus you have it for life, you can stop outbreaks. They can be controlled and in some cases eliminated.

Nearly all people experience cold sores at least one time during their lives. After the first attack, the virus remains dormant in nerve cells, and can be reactivated later by stress, colds, hot weather, anxiety, nutrient deficiencies, or other illnesses, especially ones with accompanying fever. Prolonged cold sore outbreaks may occur in people suffering from compromised immune function or in healthy people who are under high levels of stress.

Herpes zoster, Coxsackie virus, low thyroid, and health problems that suppress immune function can all contribute to cold sore outbreaks, and must be addressed before long-term relief can be achieved.

Do

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Diet

Eat a whole foods diet with lots of fresh green salads, raw and steamed vegetables and cultured, fermented products such as yogurt and sauerkraut.

Refrain from dairy products, sugar, white flour and other processed foods.

Avoid citrus fruits, including pineapple.

Buy organic whenever possible and please eat only organic animal protein.

Drink at least 1/2 your weight in ounces of pure water daily with either stabilized liquid oxygen added or water dispensed from an oxygen water cooler.

It is important to not add further toxicity to your system so try to also adhere to the following:

Do not consume any artificial sweeteners, such as Splenda, NutraSweet or Aspartame
Do not consume high fructose corn syrup or mono-sodium glutamate.
Do not drink any carbonated beverages.
Avoid all fast food restaurants.
Avoid all canned food.
Avoid conventional beef. The best beef is organic grass fed beef. www.grasslandbeef.com/StoreFront.bok?affld=104400 The second best is organic meat; this includes beef, veal, lamb, chicken and turkey.

Supplements:

Take Vitamin D3 50,000-100,000 International Units a day for periods of 4 weeks at a time.
Wholefood supplements are the best way of ensuring your nutritional needs are met. The best we know on the market are www.mineraldetox.com
Take Fivelac probiotic to strengthen the immune system.
Take Alli-C (super powerful antibacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal garlic capsules) – 4 capsules three times a day should be taken. 1 capsule is the equivalent to 40 cloves of garlic (without the breath to go with it!!).
Take an Omega 3 supplement:

Krill oil –

Fish oil

Cod liver oil

Vegetarian –

During times of outbreak L-lysine cream applied directly on the blisters, and L-lysine supplements (4 grams daily for the first four days, then 500 mg three times daily for two weeks) can also be taken orally. Or try Lysine in a fast acting tincture formula. Please note: Do not take L-Lysine on a daily maintenance basis, however, as it may create an imbalance among other amino acids. If continual daily lysine is the only way for you to prevent recurrent attacks, then you must make diet changes. First eliminate all wheat products, replace with other whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat (not a member of the wheat family) in your diet and decrease lysine into smaller dosages, use with a full spectrum amino acid blend. Also, ask your alternative health care practitioner about amino-acid profile testing.)
Other useful nutrients to help prevent and treat cold sores are vitamin B complex, vitamin C with bioflavonoids, vitamin E, and zinc gluconate.
Acidophilus and thymus extract can also help, as can the flavonoid quercetin, which has been shown to inhibit the herpes virus. Note: The two amino acids that appear to be important in herpes infections are lysine and arginine. Arginine stimulates the growth and reproduction of the herpes simplex virus, while lysine inhibits it. What`s important is the ratio of arginine to lysine. The higher the arginine to lysine ratio, the more herpes virus is likely to grow. Conversely, if lysine is high with respect to arginine, the growth is inhibited. Chocolate, peanuts, most cereal grains, nuts, and seeds have more arginine than lysine.

Prescription and non-prescription medication:

What non-prescription and prescription drugs are you taking? Your non-prescription and prescription are partially the reason that you have this illness or disease – you need to get off these medications, but do so only under the guidance of a licensed health care practitioner.

Mind

Stress is a known cause of the development of cold sores. Here are some things you can do to combat stress and restore balance:

Go to a Dr Morter BEST (Bio-Energetic Synchronisation Technique) Practitioner
Sign up for Energetic Re-Balancing: 2 practitioners to consider are:
Stephen Lewis – Find out more by clicking here
– Find out more by clicking here
Consider using Mary Miller’s Iching System Products – ichingsystemsinstruments.com
Reiki healing is very powerful in releasing stress and emotional baggage. Find a practitioner here
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) has had remarkable results in dissolving stress. Find a local practitioner here or go to www.thetappingsolution.com or www.tftrx.com
Try Hypnotherapy to relax the mind. Find a local practitioner here