Natural Health

Cold Sores

Cold sores are caused by a highly infectious member of the herpes virus family. Most people who have cold sores contract the virus by the age of five. It lies dormant in the lips until activated by the sun, stress, or any illness that weakens the body’s natural resistance. Cold sores cause an itching, burning sensation around the lips and appear as a crop of blisters that crust over to form a scab.

Dietary Advice To Avoid Cold Sores

An immune-enhancing diet helps to keep the sores at bay, so eat fewer sugary, processed foods, drink less alcohol and replace coffee with green tea, which has a high antioxidant content. Eat more citrus fruits, berries, avocados, oily fish and olive oil. Cold sores may be triggered by food sensitivity, especially to the amino acid arginine, found in chocolate, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, tomatoes and cereals. Foods rich in lysine have been shown to help. These include lentils, pulses, bean sprouts, fish, soy products, live yogurt and brewer’s yeast. L-lysine supplements (taken with vitamin C) and vitamin B-complex can help to shorten an attack and increase your resistance to future sores.

Complimentary Natural Remedies For Cold Sores

Apply hypericum and calendula ointment (Hypercal) several times a day. Tea tree oil or melissa (lemon balm) essential oils may also help if applied in the early stages. Add 20 drops of oil to 30 g of unperfumed lotion and use several times a day. Fresh lemon juice, rubbed in at the first sign of irritation, is a traditional and often effective treatment.