What are the main causes of cold sores? In this short article you will discover the most common cold sore sources. What is the secret cause of cold sores for you?
There are many causes of cold sores that you hear about. Stress, illness, injury and winter weather are a few. They are not the actual causes of cold sores however.
They are cold sore triggers. People believe these are causes of cold sores because you will generally get an outbreak soon after you experience one of these triggers.
What they actually do is change your body in such a way as to encourage the activation of the cold sore virus.
The herpes simplex virus (type one or type two) is responsible for every cold sore, fever blister or oral herpes outbreak. It hides dormant in the roots of your nerves.
When your body conditions are right, the herpes virus moves to the surface along the nerve, enters the nerve cells there and destroys them as it creates new virus.
Because the herpes simplex virus hides in the nerve cells, it can pick up on the slightest change in your physical condition. The triggers mentioned earlier cause these changes.
Here are the three basic causes of cold sores. These are the right conditions that the herpes virus needs to activate and replicate.
1. LOW pH.
The pH balance of your body is a measure of your acidity or alkalinity. This pH scale ranges from 1 to 14 with 7 being neutral. Below 7 is acid, above 7 is alkaline. Ideal pH for optimum health is 7.4 pH – slightly alkaline.
You usually will not get any cold sore as long as you stay above 7 pH. If your pH drops below 7 you are becoming acid. Oxygen in your cells drop and you are inviting a cold sore outbreak. This is one of the main causes of cold sores.
Stress causes cold sores because it causes an acid change in your body. Illness, injury and winter weather also can lower your pH level. These triggers cause hormone and protein changes that create an acid environment.
What you eat also causes cold sores for you. Coffee, soda and beer will acidify your body. So does sugar, pork and white flour. Most vegetables help keep your body alkaline. The key here is to balance your diet.
Of all the causes of cold sores, an acid pH is top of the list. The next two are also key players in creating a cold sore.
2. AMINO ACIDS LYSINE AND ARGININE.
It is the creation of new herpes virus that causes cold sores. Arginine is the protein needed to create this new virus. Without arginine, a cold sore cannot occur – even if your body is very acid.
Your nerve cells store arginine in a specific area. Lysine shares this storage area. Flooding your cells with lysine forces the cell to push arginine out to make room for the extra lysine.
Your cells cannot use lysine to create new herpes virus or cause cold sores. The more arginine you replace with lysine, the fewer cold sore outbreaks you will experience.
Lysine capsules are a cheap and convenient way to get the quantities of lysine needed for your cold sore healing and prevention.
3. VITAMINS AND MINERALS.
The power of your immune system – and the strength of your antibodies – is dependant on the nutrients you take in. In particular you need proper quantities of minerals and vitamins.
A drop in immune strength makes weak antibodies and causes cold sores. Your best bet for treating and preventing cold sore events is to take in vitamins and minerals from quality food and supplements daily.
Today we do not get enough vitamins and minerals from food alone. Even the American Medical Association agrees. If you are serious about avoiding cold sore outbreaks, take the highest quality multi-vitamin you can find.
Calcium is very high importance in cold sore avoidance. It is the main mineral used by your body to keep your body alkaline. Cold sore victims should take large doses of calcium.
Of all the causes of cold sores, an acid pH is number one. A lot of arginine in your cells, along with a weakened immune system contributes even more to the problem.
When you experience any stress, your body will tend toward the acid side. It also makes your immune system much weaker by consuming massive amounts of critical vitamins and minerals.
Keep in mind that all cold sore triggers ultimately lead to these primary causes of cold sores. Eliminate these and you will not get cold sore outbreaks.