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?
You may have heard of these as causes of cold sores – physical and mental stress, fever, sun and cold weather. They are not the direct 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.
These triggers cause your body to change and be less resistant to the cold sore virus.
Basically, every cold sore, oral herpes or fever blister ulcer is caused by the herpes simplex virus – type 1 or type 2. It hides in your nerve root cells.
Under the right conditions, the herpes virus becomes active, moving to the surface. There it enters the nerve cells – destroying them as it creates new virus.
Since the herpes virus lives in the nervous system, it can sense the slightest changes in your body caused by the cold sore triggers mentioned above.
Here are the top three causes of cold sores. These conditions of your body will encourage cold sore virus activity.
1. LOW pH.
The acid or alkaline state of your body is its pH balance. The pH scale runs from 1 through 14 – below 7 is acid and above 7 is alkaline. Your optimal pH is 7.35, which is slightly alkaline.
As long as your body is alkaline (above 7pH) you will rarely get a cold sore. Should your pH drop into the acid zone, the herpes virus could easily activate. Of all the causes of cold sores, this is the top one.
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.
Coffee, soda and alcohol lower pH and causes cold sores in many people. Meats like pork and beef will do so also. Most vegetables are alkaline when digested. You must keep your diet in balance to prevent a cold sore event.
Without a doubt, a low pH is the main cause of cold sores. The next two are also causes of cold sores. Combining these with a low pH makes you a sure target for another cold sore.
2. LYSINE AND ARGININE OUT OF BALANCE.
Arginine is a protein and the main ingredient used for creation of the herpes simplex virus. If no arginine is available, the herpes replication process cannot occur and no cold sore will happen.
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.
Taking lysine supplements is the most common way folks get enough lysine to prevent cold sores.
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 feeble immune system causes cold sores. It would be wise, especially if you get frequent cold sore outbreaks, to get a good supply of vitamins and minerals from food and supplement every day.
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.
As you have discovered in this article, the main causes of cold sores are an acid pH, high levels of arginine in your cells and a weak immune system.
Stress of any sort lowers your pH balance to an acid environment. And stress, both physical and mental, will burn up large amount of vitamins thus weakening your immune system.
There is more you should know but hopefully, this article has helped you discover, and eliminate, the main causes of cold sores in your life.
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