Lysine for Cold Sores - Good Remedy for a Bad Cold Sore
July 16, 2008
Lysine for cold sores is a hot topic right now. We are seeing more and more proof every day for successfully using lysine for cold sores.
How does cold sore lysine fix and prevent oral herpes cold sore outbreaks? What is the correct way to use it?
These are very good questions.
However, it is important to know what actually creates the cold sore before using lysine for cold sores.
Herpes simplex virus is the root cause of all oral herpes outbreaks. Some call them cold sores or fever blisters but they are both identical oral herpes events.
90% of the world population carries this terribly contagious virus. It is most common to be exposed to it before 12 years old.
The herpes virus is usually dormant in the nerve ganglia. This is root of the nerves behind the ear, where they connect with other nerves. Oral herpes cold sore events only occur if this virus becomes active.
The herpes simplex virus, because it lives in your nerve cells, can quickly sense a change in your immunity. If so, it will activate to replicate. Stress is the primary trigger that brings on a cold sore event.
The herpes virus squirms through the nerve fibers to the surface of your skin. Once there, the virus will enter the nerve cells.
The cold sore virus then makes the cell create new virus copies. Once the cell is filled to capacity, it bursts open and the new virus gushes out, looking for a home.
The cold sore is a large ulcerated wound caused the disintegration of a huge group of surface nerve cells.
Arginine is a common protein fraction (amino acid). It is the primary protein needed to build new herpes virus. It is found, to some degree, in most foods. Arginine is particularly high in chocolate and nuts.
Your cells have a specific area within the cell for storing amino acids such as arginine.
Lysine is another important amino acid. Lysine can be found in high quantities in dairy and fish. Herpes viruses cannot be created with this particular protein fraction. Lysine is to cold sores as water is to fire.
Here is the good news. Arginine and lysine fight over the same storage space within your cells. The more your cells store lysine, the less arginine it can hold.
Reducing your arginine supplies by increasing lysine intake is a trick many folks use to stop herpes virus activity and support quick healing. It can also prevent future cold sore events by starving the herpes virus of the fuel it needs.
You can increase your lysine levels with a diet rich in vegetables, fish and dairy products. Also, not eating high arginine foods, such as chocolate and nuts, will help reduce your arginine levels.
The trouble is, changing your diet as a way to stop cold sores, fever blisters or oral herpes is not always practical. The best bet for most people are lysine capsules or tablets. They are quite cheap and available everywhere.
With lysine capsules, you can change your intake based on your need. And you often do not have to give up the foods you love, such as chocolate or nuts.
Two to five grams (2000 to 5000 milligrams) is a common dosage during an oral herpes cold sore outbreak. Between sores, folks take 500 to 1000 milligrams per day as prevention maintenance.
But, this is where you need to be careful.
Lysine for cold sores is powerful when used as an internal treatment. But it does not work very well as a topical treatment.
At the store there are cold sore remedies - salves containing lysine - designed to put directly on the sore. Lysine works inside the cells. It does not absorb well when placed on the surface. Do not waste your money.
Lysine for cold sores is one of the better cold sore remedies for you, if used as outlined above.
I would like to give you a lot more tips about lysine for cold sores and some additional cold sore remedies. But I have run out of room here. I know you would benefit from my other articles on the subject of cold sore treatment and prevention.
Whether you suffer from frequent outbreaks, or they seem to last forever, lysine is a great treatment choice. But do not quit here. There are other cold sore remedies you will discover that work equally as well as lysine for cold sores.
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