Fever Blisters – aka Cold Sores
Fever blisters are commonly known as cold sores. If you have a cold sore it does not necessarily mean that you have a cold, but that your immune system is a little challenged at the moment. Cold sores are caused by a herpes simples virus, either type 1 or 2. Once this virus is in your body it never goes away. However, it is generally lying dormant and only breaks out when a person’s system is weakened in some way.
A cold sore is very contagious until it scabs over. It is very important to keep your fingers off it, avoid sharing cups etc, and no kissing. Please make sure that you do not accidently get it into your eyes as it can cause loss of vision.
Lysine As A Defence
The amino acid lysine has a good reputation in healing up the blisters. People have found that taking 1-2 grams of L-Lysine per day during an outbreak helped to reduce the symptoms. This is particularly so if the person hs the type 1 virus. People who have frequent recurrences found that taking 500mg as a maintenance dose reduced the number of breakouts they had.
Lysine and Arginine
The relationship between lysine and arginine is relevant to fever blister, or cold sore treatment. Cold sores need arginine to develop. Lysine and arginine both use the same receptors so if there is more lysine than arginine in the diet there is a greater likelihood that the cold sore won’t be able to develop.
Food Sources For Lysine and Arginine
Lysine rich foods include:
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Meats
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Milk and other dairy products
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Cheese
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Yeast
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Beans
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Eggs
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Fish especially flounder
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Fruit especially apricots, figs, avocado, apples
Arginine rich foods include:
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Nuts
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Chocolate
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Grains
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Seeds
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Seafoods with a shell
Some seeds and nuts are also high in lysine. Some of these could be pumpkin seeds, pistachios, peanuts, almonds, sesame seeds and brazil nuts.
Other Treatments
Ice
A first line of treatment, as soon as you feel the burning or itching on your lip is to get some ice and put it on immediately. Use the ice on the sore for 10 minutes every hour. This virus does not like cold. This can cometimes stop an outbreak.
Other things to try:
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Aloe Vera juice or gel
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Paste of cornstarch
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Grapefruit seed extract, mixed with olive oil or aloe vera
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Using throw away cotton balls, swab the sore with hydrogen peroxide
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Dab tea tree oil directly on the sore using a cotton swab.
Hygiene
Hygiene is of utmost imoportance with cold sores. They are so easily spread. It is bad enough to have just one, you do not want several. Wash your hands thoroughly and often, even if you think you did not touch it. Using hydrogen peroxide helps with disinfecting your fingers as well. Use paper towels to dry your hands and face. Dispose of them immediately. Taking steps like this can help to stop it spreading.