Causes Of Cold Sores - Why You Get A Cold Sore

By Denny Bodoh

Want to know the primary causes of cold sores? Read this quick article. You will uncover the top three sources and you will likely learn what the causes of cold sores are in your life.

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.

Think of these as cold sore triggers. They are not causes of cold sores but will bring one about - as explained in a minute.

These triggers cause your body to change and be less resistant to 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.

If the herpes virus activates it moves to the surface quickly. It then infects the nerve cells and begins replicating - destroying those cells in the process.

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 three main conditions of your body that will help activate the otherwise dormant cold sore virus. These are the basic causes of cold sores.

1. ACID 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.

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 lowers your pH levels toward the acid side. This is why they say stress causes cold sores. Fevers, cold weather and sun exposure also can cause your body to become acid - and are also considered causes of cold sores.

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.

Although an acid pH may be the main cause of cold sores, the next two triggers are also causes of cold sores - especially when combined with a low pH.

2. LYSINE AND ARGININE OUT OF BALANCE.

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.

Arginine is stored in the nerve cells. Lysine also is stored there. When you flood your cells with lysine, the cells will get rid of some of the arginine to make room to store the lysine.

Lysine will not work for creating new herpes virus. Lysine cannot cause cold sores. Replacing arginine with lysine in your cells will greatly reduce cold sore frequency and duration.

Most people who use lysine for preventing and healing cold sore eruptions use handy lysine supplements. They are cheap, easy to find and safe.

3. VITAMIN AND MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS.

The spark plugs of life are the vitamins and minerals you consume each day. Your immunity to disease critically depends on these nutrients.

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.

Even the American Medical Association agrees that today we do not get optimum quantities of essential vitamins and minerals from food alone. You should also be taking a premium quality multi-vitamin supplement every day.

Look for high amounts of calcium. Calcium is the one key mineral in keeping your body in an alkaline condition.

Now you know the truth. The primary causes of cold sores are a low pH balance, large amounts of stored arginine and a poor immune system with weak antibodies.

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 may be many cold sore triggers, and much more you can do, but without a doubt these are the main causes of cold sores in most people. - 14018

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