What Causes Cold Sores – How A Cold Sore Forms

Do you want to know what causes cold sores? The answers may surprise you. Read this excellent article to uncover what causes cold sores for you.

The short answer to what causes cold sores is the herpes simplex virus.

35% of those infected never get a cold sore. For the other 65% of us, repeated outbreaks are common.

If the conditions are right, the herpes simplex virus becomes active and quickly moves up the nerve to the surface. To replicate, each virus particle enters a cell and forces the cell to create clones.

Once the cells are full of new virus, they burst open and the virus spills out. The annihilation of all these cells creates the ulcer-like wound.

Yes – the herpes simplex virus is the common cause of all cold sores. But, if you want to prevent them, you must know what causes cold sores in some infected folks but not others.

Here are the three primary triggers that create the right conditions for the replication of the herpes simplex virus and the cold sore result.

1. YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM IS TOO WEAK.

High cold sore immunity depends on strong antibodies. These are the soldiers your body creates to protect your cells. Building effective antibodies requires specific nutrients.

The vigor of your antibodies is directly related to your vitamin and mineral intake – from food and supplements.

Cold sores are a warning your immune system is not strong enough to protect you properly. Eat more raw vegetables for the high quality nutrients needed to strengthen your immunity.

You also would be wise to start taking vitamin supplements every day. This may be all you need to do to heal and prevent cold sore misery. But avoid worthless bargain vitamins.

If you do not buy a high quality vitamin supplement, you will not get good results. You want high vitamin B and C content. These vitamins help reduce stress.

2. HIGH ARGININE TO LYSINE RATIO.

There is much news about arginine and lysine in relation to cold sore herpes activity. They are common amino acids important for good health.

Arginine is the protein needed to create new herpes simplex virus. If arginine is scarce, the cell cannot create virus clones – and no cold sore will appear.

Lysine is a protein that cannot be used to create herpes simplex virus. Your cells store both amino acids in the same storage area. Because of limited space, more of one means less of the other.

Saturating your cells with lysine will reduce the stored arginine. Eating high lysine food, such as dairy, works but lysine capsules are easy, cheap and effective cold sore prevention.

3. YOUR pH LEVEL IS ACID.

You are at peak health when your pH level is alkaline. The pH scale measures 1 through 14 with 7 being neutral. Above 7 is alkaline and below 7 is acid.

Your body strives to stay above 7. Any drop below 7 will encourage the herpes simplex virus to activate and create another cold sore.

Acid pH means lower oxygen levels and weak resistance to pathogens. Contributing factors that can cause your body to be acid include soda, sugar, white flour and tobacco.

Also, winter weather causes acid pH levels. Cold air, less outdoor exercise and lower availability and intake of fresh vegetables all contribute to an acid body.

Keeping your pH level in the alkaline range is easy. Eat calcium-rich green vegetables, preferably cabbage and asparagus. Health stores have alkaline-raising kits that work very well too.

If you want to know what causes cold sores, there is much more we could talk about if we had the time and space here.

These are the three basic causes, however, that will help you determine what causes cold sores in your life – and help to eliminate them completely.