Cold Sores, or Herpes Simplex Virus 1(HSV1), affect over 200 million Americans. The virus is very contagious and most of us have already contracted the virus by age 7. Some of the fortunate few go through life with the virus and it never surfaces. Most others, however, are less fortunate, suffering the effects of cold sores throughout their lives. And as you probably already know, there is no cure for the virus. Once you have it, you have it for life.

Cold sores are unsightly, painful, and create a lot of anxiety for many people who become embarrassed and self conscious whenever they have cold sores.

To minimize the effect the virus has on our lives, there are two basic approaches everyone should take to combat this virus:

1. Minimize its recurrence - By knowing what is likely to trigger cold sores we can take appropriate steps to try and minimize outbreaks. Still, sometimes they occur without warning.
2. Effectively treat an outbreak to get rid of it as fast as possible - Knowing what typically works and what doesn't will help us reduce the amount of time an outbreak lasts by up to 50%.

Although most research regarding cold sores is inconclusive, generally it is felt that anything that compromises the immune system may allow the virus to become active and lead to an outbreak. Thus, colds, fevers, stress, menstruation, or any illness, all which put pressure on the immune system, are often associated with the outbreak of a cold sore. The only exception to this would seem to be exposure to the sun, which also seems to trigger the virus.

Diet may also play a part in contributing to cold sore outbreaks. Some research has found that the ratio of amino acids arginine and lysine plays an important part in controlling, but not curing, cold sores. Arginine aids the growth and reproduction of the herpes virus, while lysine inhibits it. Foods high in Arginine, such as chocolate, peanuts and other nuts, grains, peas, seeds, oatmeal and whole-wheat products should be cut out or reduced from the diet. On the other hand, food high in lysine, such as brewers yeast, legumes, dairy, fish, and meat should be increased.

Getting Rid of a Cold Sore

There are three basic ways to combat cold sores once they occur:

1. Topical treatments -such as topical creams and ointments, often do not penetrate the cell membranes and may therefore aggravate the outbreak as well as prolong the healing process. Experts strongly advise against the any kind of topical cortisone-type cream to treat Herpes as this can suppress the local immunity and may worsen your herpes outbreaks significantly.
2. Prescription Treatments - Certain prescription products, such as Viroxyn, Denavir, Abreva (no prescription needed) and Zovirax, all of which are topical treatments, claim they can help reduce the pain and speed the healing time by up to 50% (from 7-14 days to 5-10 days). The treatments can cost anywhere from $15 to $60 per treatment.
3. Natural Remedies - The total number of natural remedies are too numerous to list and there is little research to support any of the healing claims. However, medical research in England has found that many people with cold sores were low in B12, and that by adding 250 mcg. of B12 the condition improved rapidly. Also, many people have reported that taking the amino acid L-lysine has prevented or lessened the duration of their cold sores.

By taking better care of yourself you can help your body defend against the virus, reducing the possibility of an occurrence. Good rest, exercise and fresh fruit and vegetable juices will assist in strengthening the immune system (your body's natural defense system against viruses, such as herpes).