Feeling a little run down and catching a cold? One very common prelude to the common cold is the appearance of a cold sore. Often before I catch a cold I get this itchy tingling sensation around my lips and I know right away that I will be getting a cold sore.
What is the culprit behind cold sores?
Cold sores are caused by the virus Herpes Simplex 1 or HPV 1. You get it by contracting it from a person who already has the virus. Although it remains dormant for most of the time, it can be triggered by some situations.
What are the triggers of cold sores?
Some well-known triggers of cold sores are: lowered immunity, onset of colds especially if you develop fever, sunlight, fatigue, stress, lip injury that can be caused by chapped dry lips and hormonal changes in women.
7 Ways to Support Your body to Heal Cold Sores
Sleep the night away
by resting longer and sleeping the required amount of time (7-8 hours for adults) you are helping your system heal faster and recover not only from cold sores but also from colds and flu.
Eat right
eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, especially those that are rich in Lysine, can aid in your recovery. Many studies have shown that Lysine is particularly helpful in fighting cold sores. Examples of foods that are rich in Lysine are: dairy products, potatoes, legumes (beans and lentils), nuts, eggs, soybeans and meat.
Keep active
Exercise and lots of it can help you bounce back. A simple walk around the block or try yoga and pilates they help stretch muscles and combat stress.
Take supplements
Although we want to get as much nutrients from eating whole foods, more often than not it is impossible to achieve this. So it won’t hurt and will definitely help if we don’t forget to take our multivitamins. Vitamin C and E are particularly helpful for the skin whilst zinc aids in boosting immunity.
Take plenty of water
As we are told and this never fails, water is the number one cleanser of the body. By regularly taking plenty of water, it cleanses the body of toxins and keeps our skin healthy and glowing.
Moisturize your lips
Dry chapped lips are very much evident during cold months. And this condition can invite all sorts of germs. So keeping our lips supple and soft can ward off any infections that may want to invade our lips.
Separate personal belongings
Cross contamination with other household members can slow down the healing process because there is a big possibility that you will be re-infected. By keeping your towels and face clothes all to yourself will prevent the spread of the virus.
By keeping ourselves healthy and strong, we can help our body to prevent cold sores. As the old adage says “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
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