If you are prone to cold sores, you will be familiar with the dreaded tingling feeling on your mouth or nose that signifies the onset of a new cold sore. These unsightly and painful blisters can not only be embarrassing but seem to take forever to disappear. Cold sores often appear as an unwanted signal that your immune system is run down, due to illness, fatigue, or stress.
Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV). Unfortunately, once you’ve contracted this virus, it remains in your system for life. After initial infection, the virus travels to nearby nerve cells where it lies dormant, sometimes for long periods of time. When the virus is triggered, it begins replicating again, causing a new cold sore to appear. As the weather cools down and the winter season approaches the occurrence of cold sores tends to increase. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to reduce the possibility of these outbreaks occurring.
1. Support your immune system
Certain nutrients and herbs that may help support your immune system include:
- Vitamin C is necessary for both immune system health and wound healing, and is required by the body in increased quantities during times of infection and stress. Taking vitamin C supplements from the first tingling that heralds a cold sore’s onset may help to reduce the amount of time it takes the lesion to heal. (Ideally, choose a vitamin C supplement that also contains bioflavonoids).
- Zinc is an essential mineral that helps maintain healthy immune system function. Similar to vitamin C, zinc also supports skin health as it plays a role in maintaining skin integrity and supporting wound healing.
- Probiotics including some strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium help promote a healthy balance of microflora in the gut and improved conditions for sustaining a healthy microbiome and immune system.
- Garlic: is traditionally used in Western herbal medicine to relieve symptoms of the common cold which may be a trigger for cold sore activation.
- Echinacea purpurea and Andrographis paniculata: have traditionally been used in Western Herbal medicine to support healthy immune system function.
2. Manage your stress levels
As cold sore outbreaks are more likely to occur when you’re under pressure, it’s important to support your nervous system and manage your stress levels. Herbs and nutrients that may assist include:
- B-group vitamins: provide essential support during periods of increased physical and mental stress.
- Magnesium: is an important macro mineral that plays a role in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body including supporting nervous system function.
- Adaptogenic herbs:
- Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), an Ayurvedic herb that has been Traditionally used in Western herbal medicine to help the body adapt to stress and relieve the symptoms of stress and mild anxiety.
- Rhodiola rosea helps to support mental function and relieve the symptoms of stress and mild anxiety and is traditionally used in Western herbal medicine to help the body adapt to stress.
Lifestyle interventions including regular exercise and mindfulness practices such as yoga, meditation and breathwork can also help manage stress levels.
3. REST
Sleep is crucial for your body to rest and repair itself. Quality sleep of 7-9 hours is recommended for most people to maintain optimal health.
It is important to acknowledge that the physical rest we enjoy from sleep is not the only type of rest we need. Rest from technological devices and other stressful stimuli or physical activity is also important to allow our body to recharge and reduce our daily stress levels. Try to find some moments each day to put your phone away and make time to read a book, sit outside in the sunshine, enjoy a cup of tea or listen to some relaxing music to help you mentally unwind from the busy pace of your daily life.
4. Lysine vs arginine balance
There are certain amino acids consumed as part of our diet that are thought to play a role in both the promotion and reduction of the symptoms of facial cold sores. The essential amino acid, lysine is known for its positive function within the immune system, specifically for preventing and reducing the appearance of facial cold sores. As an essential amino acid, lysine is not produced by the body itself, and must be obtained in our diets from lysine-rich foods such as;
- Chicken
- Beef
- Parmesan cheese
- Tofu
- Apricots
- Quinoa
The cold sore virus requires the amino acid arginine to replicate itself, so reducing your consumption of foods rich in arginine may help to prevent cold sore outbreaks. Arginine-rich foods to reduce include;
- Carob
- Chocolate
- Coconut
- Peanuts
- Almonds
- pumpkin seeds
- Wheat (including white flour and wheat germ).
By having a balance of more lysine-rich vs arginine-rich foods in your diet may help to reduce the occurrence and symptoms of facial cold sores.
5. Avoid environmental triggers
Other known triggers for cold sores include overexposure to wind, sun, or extreme temperatures. If you are spending time outdoors protect yourself as much as possible from the elements by wearing a hat, sunscreen, and appropriate clothing.
