Herpes Shingles 

Embarrassed By Cold Sores? You Can Stop Them!

Author: Janet Malley

Bad enough to be a teenager-zits, wanting to fit in, the transition from child to adult. But cold sores? Now that\'s just cruel. What if I told you they can be prevented. Really.

Also referred to as fever blisters, cold sores are disgusting, would you agree? Since I was a kid, I used to get them all the time, and what led to my becoming a natural healing consultant. I\'ll let you know what I\'ve observed over many years with cold sore sufferers, truly effective, safe solutions to, at the least, reduce the severity and healing time, and more than likely, prevent the outbreak-completely.

Cold sores are extremely embarrassing. As a teenager, no one feels it more than you. It\'s not easy to go to school or elsewhere and try to be invisible.

So, out of the blue, you\'re noticing a little sensation on your lip. Kinda itchy, or tingling, or numb. Dread sets in. You know the next two weeks will be all about ugly.

You\'re probably all too familiar with its MO; the early warning symptom followed by a tender, swollen bump for a couple of days until it transitions to a cluster of blisters. The blisters eventually burst open and seep. Days later, those scabs that have formed are beginning to look pretty good. Interesting how everything is relative. Then, just about two weeks later, all is healed. Until the next time.

The Herpes Simplex Virus 1 is the cause of a cold sore, and it\'s contagious when there\'s an active infection. This virus is more common than you would think. Well over half the world\'s population carries it.

It\'s pointless to try to figure out who you caught it from. All it takes is one person with an active infection who may have kissed you when you were a baby, or anytime since, sharing some food using the same fork or spoon.

The virus is easily transmitted by direct contact with a lesion or the body fluid of an infected individual, and can lay dormant in the body for years before an infection is triggered when the strength of your immune system is lower than normal.

The trigger is commonly caused by stress and fatigue (ever have that?), or being in the sun or wind too long.

Menstruation is another common trigger, but also, experiencing pain in the mouth area from some kind of injury or a dental procedure.

If you knew of a non-toxic solution that would prevent a cold sore or stop a new one from getting worse, that was equally or more effective than a drug store remedy or an expensive pharmaceutical drug with potential side effects, would you choose that? Would that be a yes? Try one of the recommendations below that resonates best for you.

The first recommendation is the amino acid called lysine. You\'ve probably heard about it already, but if you haven\'t tried it, you should. Most lysine users find this an effective way to prevent the outbreak, or stop it if it has already started. It should be taken daily on an empty stomach whether you have an infection or not, 1500 mg each day. If you still feel a cold sore coming on, increase the dosage to 3,000 mg a day until the threat is over.

Garlic, an anti-viral agent, is also effective for cold sore prevention and treatment. Although you can eat it daily, most teens would find it more convenient (and socially acceptable) to make taking a garlic supplement part of their daily regimen.

You can\'t get more natural than lemon slices. Place one on the area where the early symptom is occurring, and replace with a fresh slice once every fifteen to twenty minutes for an hour or so. Don\'t place it on an open blister because it will sting like crazy. Because the early symptom can occur when there are no lemons available, you should have one of the other suggestions here as a back-up.

Cold Sores Begone is a topical remedy that uses lemon balm, a highly effective anti-viral herb. It aborts the infection before the sore has a chance to show itself if it\'s applied at the first early symptom. It has quite the cult following. It\'s a great alternative to daily supplements, if you prefer that, and the pocket size bottle is a plus so you\'re always armed and ready.

You know that not one thing works for everyone, right? It\'s due to each person\'s unique chemical make-up. If one of these cold sore preventatives don\'t work for you, try another. Above all, the most important factor is to keep your immune system strong, so even if it\'s not as fun as the alternative, get adequate sleep, and Google ways to handle your stress. Your self-esteem is counting on you.

Garlic and lysine supplements are readily available at all health food stores and online nutrition retailers.

There are many good ones out there, one of which is www.vitaminshoppe.com. Cold Sores Begone is available at www.csbegone.com.

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