How to Stop Cold Sores
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If you’ve ever stayed out in the sun too long or been stressed then felt a tingle on your lip followed rapidly by a painful, fluid-filled blister that eventually dries out leaving a sore that takes time to heal, then you’ve had a cold sore aka fever blister aka herpes simplex virus.

The problem with treating cold sores is that they’re caused by a virus and viruses are notorious for being able to adapt to most anything thrown at them. Yet, even though there is no cure, there are quite a few ways to decrease the viral impact. Here are some methods to help thwart the tricky little buggers:

• First off, don’t stress. The more stressed you get, the more prolific the virus gets.

• Keep your immune system healthy. You’re more susceptible to cold sores when your immune system is down.

• Don’t touch the outbreak or let anyone else touch it either. The virus is contagious to any part of the body, but it needs contact for transmission to occur.

• Try over-the-counter remedies. There are many kinds, including the old standby Carmex, as well as newer products, such as Abreva and Viroxyn. Numerous people have told me Abreva works great for them at first. Some have said the usual fall off happens, where it doesn’t work anymore after awhile. I haven’t heard about Viroxyn as of yet.

• Check in with your doctor. A prescription medication may be appropriate for you.

• Check in with your ND (Naturopathic Doctor). Your ND may have some excellent herbal prescriptions, such as Blue Poppy Herbs Jade Dew Ointment, which is fantastic and seems to keep working over the long term. This product is available over-the-counter in the US but not in Canada. So, if seeing an ND is out of the question, Canadians, just order by mail from the US.

• Drying out the sores can help. Tea tree oil can be quite effective (dilute with apple cider vinegar if full strength is too strong), as can an epsom salt compress. Just make sure not to move the compress around, spreading the virus. Apply once then throw away.

• Try herbs. James Duke, author of The Green Pharmacy gives a number of antiviral herbal remedies worth a try, such as garlic, St. Johnswort, echinacea, mints, and lemon balm.

• Mushrooms. In his book Mycelium Running, Paul Stamets notes that ‘mushrooms are being actively explored by virologists for new sources of antiviral medicines.’ Gypsy (Cortinarius caperatus) and reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) mushrooms have been shown to inhibit herpes simplex 1 and 2 viruses. Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) inhibit herpes simplex 1. Shiitake mushrooms are sold in most grocery stores with an oriental aisle. Reishi mushrooms are sold in many health food or specialty herb stores. You can find both at MountainRoseHerbs.com.

• Eat higher amounts of lysine-containing foods and lower amounts of arginine-containing foods. Studies show the viruses need the amino acid L-arginine to replicate, so by depriving them by eating the amino acid L-lysine instead, you are helping to ‘starve out’ the population.

High-lysine foods include meat (red varieties), milk, cheese, poultry, eggs, nuts (although peanuts and almonds are usually avoided due to their high arginine content), fish (especially sardines), potatoes, brewer’s yeast. Here’s a list of high-arginine foods that you’ll want to avoid: chocolate, gelatins, peanuts, almonds, seeds, wheat.

Extra lysine isn’t for everyone, there are cautions, so read up on it before making changes. More than 1000 mg a day is not recommended because very high doses of l-lysine can cause side effects.

• Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is one of the most effective treatments for cold sores. Lemon balm is an easy-to-grow herb from the mint family that can be taken as a tea and used as a wash. Alternatively, purchase some Melissa essential oil. Dilute it to 1 percent or less before using. This EO can be very expensive, but it also extremely effective over the long term. It works by locking into the very same cell receptors the herpes virus uses when invading cells. No receptor site, no virus invasion.

• Magnesium deficiency...to be further researched!

• Try some less expensive essential oils. They may not be as effective as Melissa, even so, they can still help. Recommended oils include lemon, geranium, lavender, eucalyptus, bergamot, rose, cypress, and tea tree oil. Always buy quality oils (if it’s cheap it’s not pure), read up on the contraindications, and be careful. Essential oils are highly concentrated plant essences that can cause trouble if used incorrectly. You may also want to dilute your blend with apple cider vinegar or hydrosols.

• Look for Melissa or tea tree hydrosols. A hydrosol is a ‘plant water’ that is gentler because it is in a much more dilute form than you’d get from essential oils. Hydrosol sprays are easy to use. Simply apply a fine mist over the problem area. All of the above essential oils and hydrosols can be found at Mountain Rose Herbs.

• Yin Qiao. This Chinese patent herbal medicine is a really effective remedy. In his book Fire in the Valley Bob Flaws, a well-known TCM practitioner, recommends Yin Qiao if the outbreak of cold sores is a result of wind heat attack. Hard to translate into English, as a being exposed to a hot wind is not necessarily the cause, rather, it is most often the quality of energetic change in your acupuncture channels. You may also experience a small fever, sore throat, and thirst. Yin Qiao (lonicera & forsythia tablets) is available from MaxNature.com.

Cold sores are so painful and annoying that people often stay out of the sun altogether, to avoid triggering an outbreak. If this is you, try a few different strategies to figure out what works. There may not be a cure, but every beneficial bit helps. And you may just be able to enjoy the sun again.

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Photo Credit: Julia Freeman-Woolpert
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