Where Do Cold Sores Come From
It’s estimated that around 85 percent of the American population has the virus that causes cold sores, but only 1 in 5 actually develop the cold sore.
The medical term used for “cold sore” is herpes simplex type 1, and you probably guessed it, it’s a virus. Its ugly cousin is the herpes simplex type 2, which appears further south in the genital region. Like any other virus it is contagious when in its active phase.
Generally you get the virus as a child from infected saliva. It can lay dormant for years before you experience your first outbreak. Normally the virus is triggered by a fever or a cold or some other viral infection. Even exposure to the sun or wind can cause an outbreak.
Once you get the virus and experience your first outbreak (which depending on the person can be very uncomfortable and painful) the virus will go into a dormant phase and lay in the nerves just under the skin where the outbreak occurred. Which is why most people have their next outbreak in the same area.
As it lays dormant it is not considered to be contagious. It lays there waiting for the right conditions to appear again.
So How Do You Tell When One Is Coming On?
It’s believed that there are six stages to an outbreak.
Stage One: There are no visible signs, only a tingly feeling, itchiness, or throbbing sensation.
Stage Two: Swelling begins which usually turns red.
Stage Three: Signs of a blister are seen.
Stage Four: The blister erupts and a soft crust forms. This is usually the most painful stage.
Stage Five: A hard crust forms. This stage will usually last up to four days.
Stage Six: The hard crust is gone and your left with a slightly swollen area where the outbreak occurred. This stage usually starts around the tenth day.
Depending on severity, an outbreak can last as long as ten days, give or take a couple days either way.
What To Do During The Active Phase Of An Outbreak
It’s important that you do not share anything with anybody during this time. Do not touch the cold sore and then touch other parts of your body as it can spread just as easily on your own body as it can on someone else.
Eat foods or take supplements that boost your immune system. A strengthened immune system can reduce the chances of having an outbreak.
You can also avoid foods that weaken the immune system like: alcohol, coffee, tea, refined grains, and high amounts of sugar.
You can also avoid as much as possible foods that are high in arginine. Arginine is an amino acid that seems to stimulate the virus. It’s like fuel that feeds the virus when it wants to reproduce itself.
Some foods that are high in arginine are: seeds, nuts, grains, peanut butter, beer, raisins, chocolate, and gelatin.
See Also:
How To Get Rid Of Cold Sores
Getting Rid Of Your Cold Sores
To get rid of your cold sores, you absolutely must be taking
Oil of Oregano.
According to studies done at the Medical Center at Georgetown University, the oregano plants ability to kill various viruses, bacteria, yeasts and other microorganisms was very positive.
In fact Dr. Cass Ingram, a physician and researcher and author of over twelve books including “The Cure is in The Cupboard”, and “Supermarket Remedies” states that studies have shown that Oil of Oregano has the power to kill the virus that causes cold sores.
In fact if you have a cold sore right now he recommends putting a few drops on a cotton swab and apply it directly to your cold sore. It kills the outbreak almost instantly, then you can start taking it internally so it can attack the virus itself.
What Kind Of Oregano Should You Buy
Before you run out and buy the first bottle you see, you need to be aware of imitators. Just the word “oregano” can mean 60 different types of plants. All of them have no similarity to true oregano except for taste. Examples would be the “Thymus Capitus” from Spain, or the “Mexican Sage”, both of which are inferior products, but are still marketed as having the same benefits as true oregano.
To get the benefits of wild oregano oil, the plant can only be grown in certain soil and climate conditions. These conditions are found in the Mediterranean in places like Greece.
Quality oregano oil is known as P-73 (polyphenol 73%). It is this chemical profile that is critical, not the name “oregano”. This is the only formula that has been tested and shown to have anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.
The “oil” of oregano comes from the plants leaves and should only be picked when the plant is at its highest in essential oils. The process of extracting the oil from the leaves must be by cold pressing and steam distillation. Absolutely no chemicals or solvents can be used in the extraction of the oil, so that the oils properties remain in tact and potent.
Most inferior products will make claims of “high carvacrol” content in their oregano. Although carvacrol does play an important role in oregano (as it is a natural biocide), it is not the only indicator of high quality oil. A true oregano plant produces over 50 know-to-date polyphenol substances that all work together to give true oregano oil its potency.
You must also take into account the thymol content. As a rule of thumb you do not want any more than 5% thymol in your oil. Any more than that and the quality of the oil goes down.
So, to recap here is what you need to look for when shopping for oregano oil, make sure:
- That it says “Wild Mediterranean P-73 Oregano Oil”.
- That the leaves of the plant were picked when they were at their highest in essential oils.
- That the oil was extracted using completely natural processes with no chemicals or solvents.
- That there is less than 5% thymol.
Recommendation
If your like most people, your limited on time that you can spend researching suppliers that meet the criteria above, not only in quality but also in price. So to save you time I’ve gone ahead and done it for you. I have found in my opinion, the best supplier of oregano P-73. They meet all the criteria above and quite honestly they far surpass it. In fact they are the oregano experts!
To get the highest quality P-73 oregano oil that has the greatest potential to cure your cold sores, click the link below. You’ll be glad you did!
North American H&S’s Oil Of Oreganol SuperStrength p73 1oz
See Also:
Where Do Cold Sores Come From
Exercise Keeps You Young
There is no doubt about the fact that exercise is one of the best ways to remain young.
Not only will it help to improve your health but it will also help to make you look a lot younger.
By including some resistance training in your exercise regime it will help to tighten and firm the muscles of your body,
including those on your face and this is one of the reasons why you will look younger.
Even 20 minutes of exercise three times a week will do a lot towards helping you look and feel a lot younger.
Exercise improves circulation
Exercise improves circulation and circulation is an important factor in maintaining good skin.
By maintaining a better skin condition you will inherently look a lot younger as poor skin condition is one of the sure signs that you are aging.
The increased circulation that is brought about from exercise raises the temperature of the blood and pushes it towards the surface of the skin.
In doing so it carries more oxygen and nutrients to the skin giving you a healthier glowing complexion.
The additional blood that the exercise will bring to the surface of the skin reduces the degeneration of the skin cells and the breakdown of collagen.
By reducing the degeneration and helping with the production of collagen, exercise slows down the aging of the skin and in particular the
‘bagginess’ and slackness that comes with age.
Doing the correct exercise will also help you to maintain a better posture.
One of the best forms of exercise for helping with your posture is yoga.
Yoga not only helps with the suppleness of your body through stretching the muscles but it also improves your strength and posture as well as helping
you to achieve a better state of mind and relaxation.
All of these benefit your overall health and help to reduce the aging process.
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Getting Your Beauty Sleep
Sleep is essential if you want to stay looking young and beautiful.
You can’t expect to look fresh and vibrant if you suffer from insomnia so here are some tips that might help you address the problem.
- You certainly won’t want to be drinking coffee or alcohol before going to bed as they will both make it difficult for you to fall asleep.
- The foods that you eat from early afternoon until retiring at night can also affect your ability to go to sleep.
- Eating spicy foods or foods that can cause gas or wind will make it more difficult for you to nod off at night.
- Food or drinks that are high in sugar can get you agitated and make sleeping a lot more difficult.
- The best bet is to eat your evening meal as early as possible so you have time to digest the food before going to bed.
- Try to wind down before going to bed by reading a book or doing something that you find relaxing, and certainly don’t do anything that will stimulate your mind.
- Try to make your bedroom a peaceful place by getting rid of any electronic gadgets that can emit harmful radiation and disturb your sleep patterns.
- Have a glass of water before going to sleep as this will help you to remain hydrated. If you become dehydrated this can increase your pulse rate and this leads to anxiety that can disturb you and make it more difficult to sleep.
- Try to get to bed at the same time every night so you get in the pattern of good sleep, and always try to make sure that you get to sleep before midnight.
- Have a glass of water handy so that if you do wake up in the night you can have a sip and help to remain hydrated which will give you a lot more energy when you wake up in the morning.
See Also:
How To Get Rid Of Cold Sores