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Choosing the Best Natural Remedy for Cold
Sores
Cold sores, which are also sometimes called oral herpes, are
fluid-filled blisters that can occur on the lips, gums or even
on the roof of a mouth. Although they usually clear up on there
own in about seven to ten days, some people want a way to
hasten the healing.
Besides the prescriptions medication available from the doctor,
there are a number of different types of natural remedy for
cold sores. Below is a brief summary of the different types of
home remedies that a person could try to speed up the healing
of a cold sore.
Lysine
Lysine is considered by many in the medical profession to be an
"essential" amino acid, meaning that it must be obtained
through food or supplements because it can't be produced by the
body alone. In addition to helping create protein, it has also
been shown to inhibit the spread of the herpes simplex virus,
which has been known to cause cold sores.
Lysine can usually be obtain through various food sources such
as red meat, milk, eggs, cheese and wheat. Therefore, some
would say that if you want to decrease the chance of spreading
your cold sores to others, try to ingest foods that are rich in
lysine.
Lemon Balm
Another natural remedy for cold sores is lemon balm. This herb,
also known by its Latin name of Melissa officinalis, has been
shown to have antiviral properties. In fact, a research study
conducted in hospitals and dermatology clinics located in
Germany, indicated that lemon balm cream promoted the healing
of blisters in five days instead of the usual ten days. It has
also been indicated that lemon balm can actually reduce the
frequency of recurrences if used on a regular basis.
Reishi
If you’re a fan of mushrooms, and have a respect for the Asian
medicinal heritage, another natural remedy for cold sores that
you might want to consider is that of Reishi. This is a type of
mushroom that has a long history of use in traditional Asian
medicine to strengthen the immune system. And with good reason;
Reishi has bee found to inhibit the spread of the herpes
virus.
A typical effective dose is approximately 600 mg a day. In
addition, it is available both in powder or supplement form,
making it a convenient choice. A word of caution though; this
particular natural remedy for cold sores can delay blood
clotting, so be sure to talk to your doctor if you take
aspirin, or any other medication that may interfere with
clotting.
Some Advice Concerning Natural Remedies
In all cases of natural remedies, including a natural remedy
for cold sores, there are a number of things you must remember.
The first and foremost is that these remedies do affect your
body, and you can have adverse reactions to them. Any and all
natural remedies should be taken under the supervision of an
alternative medicine practitioner or a doctor that is familiar
with the possible interactions. If you decide to use one of
these as a natural remedy for cold sores, be sure to include
your doctor in the loop, and let him or her know what you are
doing. They may decide to change your medicines
accordingly.
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