What are the main causes of cold sores? In this short article you will discover the most common cold sore sources. What is the secret cause of cold sores for you?

There are many causes of cold sores that you hear about. Stress, illness, injury and winter weather are a few. They are not the actual causes of cold sores however.

They are cold sore triggers. People believe these are causes of cold sores because you will generally get an outbreak soon after you experience one of these triggers.

These triggers will lower your body’s resistance to cold sore attacks.

The herpes simplex virus brings about any cold sore, fever blister or oral herpes event. Normally this virus hides deep in the root cells of your facial nerves.

If the herpes virus activates it moves to the surface quickly. It then infects the nerve cells and begins replicating - destroying those cells in the process.

Because the herpes simplex virus hides in the nerve cells, it can pick up on the slightest change in your physical condition. The triggers mentioned earlier cause these changes.

Here are the three main conditions of your body that will help activate the otherwise dormant cold sore virus. These are the basic causes of cold sores.

1. pH BALANCE TOO LOW.

Your body’s pH has a lot to do with your health. The pH scale is a measure of how acid or alkaline you are. On a scale of 1 to 14, below 7 is acid and above 7 is alkaline. For best health you should be slightly alkaline.

As long as your body is alkaline (above 7pH) you will rarely get a cold sore. Should your pH drop into the acid zone, the herpes virus could easily activate. Of all the causes of cold sores, this is the top one.

Stress causes cold sores because it causes an acid change in your body. Illness, injury and winter weather also can lower your pH level. These triggers cause hormone and protein changes that create an acid environment.

Your diet can also be a cause of cold sores. Carbonated drinks and high intake of beef and pork are popular offenders that will push you into an acid pH. Most vegetables will raise your pH to the alkaline side. Balance your diet.

Without a doubt, a low pH is the main cause of cold sores. The next two are also causes of cold sores. Combining these with a low pH makes you a sure target for another cold sore.

2. IMBALANCE OF LYSINE AND ARGININE.

Arginine is a protein and the main ingredient used for creation of the herpes simplex virus. If no arginine is available, the herpes replication process cannot occur and no cold sore will happen.

Your cells have a special area within the cell to store arginine. Lysine is also stored in the same area. If you take in high levels of lysine, your cells will make room for it by getting rid of some arginine.

Your cells cannot use lysine to create new herpes virus or cause cold sores. The more arginine you replace with lysine, the fewer cold sore outbreaks you will experience.

Most people who use lysine for preventing and healing cold sore eruptions use handy lysine supplements. They are cheap, easy to find and safe.

3. VITAMINS AND MINERALS.

The power of your immune system - and the strength of your antibodies - is dependant on the nutrients you take in. In particular you need proper quantities of minerals and vitamins.

A drop in immune strength makes weak antibodies and causes cold sores. Your best bet for treating and preventing cold sore events is to take in vitamins and minerals from quality food and supplements daily.

Even the American Medical Association agrees that today we do not get optimum quantities of essential vitamins and minerals from food alone. You should also be taking a premium quality multi-vitamin supplement every day.

Especially important is calcium. Cold sore victims are often calcium deficient. Your body uses calcium to help keep your body in an alkaline state.

As you have discovered in this article, the main causes of cold sores are an acid pH, high levels of arginine in your cells and a weak immune system.

Stress of any sort lowers your pH balance to an acid environment. And stress, both physical and mental, will burn up large amount of vitamins thus weakening your immune system.

Keep in mind that all cold sore triggers ultimately lead to these primary causes of cold sores. Eliminate these and you will not get cold sore outbreaks.