Guide to Preventing Cold Sores

Need home remedies for preventing fever blisters – those unsightly, painful blisters caused by the oral herpes virus? Head to the kitchen! From following a diet low in arginine to eating anti-herpes foods such as red marine algae and lettuce, the scope of natural remedies for fever blister outbreaks is wide and varied. Here, you will find extensive nutritional advice and tips on how to prevent fever blisters naturally.

Fever blisters (also known as cold sores, oral herpes, and herpes labialis) are one of the most common disorders of the mouth, causing great discomfort to millions of people around the world. Fever blisters are small ulcers or sores that occur outside the mouth, typically on the lips, but they can also develop on the chin or inside the nostrils if the herpes virus spreads from the lips. Cold sores can occur as a single blister or they can arrive in clusters. They are usually preceded by a prodrome (an early warning symptom), such as a tingling or burning sensation where the blister is going to form.

Fever blisters are caused by the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), which is highly contagious when the virus is active (that is, when blisters are present). Fever blisters or cold sores should not be confused with canker sores which are non-contagious and which occur inside the mouth — under or on the tongue, inside the cheeks or lips, or at the base of the gums.

In most cases, fever blisters disappear naturally within a few weeks. There are also a number of topical treatments available that can accelerate the healing process or even prevent the outbreak, if applied early enough. However, there is no cure for herpes: once you have the virus, it will stay in your body. In between the outbreaks, the virus lies dormant in nerve cells.

If you are prone to getting fever blisters, you may benefit from following an anti-herpes diet consisting of foods that are naturally rich in fever blister preventing nutrients. To learn all about dietary habits, nutrients and foods that can help prevent recurrent herpes outbreaks on your lips, check out the diet, food and recipe sections of this Guide to Preventing Cold Sores:

The Anti-Cold Sore Diet: 5 Tips for Preventing Outbreaks

In this section, you will learn how to tweak your diet to make your body more resistant to the herpes virus. You will learn, for instance, how a diet rich in vitamin C, zinc, and lysine can be used as a natural preventive treatment for fever blisters.

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Foods That Help Prevent and Heal Cold Sores

In this section, you will learn how certain foods and drinks – such as red marine algae, lemon balm tea, celery, and white tea – can help prevent outbreaks of the oral herpes virus. Add these wonderful anti-herpes foods to your diet plan, and say goodbye to those annoying fever blisters!

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Healthy Recipes for Preventing Cold Sores

Treat your tastebuds to apple and raspberry crumble which is loaded with the herpes-fighting flavonoid quercetin! Or have a bowl of muesli with grapes – red grapes contain resveratrol, a natural compound that has been shown to be active against the herpes simplex virus. To view the recipes for these dishes and other dishes designed to boost your body's natural ability to prevent fever blisters, click on the link below.

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