Hey, guys.
Dr. Josh Axe here, doctor of natural medicine founder, draxe.com.
In this video I'll be talking about what a cold sore is and then natural remedies and
treatments to get rid of cold sores for good.
If you ever had a cold sore, they can be painful and also, they are highly contagious.
And I'll be talking about the natural anti-viral supplements, foods, and nutrients that can
help you get rid of a cold score fast in this video.
So let's dive right in and talk about, what is a cold sore?
Well, here is something you need to know.
Forty percent of Americans get cold sores repeatedly, somewhat on a regular basis.
So this is very, very common.
Ninety percent of people get at least one cold sore in their lifetime.
Now, until that area, that cold sore is scabbed or crusted, it is highly contagious.
You don't want people drinking after you, or if you have someone love, you don't want
to be drinking after them, kissing them, or doing anything to where you're exposed to
that highly contagious virus on that area.
Most commonly seen really on the outside of the lips, sometimes around even the cheek
area.
Usually it lasts about 7-10 days and it's commonly confused with a canker sore, but
it's not.
A canker sore is more of an ulcer.
Now, here are the causes.
Type 1 herpes simplex virus.
Okay.
So, the biggest thing to know about it, is it's viral.
So anti-bacterial things don't work on it.
If you're going to do something, you've got to strengthen your body's own immune to kill
that virus itself.
In addition, doing different herbs and supplements that are anti-viral in their benefit.
Some things to know.
Causes of getting this can include kissing, sharing cups or utensils, or even sharing
lipsticks or a toothbrush with somebody who has that virus on their lips.
Here is what it says about someone's health.
Number one, and this is by far number one, too much stress.
If somebody is under a lot of emotional stress, it can really cause a virus to come out.
And I'll give you an example of this.
It's not just herpes simplex virus with the cold sore.
And it's not always just a virus, it can be other types of bacteria or fungi.
Lyme disease is something is an example of somebody that's under a lot of stress.
Lyme can really sort of overtake their body, herpes simplex here in this case.
Another example is Epstein-Barr virus.
If somebody is having a lot of fatigue and worn down, that virus really can sort of over-take
your body when your body gets weak, and emotional stress will do that.
Again, number one thing that will cause herpes simplex virus in cold sores is too much stress.
Number two here, really excess exposure to sunlight.
If you get way too much sunlight and you're getting burned on that area around your lips
and face a lot, that can contribute, definitely not a main cause though.
Number three, a weakened immune system.
This is the second biggest thing along with stress, is weakened immunity.
If your immune system is just really worn down, your body can't fight off viruses.
Here is the thing to know.
All of us have different viruses in our body, even right now we have parasites, we have
virus, bad bacteria.
We are created to have those within us.
That's normal.
But it's when our bodies get too weak to fight it off that we really get sick.
So again, a lot of times people say, "Well, I need to go and treat this herpes simplex
virus."
You don't need to treat it.
Listen, your body heals itself.
Your body will kill it.
You just need to work on supporting your body and strengthening your body to not get cold
sores.
Hormone fluctuations can contribute, as can fatigue there as well.
Not getting enough sleep, in addition to stress, definitely some big things that can cause
cold sores.
So let's talk about natural cold sore treatments, remedies, and supplements.
Number one, eat immune-boosting foods.
Now, immune-boosting foods are going to be lots of vegetables fruits and especially herbs.
And medicinal mushrooms in ancient Chinese medicine were often used to strengthen the
immune system, shitake, reishi mushrooms, maitake.
So doing like a mushroom in a broth soup.
So think about chicken broth.
When somebody got sick in ancient China, they would consume chicken broth with lots of vegies
along with, they would do like a ginger tea.
Right, okay?
So that's what they would do that it boosted the immune system.
We know garlic and onions are very supportive of the immune system.
The herb ginger.
We know, again, chicken broth as I mentioned, but lots of vegetables especially some citrus
fruits like lemon.
Those things are all going to help strengthen the immune system and help you kill off this
cold sore.
Number two, supplement with vitamin E. Vitamin E has really great properties for supporting
healthy levels of inflammation.
It's great.
It has some anti-viral properties, so you can supplement with vitamin E. Supplementing
with vitamin C. Vitamin C is a natural immune booster.
Again, bell peppers are great.
Papaya, very high in vitamin C. Kiwi, strawberries, broccoli, all vitamin C rich foods.
Of course, orange is another citrus fruit there as well.
Boost your zinc intake.
Now, zinc is going to be found in high levels in things like pumpkin seeds there, but you
may consider taking a zinc supplement if you've come down with a cold sore, typically about
30-60, probably 30 milligrams twice a day of zinc for about 30 days if you're having
that issue.
Take L-lysine.
L-lysine is an amino acid that really supports and strengthens the immune system.
And really, it's going to support your body in killing off that virus.
So doing L-lysine as a supplement daily can also be greatly beneficial.
And then again, using some natural sunscreen.
And what I recommend is mixing up some coconut oil, add in some lavender oil, myrrh essential
oil, pomegranate oil, but making your own sunscreen, or using a really good brand of
sunscreen.
And again, just not getting over-exposure to skin.
Now listen, actually getting about 30 minutes a day of direct sunlight, getting a little
vitamin D can actually help boost your immune system, but you don't want to get burned.
Getting burnt actually taxes your body and that can actually increase your risk of cold
sores.
So again, getting a little sun is good, too much sun is bad.
Here are some other natural treatments to use topically.
Number one, aloe vera juice.
Now, aloe vera juice is good for any type of ulcer or any type of cold sore, burn.
It's good for healing in areas, so apply aloe vera gel.
Use peppermint essential oil.
Peppermint oil has anti-viral properties and has a numbing agent called menthol that's
in the essential oil.
Applying vanilla oil or extract can be a good option.
Drink Echinacea tea.
Now, Echinacea is a potent immune booster and has anti-viral properties.
In fact, one of the number one treatment is drinking the Echinacea tea, but then taking
the tea bag you just cooked and actually using it as a compress on the area for about two
to five minutes can be greatly beneficial as well.
And then ice the area if you're having pain there as well as sort of a natural way to
numb the area.
So listen, cold sores, here's the thing you got to know.
Number one, be proactive.
If you're a person you know you're not getting enough sleep, you've got a lot of emotional
stress and your diet isn't good, hey, let's fix those problems.
Get more sleep, schedule some things in your week that just help you relieve and reduce
stress.
Maybe get a massage or just go for a walk in nature.
Here is another great thing.
Take a hot bath with Epsom salts and lavender oil.
Do things to unwind and reduce stress.
Again, clean up your diet with immune boosting foods and make sure to get the nutrients,
especially zinc, vitamin C and L-lysine in your diet.
If you do that, it's really going to help you fight cold sores and get rid of them very
quickly.
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Hi.
Dr. Axe here.
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