Cold sores is a very contagious infection and the more you know how you can prevent it the better. This infection is caused by a Herpes Simplex Virus type I (HSV-I) and it can take up to 20 days from the day it gets into your body until the day it comes out as a cold sore or a fever blister. Remember the peck or kiss you received from your aunt or relative when you were five years? that's probably the time the herpes virus got into your body.
There are several ways in which you can prevent cold sores. The first would be to avoid being kissed by someone who already has the infection. Sharing of things like utensils, facial towels, lip balm is not recommended as you can very easily pick the virus from them. Make sure that you wash or disinfect your hands after touching the infected area.
Adding vitamin supplements to your daily diet can go along way in preventing cold sores. This helps to boost your immune system, giving your body greater resistance to viral infections. The minerals contained in the supplements such as calcium, zinc and magnesium helps keep your body more alkaline which is important for stress conditions that normally turn your body into acid. The herpes virus cannot survive in any alkaline environment.
The herpes virus is usually triggered by either of the following; stress, fatigue, hormonal changes especially in women, exposure to excessive sunlight etc. It is therefore important to know what exactly triggers yours so that you can avoid it. Applying sunscreen on your lips when going out to excessive sunlight can help prevent cold sores.
