Natural Treatments for Cold Sores

If you are or your kids is a regular cold sore sufferer, the first thing that you should do is avoid foods that are too acidic or salty. Furthermore, foods such as chocolate, peanuts, grains, oatmeal and whole-wheat may be good for you in some ways but if you are a cold sore sufferer, these foods can exacerbate your condition because they are high in arginine.
Arginine is an essential amino acid but there is evidence that having too much of this particular amino is in conflict with lysine, another essential amino acid which helps fight against herpes simplex. Hence, cutting down on argenine-rich foods allows lysine to do its work more efficiently.
You should also increase the amount of foods that are rich in vitamins A, C and E that you consume as these vitamins help fight herpes, with a recommended dose of at least 5000 mg of vitamin C a day being highly desirable. You should also increase the amount of iron and (particularly) zinc that you ingest every day as it is believed that these trace minerals also help to keep the herpes virus under control.
Basically, what you need to do is increase your general ‘wellness' levels because although it is not known exactly why the dormant herpes simplex virus generates cold sores every now and then, it is obvious that there must be some reason why this happens. It is also not unreasonable to assume that the stronger and healthier you are, the less likely it is to happen, so improving the overall quality of your diet might be all that you need to do to keep cold sores at bay.
Another health giving food that is widely recommended is garlic as it contains allicin which is one of the strongest natural antibacterials known to man. It is however best if garlic is taken either raw or in the form of garlic capsules because if it is cooked, a degree of the goodness is lost.
Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is also highly advisable, with organic produce being the best because of the high level of natural nutrients contained in produce of this nature.
Lysine can be obtained from many foods such as milk, eggs, red meat, brewer's yeast, wheat germ and fish, so one step in the right direction would be to increase the amount of these foods that you consume.
Even so, there may be times when you should boost your herpes resistance with lysine supplements as evidence indicates that thinking 1000mg of lysine three times a day reduces cold sore healing time by a considerable margin.

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Does That Mild Burn Need Treatment?

When it comes to the necessity of seeking treatment for burns, it is generally accepted that it is not necessary to be treated for first degree burns as natural home remedies will usually be more than enough to deal with the problem.
However, the situation with second and particularly third degree burns will often be very different, although again, there are differences to take into consideration. For example, whilst it may not always be necessary to seek treatment for second degree burns, the risk of permanent scarring could possibly be minimized by seeking medical treatment for burns of this nature.
The first thing to look for is whether the burn exhibits the characteristics of third degree or a full thickness burn. For example, if the burned area is white or charred, has a leather-like consistency or is dry and relatively painless, then it is likely that you have a third-degree burn that needs medical attention.
Remember also that minor burns can mature into more serious injuries as well, so it cannot be assumed that a minor burn is not going to become a major problem. You should therefore keep a constant watch on any burn injury that you sustain so that you can ascertain whether the injury ultimately becomes one that needs medical attention, even if it did not merit it at the beginning.
Even if the burn is clearly more of second degree injury as opposed to the more serious kind, the size of the wound is relevant to whether it is necessary to seek attention. In this scenario, most medical experts would recommend that if the burn covers an area that is more than twice the size of your palm, you should report the injury to your doctor.
Furthermore, irrespective of the size of the wound, if you suffer a second degree burn on your face, ears, near eyes, on your hands, feet or genitals, you should get the injury assessed by a medical attention. The same rule applies if the burned area is on a major joint as well, regardless of the size of the injured area.
Finally, it is an unfortunate fact that all burns are painful, irrespective of the degree or size of the injury. As suggested previously, it is very unusual to need to seek medical attention for first degree burns, but if the pain caused by it becomes unbearable, you might choose to seek medical attention to get something to deal with the pain.

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