What are the causes of cold sores? This article will tell you quickly. You will learn the main reasons for a cold sore. You will quickly identify the causes of cold sores for yourself.

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.

We call these cold sore triggers. Folks claim these are causes of cold sores because you often get a cold sore along with them.

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

Basically, every cold sore, oral herpes or fever blister ulcer is caused by the herpes simplex virus - type 1 or type 2. It hides in your nerve root cells.

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 basic causes of cold sores. These are the right conditions that the herpes virus needs to activate and replicate.

1. LOW pH.

The acid or alkaline state of your body is its pH balance. The pH scale runs from 1 through 14 - below 7 is acid and above 7 is alkaline. Your optimal pH is 7.35, which is slightly alkaline.

You usually will not get any cold sore as long as you stay above 7 pH. If your pH drops below 7 you are becoming acid. Oxygen in your cells drop and you are inviting a cold sore outbreak. This is one of the main causes of cold sores.

Stress lowers your pH levels toward the acid side. This is why they say stress causes cold sores. Fevers, cold weather and sun exposure also can cause your body to become acid - and are also considered causes of cold sores.

What you eat also causes cold sores for you. Coffee, soda and beer will acidify your body. So does sugar, pork and white flour. Most vegetables help keep your body alkaline. The key here is to balance your diet.

Of all the causes of cold sores, an acid pH is top of the list. The next two are also key players in creating a cold sore.

2. AMINO ACIDS 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 nerve cells store arginine in a specific area. Lysine shares this storage area. Flooding your cells with lysine forces the cell to push arginine out to make room for the extra lysine.

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.

Lysine capsules are a cheap and convenient way to get the quantities of lysine needed for your cold sore healing and prevention.

3. THE POWER OF MULTI-VITAMINS.

The strength of your immune system, and the anti-body soldiers, is dependent on several factors. The most important of which is proper quantities of vitamins and minerals.

A feeble immune system causes cold sores. It would be wise, especially if you get frequent cold sore outbreaks, to get a good supply of vitamins and minerals from food and supplement every day.

There are only about half the nutrients in today's food as there was in 1950. For optimum health, be sure to take a high quality multivitamin daily along with a good balanced diet.

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.

When you experience any stress, your body will tend toward the acid side. It also makes your immune system much weaker by consuming massive amounts of critical vitamins and minerals.

There is more you should know but hopefully, this article has helped you discover, and eliminate, the main causes of cold sores in your life.