According to Robert L. Hendricks Ph.D., Joseph F. Novak professor and vice-chair for research in the Department of Ophthalmology and professor in the Departments of Immunology and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. the immune cells keep the infection under close surveillance, actively holding HSV-1 in check without destroying the neurons harboring it. Sensory neurons may not regenerate, so an immune system attack that destroys them could do more harm than good.

In a paper published in the October 10 issue of Science, teams led by Dr. Hendricks and Paul R. Kinchington, Ph.D., show one way this balancing act is carried out.

Keeping herpes infection in check: Pitt researchers describe immune system strategies

The show is described as a “delicious mix of gardening, cooking, health and beauty”.

It introduces James Wong, an ethno-botanist and gardener, who is passionate about sharing his knowledge of plants to make natural remedies - from readily-available plants in gardens, to hedgerows, meadows and woodland.

Wong makes simple preparations to help soothe a range of common conditions including acne and eczema, anxiety, insomnia, cold sores, and general aches and pains.

Inspired by his grandmother in Malaysia who taught him about the health-giving properties of plants, Wong uses his top class academic knowledge of them to show how easy it is to make creams, lotions, lozenges and more which can help relieve symptoms of complaints.

He will also rustle up a few natural beauty treatments.

Wong said: “Natural remedies are sometimes portrayed as rather wishy washy and ineffective. This series will reveal that many plants contain the same active ingredients as over-the-counter drugs.

“It’s just that, over the years, we’ve lost the knowledge of how to make the most of their health benefits in our daily lives. The fact that many remedies are cheap to make and can be prepared in five minutes at home, makes them all the more appealing and convenient.”

The series covers the potential uses of various flowers, fruit, vegetables, herbs, trees, roots and bulbs commonly found in the UK.

Covering more commonly known uses, such as echinacea to boost the immune system, the series gives insights into less well known uses for plants, such as hops for insomnia, pine as a natural deodorant, and liquorice for coughs.

“Our work provides, for the first time, a molecular understanding of how HSV-1 establishes a life-long latent infection,” said Jennifer.

What this means is that new drugs may be able to be developed that will permanently cure HSV-1 by interrupting the mechanism that triggers dormancy in HSV-1 and killing it with current antiviral medications. Of course there is no guarantee that such an approach will work, but at least the understanding of researchers has been advanced.

Research may lead to cure for cold sores

“This isn’t a recipe for a remedy yet,” said Dean Steven J. Triezenberg, Ph.D., spokesperson for Van Andel Institute and head of the laboratory that published the findings. “Applying turmeric or curry to cold sores won’t have an effect. Once we determine what is happening to block the infections at the cellular level, we’ll be closer to developing a treatment.”

There are two types of herpes simplex virus: HSV-1, which commonly results in facial cold sores or fever blisters, and HSV-2, commonly associated with genital herpes. The VAI findings focused on HSV-1, which affects more than half of Americans.

Original article: http://www.rapidgrowthmedia.com/timnews/cldsore0904.aspx

Before I do that though, I’d like to point out one thing; if you can prevent your body from developing cold sores you’re better off than trying to heal them when they occur. It may seem obvious, but it is worth repeating. They way to go about this, even if you are infected with herpes simplex, is to give your immune system a boost. That means adopting healthy habits such as eating well, exercising and quitting smoking.

When you do have a cold sore outbreak though, it pays to act fast. As soon as you notice the tingling you should prepare for treatment. One highly effective cold sore treatment that many sufferers swear by is the application of ice to the area. This can be done when the blister appears, but you can start treatment when you feel the pre-cold sore tingling.

Holding ice in the area may not make for the most comfortable 30 minutes of your life, but it has been known - according to some advocates at least - that the treatment stop the sore from appearing altogether. It’s difficult to know how true this really is as it relies upon hearsay, but it certainly seems that cold sores treated like this become less severe and therefore easier to deal with and heal. It is likely that cooling the virus after it becomes active slows down replication and so the amount of damage it is able to do to your face is much reduced.

Another treatment you’ll probably find in your kitchen is the humble tea bag. Normally it is held against the cold sore after being moistened, the active ingredient being tannin. However, there is a neat trick I recently heard about which combines the ice and tea treatments in one - moisten the tea bag and then freeze it. When you’re ready for treatment, use it like ice.

With the lack of efficacy of cold sore medicines, there is a huge demand for information on how to treat cold sores naturally. While you can get plenty of information on this website, you should also take a look at Cold Sore Freedom in 3 Days, which is packed with advice on natural cold sore treatments.

There is another answer too, although it is something that tends to alarm sufferers at first; that is, there is no cure for cold sores. The herpes simplex virus that causes cold sores remains with us for life once infected, lying dormant in the nerve cells below the ear for most of the time. It is when the body’s natural defenses are weak that the virus can reawaken to do its damage and so while it is possible to help cure cold sore symptoms, your main focus should preventing outbreaks from occurring.

Studies have shown that a thousand mg supplement of lysine can reduce the occurrence of cold sores, and higher doses can be used to help treat the cold sore symptoms. However, since it is inadvisable to take high doses for long periods of time a lower dose should be returned to when the outbreak has cleared.

It is available by prescription and also used to treat other herpes ailments, such as chicken pox, shingles and genital herpes. Acyclovir is available in tablet form, as well as a cream, liquid and capsules.

It is important to discus your medical history with a medical practitioner before commencing treatment, including drug allergies, other medications you are taking and major health issues in the present or past.

There are a number of side effects typically caused by acyclovir, including dizziness, headache, nausea and diarrhea. Most of the time these are not serious enough to stop medication, but it is advised to avoid driving or using heavy machinery while under treatment.

One of the top supplements used by many for the relief of cold sores is lysine, which can also be found naturally in some foods and taken regularly can help prevent cold sore outbreaks from occurring so frequently. Lysine is also available as a topical cream, although its effectiveness is diminished, as the skin does not easily absorb it.

Other simple but effective cold sore cures include tea tree oil, lemon balm and the humble tea bag. These all help to sooth the cold sore, have the huge advantage of no side effects, and promote the growth of healthy skin.

Garlic is another cold sore cure that can be effective, although you might feel uncomfortable with it due to its pungent odor. Garlic helps with healing and its antiseptic effect helps reduce the possibility of secondary infection which can prevent the sore from healing.

You can find much more information on how to cure a cold sore by browsing the information on this website. We also highly recommend “Cold Sore Freedom” by Grace Melgarejo - click the link below for information on how to get a copy of her excellent book.

If you have found how to cure a cold sore using a natural remedy and would like to share your experiences, please get in contact - we would love to hear from you and help other cold sore sufferers.