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Herpes simplex virus (HSV), which leads to "cold sores", is a recurrent viral infection that is caused by Herpes virus hominis (HVH), a most widespread infectious agent. Attempts at controlling this infectious disease as well as latent infections associated with herpes viruses is an area presently being actively explored.
Research being performed at universities, alternative and allopathic research centers, and pharmaceutical companies directed at learning more about the replicative cycle of these viruses in order to develop safe antiviral therapy is yielding new and important information.
The human herpes viruses, which include Herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, human cytomegalovirus, Varicella-Zoster virus, and the Epstein-Barr Virus, either cause or are associated with a whole spectrum of diseases ranging from infectious mononucleosis to malignancies and mental retardation. Indeed, the herpes viruses are multipotential, having the ability to cause more than one kind of disease.
Causes & Development
Herpes simplex virus type I is transmitted by oral and respiratory secretions, affects the skin and mucous membranes and commonly produces cold sores or fever blisters.
Signs & Symptoms
The virus starts to multiply when it gets into the skin cells. The skin becomes red and sensitive and, soon afterwards, one or more blisters or bumps appear. The blisters first open, and then heal as new skin tissue forms. During a first outbreak, the area is usually painful and may itch, burn or tingle. Flu-like symptoms are also common. These include swollen glands, headache, muscle ache or fever. Herpes may also infect the urethra, and urinating may cause a burning sensation.
First Infection or Primary Outbreak in the Mouth
Herpes of the mouth and face usually infect children under the age of five years. About 95% of these children experience no signs of illness or rash during the first infection. Initially, the appearance of a small ulcer at the corner of the mouth or edge of the nostrils shows up during the third to fifth recurrence of infection. Typically, a child will catch the virus from a friend or family member who has a cold sore. About two to ten days after being exposed to the virus, the child may develop a high fever, stop eating, and become very fretful. The mouth becomes sore and the gums, the inside of the mouth, and the lips turn very red and swollen. Many blisters appear in the same area and break down to raw red ulcers after a day or two. There is usually a swelling of the glands in the neck and other parts of the body may become infected. An adult who has not already been infected with herpes may develop similar disease and be even sicker than a child. The body rallies to the defense and everything returns to normal after a week to ten days. The fever and swelling disappear followed by the sores healing over without leaving any scars.
Recurrent Herpes of the Mouth
During the first attack (primary outbreak), the herpes virus has climbed through the nerves to the base of the brain seeking protection from the body's defenses by going dormant. These evasive viruses hide in the deep nerve ganglion cells that run to the mouth and skin around it.
One day, several months or even years later, the virus may awaken again. This awakening is usually caused by some form of stress or fever. The herpes virus, once awakened, travels back down the nerves and reappears inside your mouth, nose or around your lips to produce the familiar blistering cold sores. Most of the time you will have some warning that the attack is about to begin. This shows up as numbness or a tingling sensation in the area, medically known as prodromal symptoms. The blisters come shortly thereafter, breaking into red ulcers, and then crust over and heal without scarring in a few days. Generally a recurrent episode is less disruptive to the body as a whole. In effect, you will not have the same pain and discomfort in your mouth that the first attack produced.
Diagnosis & Tests
If you think you have the virus, see a doctor while symptoms are still present. The doctor will look at the area, take a sample from the sore(s) and test to see if the herpes virus is present. The test you should request is a specific virus culture or assay for herpes virus. Remember, the test will not work if the sores have healed. Known available tests are: Cell Culture Test, Antigen test, Pap Smear.
Treatment & Prevention
Although there is no cure, there are measures that can be taken to reduce manifestations.
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Signs, symptoms & indicators of Herpes Simplex Type I:
Conditions that suggest Herpes Simplex Type I:
Recommendations and treatments for Herpes Simplex Type I: | | | | | Amino Acid / Protein |  L-Lysine | The amino acid lysine often controls herpes. Supplementation with free-form lysine has shown to be beneficial in controlling herpes along with a diet high in lysine and low in arginine. It has been found that foods high in I-Arginine may cause herpes outbreaks. Increased levels of lysine over arginine suppress viral replication and inhibit cytopathogenicity of herpes simplex virus. L-Lysine appears to be an effective agent for reduction of the occurrence, severity and healing time for recurrent HSV infection. Several doctors have reported that if lysine use reduces herpes outbreaks, an immunological imbalance is present. Treatments aimed at immune system improvement have been effective in eliminating or reducing recurrence.
Foods high in lysine and low in arginine include most fruits and vegetables, fish, chicken, beef, lamb, milk, cheese, beans, brewer's yeast and mung bean sprouts. Gelatin, chocolate, carob, coconut, oats, whole-wheat and white flour, peanuts, soybeans, and wheat germ have more arginine than lysine and should thus be avoided. To quote one study, "The amount of lysine required to control herpes varied from case to case but a typical dose to maintain remission was 500mg daily and active herpes required 1 to 6gm between meals to induce healing."
Drs. Kagan, Griffith and Norins at the UCLA School of Medicine found of 45 patients receiving L-Lysine for herpes, only two failed to respond (a 96% success rate). The patients were receiving about 1500mg L-Lysine daily.
Lysine supplements (as opposed to foods high in this nutrient) can play an important role in staving off and reducing the severity of herpes-related cold sores. Results of a six-month trial involving more than 50 people indicate that lysine is far more effective than a placebo in preventing cold sores. Participants given a placebo had more than twice as many such infections as those taking lysine. Moreover, the herpes sores that did develop in the lysine group tended to be milder, and to heal faster, than the outbreaks in the placebo group. Lysine supplements may even prevent HSV outbreaks in chronic sufferers. General advice is to take 1,000mg L-lysine three times a day with meals for flare-ups. If you are subject to recurrent outbreaks of cold sores, continue on a maintenance dosage of 1,000mg per day. |
Not recommended:
 L-Arginine |
Botanical |
 Olive Leaf Extract |
Chemical |
BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene)| | Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) is a potent deactivator of lipid-enveloped viruses. Many people throughout the USA are using BHT to successfully keep the lesions dormant, with no sores as long as they consume BHT regularly. Some people develop sores once every 3-4 months opposed to higher frequency when not using BHT. The majority of those who use lysine regularly along with 750-1,000mg of BHT daily keep the sores from ever occurring. The only human antiviral test that has been conducted with BHT was for herpes, the outcome of which was successful. |
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Diet |
Coconut |
Environmental |
 Change In Clothing Habits| | To prevent chaffing, some people also find it helpful to avoid tight-fitting undergarments. |
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Extract |
DIM (di-indolmethane)/I3C (Indole-3-Carbinol)| | Researchers are finding a tremendous link between increased intake of broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts and the reduction in severity and frequency of herpes simplex. A nutrient combination that includes the active substance in these three vegetables, Indole 3 Carbinol, is available in a professionally manufactured combination called DIM/13-C. This formulation is effective at inhibiting the growth and reproduction of the herpes simplex cells. |
Monolaurin |
Habits |
Aerobic Exercise| | A healthy immune system may be important in controlling the virus, so proper nutrition, exercise and rest is recommended. |
Personal Hygiene Changes| | During an outbreak, keep the infected area as clean and dry as possible. This will help your natural healing processes. Some doctors recommend warm showers in order to cleanse the infected area. Afterwards, towel dry gently, or dry the area with a hair dryer on a low or cool setting. Most creams and lotions do no good and may even irritate. |
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Lab Tests/Rule-Outs |
Bacteria / Pathogen Testing by PCR |
Mineral |
Selenium
Zinc
Colloidal Silver |
Nutrient |
TMG (Tri-methyl-glycine) |
Oxygen / Oxidative Therapies |
Ozone / Oxidative Therapy| | Dr. R. Mattassi of Italy in his 1982 study found that 24 out of 27 people with Herpes simplex stayed in remission with up to a 3 year follow-up. He also showed that all lesions went into remission after a maximum of 5 ozone injections. |
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Physical Medicine |
Rest |
Vitamins |
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)| | Vitamin C, zinc, thymus extracts, TMG, monolaurin from coconut, and olive leaf extract have all been used with some success as reported by various doctors. |
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KEY | | Weak or unproven link |  | | Proven definite or direct link | | | May do some good | | | Likely to help | | | Highly recommended | | | Reasonably likely to cause problems |
GLOSSARY
AIDS
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. An immune system deficiency disorder that suddenly alters the body's ability to defend itself. The AIDS virus invades the T4 helper/inducer lymphocytes and multiplies, causing a breakdown in the body's immune system, eventually leading to overwhelming infection and/or cancer, with ultimate death.
Allopathy (Allopath, Allopathic)
Conventional medicine. Allopathy treats opposites with opposites, by using that which is the opposite of the symptom of the illness. For example, antispasmodics, fever reducers, antidepressants, etc.
Amino Acid (Amino Acids)
An organic acid containing nitrogen chemical building blocks that aid in the production of protein in the body. Eight of the twenty-two known amino acids are considered "essential," and must be obtained from dietary sources because the body can not synthesize them.
Antigen (Antigenic, Antigens)
A substance, usually protein or protein-sugar complex in nature, which, being foreign to the bloodstream or tissues of an animal, stimulates the formation of specific blood serum antibodies and white blood cell activity. Re-exposure to similar antigen will reactivate the white blood cells and antibody programmed against this specific antigen.
Antiviral
Any of a number of herbs, drugs or agents capable of destroying viruses or inhibiting their growth or multiplication until the body is capable of destroying the virus itself. Most antiviral agents are members of the antimetabolite family.
Arginine
A nonessential amino acid but may be essential for individuals with certain diseases or nutritional concerns. May promote the release of growth hormone. Involved in creatine synthesis, a compound that stores energy in muscle. Helps to remove ammonia from the body as part of the urea cycle.
Chronic (Chronicity)
Usually referring to chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.
Cold Sore (Cold Sores, Fever Blister, Fever Blisters)
Localized collections of clear fluid causing elevation of the skin, separating it into an upper and lower layer, often recurring about once per year. Generally due to Herpes Type 1 (HSV1) and appearing as blisters on the outside surface of the lips but also on the face and inside the mouth, eventually breaking down to form small ulcers and finally scabs.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
A member of the herpes virus family which may induce the immune-deficient state or cause active illness, such as pneumonia, in a patient already immune-deficient due to chronic illness, such as cancer or organ transplantation therapy.
Epstein Barr Virus (EBV, Epstein-Barr Virus)
A virus that causes infectious mononucleosis and that is possibly capable of causing other diseases in immunocompromised hosts.
Ganglion (Ganglia)
A group of nerve cell bodies clustered together in a uniform mass outside of but often close to the brain or spinal chord. Nerves run to or from the ganglia in passage to or from the brain to specific sites on the body.
Gland (Glands)
The glandular system is one of the most important and complicated systems of the body. Gland tissue can be either an organ or general tissue that secretes chemicals and there are two types of gland: exocrine and endocrine. Those glands which secrete chemicals through tubules or ducts are called exocrine and include sweat, tear and salivary glands. Ductless glands - part of the endocrine system - secrete special chemicals (hormones) directly into the blood.
Gram (gm, gms, Gramme, Grammes, Grams)
A metric unit of weight, there being approximately 28 grams in one ounce.
Herpes
A small group of capsid-forming DNA viruses, sometimes divided into Type I (forming vesicles and blisters on the mouth, lips-generally above the waist) and Type II (usually sexually-transmitted, with symptoms mostly below the waist). Both types form acute initial outbreaks, go dormant, reactivate, and so forth. For most folks, frequent outbreaks are clear signs of stress or immunosuppression. Both types are equally dangerous for infants.
Herpes Simplex
An infection, often recurrent, caused by herpes virus type 1 and 2. It causes cold sores around the lips and mouth, and also causes painful blisters on the genitals and in the pubic area, thighs, and buttocks.
Immune System (Immune Response, Immunity)
A complex that protects the body from disease organisms and other foreign bodies. The system includes the humoral immune response and the cell-mediated response. The immune system also protects the body from invasion by making local barriers and inflammation. The process may involve acquired immunity (the ability to learn and remember a specific infectious agent), or innate immunity (the genetically programmed system of responses that attack, digest, remove, and initiate inflammation and tissue healing).
Lesion (Lesions)
Any damage to tissue structure or function; an abnormal change in body tissue caused by disease or injury. A scar is a lesion, as is cancer, a stomach ulcer or a pimple.
Lysine
Essential amino acid. Important for growth, tissue repair, and the production of hormones, enzymes and antibodies. Research indicates that lysine may be useful in the treatment of migraine and herpes simplex. Precursor to carnitine in the body.
Milligram (mg, Milligrams)
0.001 or a thousandth of a gram.
Mononucleosis
Infectious Mononucleosis: An acute, infectious disease caused by the herpes virus or Epstein-Barr virus, with fever and inflamed swelling of the lymph nodes around the neck, under the arms, and in the groin. The general symptoms are fever,
sore throat, exhaustion, and abnormal white blood cells.
Mucous Membranes (Mucosa, Mucous Membrane, Mucus Membranes)
The membranes, such as the mouth, nose, anus, and vagina, that line the cavities and canals of the body which communicate with the air.
Pap Test (Pap Smear)
Papanicolaou test. Microscopic examination of cells collected from the vagina and cervix to test for uterine cancer or dysplasia.
Placebo (Placebos)
A pharmacologically inactive substance. Often used to compare clinical responses against the effects of pharmacologically active substances in experiments.
Thymus (Thymus Gland)
This soft, pinkish-gray gland is tucked behind the sternum between the lungs, shrinks as we come to puberty, and may even atrophy later on. The thymus helps the immune system adapt to various threats. For example, "T" cells are white blood cells that have been activated by the thymus; hence the letter "T". The thymus also produces a number of different compounds that help strengthen the immune system. It increases in size until puberty to approximately 20-50gm and then undergoes progressive atrophy to 5-15gm in older patients. The thymus is the site where bone marrow progenitor cells migrate and differentiate into T-cells. Prothymocytes in the superficial cortex (CD2) give rise to cortical thymocytes (CD1a, CD2, CD3) and CD4 and CD8 (T-helper and -suppressor cells). There are also scattered epithelial cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, and myoid cells. The thymus appears to need plenty of balanced protein, antioxidants like carotenes, vitamin C, E, B6, zinc and selenium.
Tri-Methyl-Glycine (DMG, TMG)
After supplying a methyl group, TMG becomes di-methyl-glycine. DMG, a natural component of animal and plant metabolism, positively influences the immune response in laboratory animals and humans and boosts physical and mental performance.
Ulcer (Ulceration, Ulcers)
Lesion on the skin or mucous membrane.
Virus (Viri, Viruses)
Any of a vast group of minute structures composed of a protein coat and a core of DNA and/or RNA that reproduces in the cells of the infected host. Capable of infecting all animals and plants, causing devastating disease in immunocompromised individuals. Viruses are not affected by antibiotics, and are completely dependent upon the cells of the infected host for the ability to reproduce.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
A water-soluble antioxidant vitamin essential to the body's health. When bound to other nutrients, for example calcium, it would be referred to as "calcium ascorbate". As an antioxidant, it inhibits the formation of nitrosamines (a suspected carcinogen). Vitamin C is important for maintenance of bones, teeth, collagen and blood vessels (capillaries), enhances iron absorption and red blood cell formation, helps in the utilization of carbohydrates and synthesis of fats and proteins, aids in fighting bacterial infections, and interacts with other nutrients. It is present in citrus fruits, tomatoes, berries, potatoes and fresh, green leafy vegetables.
Yeast
A single-cell organism that may cause infection in the mouth, vagina, gastrointestinal tract, and any or all bodily parts. Common yeast infections include candidiasis and thrush.
Zinc
An essential trace mineral. The functions of zinc are enzymatic. There are over 70 metalloenzymes known to require zinc for their functions. The main biochemicals in which zinc has been found to be necessary include: enzymes and enzymatic function, protein synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism. Zinc is a constituent of insulin and male reproductive fluid. Zinc is necessary for the proper metabolism of alcohol, to get rid of the lactic acid that builds up in working muscles and to transfer it to the lungs. Zinc is involved in the health of the immune system, assists vitamin A utilization and is involved in the formation of bone and teeth.
Last updated: Jul 19, 2008
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