Cold Sores
Cold sores are also known as fever blisters. These blisters can be found around or on the lips of infected patients. Cold sores are different than canker sores in that cold sores are the result of an infection with the herpes simplex virus. According to Medline, approximately eight out of every 10 people has been infected with this virus, which can cause red blisters that are filled with fluid. In some cases these blisters can be exceptionally painful, especially once they break open. Other people only feel a tingling or itching sensation in their mouth and experience little discomfort. Because the herpes virus can "hide" in cells by lying dormant, it cannot ever be completely cured.
Lysine
One form of treatment for cold sores involves lysine supplementation. Lysine is an amino acid, which means it can be used by cells to make proteins. It is chemically similar to another amino acid, arginine. According to herpes.com (which cites an article from the medical journal the Lancet), lysine can be used to limit herpes outbreaks by inhibiting viral proteins. The herpes simplex virus (which causes cold sores) contains several proteins with a lot of arginine in them. Because viruses use the resources of infected cells to replicate, they pull from the body's pool of amino acids. Altering the lysine-to-arginine ratio in the body can inhibit the growth and replication of the virus, which can help limit outbreaks.
Quantum Lysine
Quantum Health is a supplements company that makes a variety of products, including a cold sore tablet as well as an ointment called "Lip Clear." Both products contain high levels of lysine. Neither product can cure cold sore outbreaks, but they can limit the intensity of the symptoms and how long the outbreaks last. The lysine tablets, when taken daily, can also help prevent future cold sore outbreaks. Although there is some medical evidence that lysine supplementation can be useful in preventing cold sores, no definitive clinical testing has been done on Quantum Health's cold-sore products.
