Cold Sore Remedy - Mint Tea

Denny Bodoh

Copyright 2005 drbodoh



A cold sore remedy proven very effective, as well as pleasant to
use, is mint tea. Many times I've seen a cold sore completely
healed in as little as 7 days using the mint tea cold sore
remedy described in this article.



As with any cold sore remedy I write about, I'm offering this
cold sore remedy to you for information purposes only. It's a
cold sore remedy that has worked well for many others.



In no way is this cold sore remedy presented as medical advice.
Nothing takes the place of a one-on-one relationship with a
health professional.



Keep in mind also - the best cold sore remedy is one that's
applied topically. A cold sore is primarily an external problem
and is easily treated this way. You may hear of a variety of
vitamins or prescription medications that are useful as an
internal cold sore remedy. These do sometimes help. But, the
simple and direct approach will always give you the very best
results.



This is true with a cold sore or any other problem in life.



Mint is a very powerful cold sore remedy because it has strong
anti-viral properties. Mint also has a very soothing effect,
which has made it a favorite with many folks who've written me.



But first, let's look at the "universal" cold sore remedy - ice.



Ice has been used as a cold sore remedy for centuries. Today ice
is readily available anywhere at any time. Even a cold can of
soda works as a cold sore remedy, when held to the sore.



The replication process of the herpes virus creates the cold
sore. Ice, when applied to an emerging cold sore, discourages
the herpes virus from replicating. The herpes virus hates cold.
Applying ice or any cold object will stall the herpes virus from
creating that hideous sore. And sometimes even send the herpes
virus back into hibernation.



As a cold sore remedy, combining the ice method with mint is
many times more effective.



Mint is very easy to find. The form we use is mint tea bags.
These are available anywhere you find herbal teas. If the mint
is combined with other herbs, that will work fine also. Just
make sure the mint is primary. Mint can also be easily grown in
a window pot if you want to try it fresh. I'll talk about a
special cold sore remedy using fresh mint in just a moment.



This is how we turn mint tea into a very effective cold sore
remedy.



Taking 20 oz. of bottled water and 5 tea bags (about one tea bag
per 4 oz. of water), we make a strong batch of mint tea. Then
freeze the wet tea bags.



Using the frozen tea bags in place of ice, we hold the tea bag
on the cold sore area for about 10 minutes at a time. About 3
times per hour works well.



With this frozen mint cold sore remedy, you get the comforting
and healing effects of ice. Plus, as the bag melts, you are
applying a very strong anti-viral medication. This will kill
thousands of herpes viruses.



Additionally, you can supercharge this cold sore remedy by
sipping the tea. Also, apply the mint tea liquid to the sore
with a cotton ball or paper towel. Now you have an internal as
well as an external cold sore remedy.



This is also a perfect cold sore remedy for those rare people
who get a cold sore inside the mouth. It works well for canker
sores too. As a cold sore remedy, or for canker sores, you can
use the tea as mouthwash. Swish it around for a minute or so,
then swallow it for the internal benefits.



A variation of this cold sore remedy, we've used successfully,
is to freeze the tea liquid. This works best for us using an ice
cube tray that makes smaller ice cubes. This is a little messier
as the cube melts. If you use fresh grown or bulk mint, then you
won't have the tea bags to freeze. In that case, this may be one
way to use your mint as a cold sore remedy.



One final note on using mint as a cold sore remedy.



Using this cold sore remedy, you may not want to, or can't, sit
and hold the ice or frozen tea bags to your lip. If you're on
the go, here's a very convenient and powerful way to use mint as
a cold sore remedy.



You can quickly make an excellent cold sore remedy by crushing
fresh mint leaves into a paste. If you don't wish to grow your
own, mint is often available fresh or dried at your local health
food store. With dried mint, add some water to reconstitute it
and it will make a fine paste too. As you make the paste, mix in
a little baking soda. This raises the pH level, which the herpes
virus also hates.



Now you have a cold sore remedy you can use when traveling or at
work. And, if made with fresh mint, the mint will be even
stronger than in the dried tea form because you aren't heating
it.



I hope you, as so many others have, find this to be an
excellent, cheap and powerful cold sore remedy.



About the author:


Denny Bodoh is a 33-year newspaper veteran, and an alternative
health and nutrition research writer. Learn more about cold
sores, and cold sore remedies, by going to his wildly popular
cold sore site. http://be-cold-sore-free.com/