Calming down your cold sore outbreaks

Researchers from the University of Virginia School of Medicine have figured out exactly what goes on inside of you that triggers the appearance of that cold sore around your mouth or on your lip.

Chronic stress, a sugar-loaded diet, fever, even sunshine can amp up the inflammatory response in your immune system, causing a sequence of reactions that hyper-excite the nerves that harbor the sleeping virus. Those aroused nerves then send the infection out into your body to do its dirty work. In short, your immune system (that’s where inflammation is produced) can become an accomplice to the outbreak when any extra poke (say, stress) that increases inflammation gets your nervous system involved.

If you want to tamp down flares, it’s smart to keep chronic inflammation under control. The best ways are to practice stress-relieving activities like aerobics, meditation, yoga or tai chi; avoid inflammatory foods like added sugars, red and processed meats, and ultra-processed foods; and promote a healthy gut biome with a plant-based diet, a daily dose of walnuts (really) and moderate alcohol intake.

Strengthen your immune system

Turns out exercise doesn’t just speed up your metabolism, dispel stress and strengthen your bones, it beefs up your immune system, too. There’s a niche in your bone marrow where the production of both new bone and new immune cells begins. And you have to move to get this essential production process going.

Researchers from the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at the University of Texas Southwestern

have discovered that walking — or running — is key to immune strength. Seems the pressure of your footfalls causes a cascade of reactions that end up sending messages to bone-forming cells in your marrow. The big news is that those bone-forming cells then secrete a growth factor that stimulates production of infection-fighting B and T cells in your immune system.

Walking away from virusand bacteria-borne disease! Now that’s great. So, to promote your immunity and strengthen bones and improve your cardiovascular health, start a regular exercise routine five days a week. Aim for 10,000 steps a day, about five miles. Plus try a high-intensity interval training routine of about 25 to 30 minutes two to three times a week. Check out “9 HIIT Exercises To Get Fit” at Doctoroz.com.