Autumn is nearly here, and with the change of weather so many of us can be prone to cold sores. Cold sores and genital herpes are both caused by different strains of the herpes virus but the eruptions can often have the same triggers. Often the biggest trigger is stress, which it’s not always possible to control; outside influences being what they are. Cold weather and sun are also triggers that may be outside our sphere of influence. Specific foods also trigger attacks, and excess consumption of foods with a high L-Arginine content and low L-Lysine content can keep us in a state of imbalance, perfectly primed for a herpes outbreak. Having a basic working knowledge of some of the foods at the ends of the L-lysine and L-argine scale is I believe our first line of prevention. There is an excellent web-site www.herpes.com/nutrition which lists most of the common foods and their argine-lysine ratios. Some of the common trigger foods are nuts and chocolate, while yoghurt, cheese and lamb are at the other end of the scale. I found this site extremely helpful in understanding and limiting what I had previously thought were random attacks. In my homeopathic practice I often see people with herpes, and will select a remedy that matches the overall symptoms of the person. There is no, one remedy fits all in homeopathy. Each case is taken on the individual symptoms presented and each person does present as an individual. I also suggest the use of IT WORKS balm for genital eruptions and cold sores. It lessens the duration of the eruption and is extremely soothing and healing. Many people have switched from the pharmaceutical topical drug and have found IT WORKS balm most effective. Hope this is helpful.