I have had a cold for over a week with sore throat, runny nose etc. This has now led to an outbreak of cold sores on my mouth, nose and my eye is now itchy as if it could be spreading there too. Also I have swollen glands in my neck can you advise what to take please?

It does seem that your immune system needs some help. Having a cold can itself weaken your body’s defences further and this is why outbreaks of cold sores often coincide with cold or flu infections. It will be rare for the cold sore virus to spread directly to your eyes and the itch is more likely due to another viral or perhaps a bacterial infection. Nevertheless, if the itchiness in your eye worsens or if other symptoms develop in this area, you must see your doctor.

In the short term, you should take Echinacea to improve the symptoms of colds or flu. We would recommend using Echinaforce drops diluted in a small amount of water. Alfred Vogel recommended that you hold the mixture in your mouth for 30 seconds before swallowing. In addition, vitamin C and zinc can often help during this acute period. Your local healthfood store will be able to recommend a good quality brand of vitamins for you. If your cold sores continue to trouble you, you might also wish to try Bio-propolis.

Once the problems resolve, you may wish to have a look at your diet and lifestyle to see if there are any areas that can be improved. For instance, are you under more stress than usual? Is your diet as good as it could be? These are the most common reasons for your immune system to become ‘run-down’. Below are a few links to relevant pages on our website which may help you answer these question

www.avogel.co.uk/health/stress/what-is-stress/
www.avogel.co.uk/health/immune-system/
www.avogel.co.uk/health/immune-system/how-healthy-are-you/