Epstein Barr Virus - another modern pandemic
The results of emerging Covid studies highlight the fact that previously dormant viruses can reactivate in the body and create chronic fatigue. Long Covid is all about the reactivation of viruses that reside in the viral reservoirs in the body (a popular place is the gut). Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) is one of those viruses that can reactivate and bloom again, with or without the help of Covid.
EBV - A ‘hit-and-stay virus’
There is a big difference between viruses (like colds and flu) which invade organs, create chaos, then leave the body. Unlike these ‘hit-and-run’ viruses, EBV is a ‘hit-and-stay' virus. Once contracted, it lives on in the body for good. Hopefully, in a dormant state.
It is hardly surprising that EBV is one of the most commonly activated viruses as it is ubiquitous in society. It is estimated that the virus lives inside 95% of the world’s population and that over 50% of children in the UK have already contracted the virus by the age of 12. Some people don’t even realise they have had it - until it rears its ugly head as glandular fever in their teens or later in life. In some people, unfortunately, EBV remains chronically activated with a host of debilitating symptoms such as chronic fatigue, aches and pains, brain fog and more.
EBV is a particularly unpleasant virus. Not only does it make you feel tired and ill, it is associated with some very nasty conditions including Hodgkin lymphoma, various cancers of the head, neck and stomach, Multiple Sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and at least 33 autoimmune diseases from thyroiditis to lupus. We know it as the commonest trigger of post viral chronic fatigue syndrome because of the work of Dr Martin Lerner (204 scientific publications in total). One clinical observation is that 100% of the patients I have seen so far with cancers of the blood have tested positive to active EBV - often with very high values on their lab tests. It is telling that EBV was discovered by Professor Michael Anthony Epstein and Dr Yvonne Barr (PhD) after the investigation of a common cancer - Burkitt’s lymphoma. It is particularly frustrating for patients that many doctors don’t have a clue what to do with EBV or tell their patients not to worry, it will go! The key message is - this is not a virus you want to ignore! And, yes, something can be done about it.
EBV Triggers
What predisposes someone to viral reactivation of EBV? Here are a few common triggers:
The standard western diet full of sugars and grains which feed infections.
A history of glandular fever.
Toxic, chronically infected teeth.
Toxic, chronically infected tonsils.
Environmental toxins.
Too little sleep.
Too much stress.
Too much wifi exposure.
Poor thyroid and adrenal function.
Additional unhandled chronic infections.
Unhandled infections in the hollow spaces of the body (sinus/gut/urinary tract etc.) which ramp up the Th-2 arm of immune cells and suppress Th-1 immunity which protects against viruses and bacterial infections.
Recovery from EBV
If you are suffering from chronic fatigue and wonder if you have EBV, what should you do?
Do the appropriate lab tests to find out if you have an active EBV infection. The CD3/57NK+ cell test tells us whether you have enough soldiers in your immune army to see off infections. The other test is the EBV Elispot test which looks at how your white T cell soldiers are reacting to EBV. This test is very sensitive, specific and clinically relevant. A positive result for EBV shows your immune system is fighting that particular infection and not some other infection (false negatives are uncommon).
Get in the foundations of recovery - clean diet with enough proteins and good fats for cell repair, good sleep routine, reduction of wifi exposure, reduction of environmental toxic exposures, supportive family network.
Address other body infections i.e. from teeth, gut, sinuses etc. to give your immune system a fighting chance to get on top of EBV.
Support your immune biochemistry as your lab results direct e.g. this may mean giving specific supplements to support Natural Killer and T cells and specific support to knock back excessive Th-2 immune response.
Check basic energy delivery systems of the body - thyroid, adrenal glands, iron metabolism - all of which are crucial to your immune response.
Address your infections directly with specific herbal compounds prepared in the right way - liquorice is one of the main ones for EBV. Don’t neglect to address retroviral activation at the same time. Retroviruses can be acquired and are also part of our own DNA. When these are neglected as part of a treatment protocol, results can be hit and miss despite all the other good things you may be doing.
If you suspect you have EBV or any other chronic infection, please email the Good Health Clinic on goodhealthclinic@outlook.com or ring on 07836 552936.