Is Epstein Barr Virus undermining your wellness?

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), is one of the most common human viruses. EBV is found all over the world. Most people get infected with EBV at some point in their lives. EBV spreads most commonly through bodily fluids, primarily saliva. EBV can cause infectious mononucleosis (also known as Glandular fever).

Symptoms of EBV infection include:

  • fatigue
  • fever
  • inflamed throat
  • swollen lymph nodes/glands in the neck
  • enlarged spleen
  • swollen liver
  • rash

Many people become infected with EBV in childhood. Children with EBV infections usually do not experience symptoms, or the symptoms are not distinguishable from other mild, brief childhood illnesses. People who get symptoms from an EBV infection are usually teenagers or adults and recover in two to four weeks.

Transmission
EBV spreads most commonly through saliva. However, EBV can also spread through blood and semen during sexual (including kissing) contact, blood transfusions and organ transplants. EBV can be spread by sharing objects, such as a toothbrush or drinking glass, with an infected person. EBV transmission is most common among high school and university aged students, but young children can also become infected through saliva on toys, shared cups or the hands of carers.

The first time you get infected with EBV (primary EBV infection) you can spread the virus for weeks before you have symptoms. Once the virus is in your body, it stays there in a latent (inactive) state. If the virus reactivates, you can potentially spread EBV to others no matter how much time has passed since the initial infection.

In addition to the above information from government health department sources, Medical Medium states ‘transmission can occur from mother to baby in utero. Hospitals don’t screen for it. Someone with the virus isn’t contagious all the time. It’s more likely to spread during stage two. There are four stages of EBV.’

Diagnosis
EBV infection is confirmed with a blood test.

Treatment and Prevention from government (U.S & Victorian) sources
There is no vaccine for EBV. You can help protect yourself by not kissing or sharing drinks, food, or personal items, like toothbrushes, with people who have an EBV infection.

According to government sources, there is no specific treatment for EBV. However, to relieve symptoms drinking fluids to stay hydrated and getting plenty of rest is recommended.

Four stages of EBV

Stage one
Once EBV is transmitted, it goes through an initial dormant stage replicating in the blood stream. The virus is especially vulnerable at this stage, however, there are no symptoms to be a catalyst to test. At this stage it waits for a trigger to be activated. A trigger that activates EBV is typically a stressful emotional event e.g. breakup, death of a loved one or physically overdoing it.

Stage two
EBV is ready to do battle in your body. It makes it’s presence known by turning into mononucleosis (often known as glandular fever, fatigue is a major symptom). Often teenagers and university students who run themselves down through studying and partying too hard, are not eating or sleeping properly, depleting their nutrients and creating fatigue activate EBV. This is the stage in which EBV is the most contagious. The body’s immune system goes to war with EBV sending identifier cells to tag virus cells and marks them as invaders. The tagged cells are then targeted by the immune system to be killed off. When this is happening, symptoms include: a scratchy sore throat, tiredness, fatigue, fever, headaches and rashes. It’s during this stage, EBV looks for a long term refuge, typically the liver or spleen because this is where it can find mercury and dioxins which it feeds off.

Stage three
EBV settles into your liver, spleen and/or other organs to nest. From this point on, the doctors tests for EBV will show antibodies and take this to indicate a past infection and not presently active. However, the virus is still active, causing new symptoms and eluding available tests.

While EBV is nesting, showing no symptoms or signs in the blood stream, it creates waste matter which is a poisonous by-product to feed off. This waste matter is identified as spirochetes and can trigger false positive tests on Lyme disease.

These poisons created from EBV have the ability to generate a neurotoxin that disrupts the nervous system and confuses the immune system. While the immune system is in disarray the virus takes advantage by leaving the organs and attacking a major organ or gland. This can be the thyroid. In the Medical Medium it is stated about 95% of thyroid cases (graves, hashimotos, cancer etc) is caused by EBV. The Western medical understanding is that the body is attacking the thyroid, according to Medical Medium it’s the EBV attacking the thyroid.

Stage four
The ultimate goal of EBV is to leave your thyroid and inflame your central nervous system. If this occurs the symptoms include heart palpitations to generalised aches and pains to nerve pain.

Blood tests, x rays, MRI’s reveal nothing. EBV latches onto the nerve endings if they are damaged and keep the nerves inflamed. The issues which result include muscle pain, joint pain, painful tender points, back pain, tingling and numbness in hands and feet, migraines, ongoing fatigue, dizziness, eye floaters, insomnia, unrestful sleep and night sweats. Some of these symptoms may be confused with menopause, additionally the harm done to the thyroid disrupts the endocrine system and can create menopause earlier than 50 years old. Especially when EBV can be contracted through the teenage years and by the time it’s reaped it’s damage, people are in their 40s. Early onset menopause, fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis can be misdiagnosed where EBV maybe the cause.

Treatment and Recovery from EBV
EBV’s effectiveness comes from hiding in the shadows. Once you know what you are dealing with, action can be taken and wellness regained.

The first step is to remove the toxins from the body which EBV feeds off. These are the excess metals like mercury and dioxins. There is food which assists the body to detox, ward off toxins from entering the cells, anti inflammatory and overall strengthen the immune system. For more details regarding the food see Medical Medium.

To further support the body recovering from EBV, St John’s wort is beneficial for relieving the nerve and muscle pain, regaining mood, balancing hormones and is antiviral.

Having healing treatments of Reflexology at Heel to Heal will also aid and support your recovery as Reflexology reduces tension and stress, balances your endocrine system, stimulates the lymphatic system and circulatory system supporting and increasing the body’s capacity to remove toxins from the body and enable the cells to receive the nutrients from your food (and supplements if needed) to strengthen your immune system.

I look forward to seeing you at your next session at Heel to Heal.

Many Blessings

References

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services https://www.cdc.gov/epstein-barr/about-ebv.html
  2. Better Health Channel, Victoria State Government, https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/glandular-fever
  3. Medical Medium, Anthony William, Hay House, 2015
  4. The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies, Nicole Apelian, PhD & Claude Davis, Global Brother, 2018