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How to treat EBV?
CRP is 45 on an 19 years old boy.
Is it for life he will have it? What are the remedies? -
2 Replies
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Hi – Epstein-Barr is a virus from the herpes family. It consists of a small collection of genetic material (DNA or RNA) encased in a capsid, a protective protein coat. After infection of human cells and some initial replication (typically in B cells of the immune system), herpesvirus migrates up the nerves and becomes established in the dorsal root ganglion in the spinal cord. Once here, the virus becomes “latent” and will lie dormant in the spinal cord until reactivation. One can acquire a virus without having any noticeable illness, and reactivation may never happen. For example, the herpesvirus that causes chicken pox typically lies dormant and causes no other illness for the life of the human host. However, reactivation of the virus in adulthood can result in the illness we call shingles.
EBV is very common. By school age, over half of children have antibodies to the virus, and by adulthood, nearly all people have them worldwide. EBV causes mononucleosis or what we often call “mono” in later childhood and teenage years. This is an overview with more detail which might be of interest to you. This is a helpful site for interpreting viral antibody labwork, as it usually includes markers not used with bacterial infection assessment (due to the permanent nature of virus residence in the body).
If he is struggling with longer-lasting or chronic EBC reactivation, it’s typically evidence of a weak or overwhelmed immune system that is unable to keep the virus dormant in the latent phase.
Young people in today’s society can struggle with recurrent viral infections due to lifestyle choices that impair the immune system. Another infection (e.g. viral, bacterial, fungal) can reactivate the EBV virus from B cells. Natural killer cell and cytotoxic T-cell capability in particular are key to countering EBV rapidly upon infection and preventing EBV reactivation.
Also consider toxic components that can strain the immune system. A previous client of mine was having EBV reactivations because of iron overload that she didn’t know she had.
Figuring out what’s taxing his immune system and supporting his immune system is the goal in countering persistent EBV. If there’s a secondary infection like SIBO, parasites, candida overgrowth, lyme… all of these need to be addressed first while also strengthening immunity.
I have found that eliminating stimulants (e.g. coffee), ensuring consistently deep and restful sleep, and addressing identified suboptimal nutrients (especially zinc, Vitamin D, and Vitamin A – key for immune strength) all particularly important in helping with lasting relief.
Encourage him to move away from processed, refined foods (especially soda (of any kind) and pro-inflammatory vegetable oils) and nourish himself with whole, natural foods will be powerful! Anti-inflammatory and detoxification-boosting options will be powerful (e.g. berries, cruciferous vegetables, garlic, ginger, leafy herbs such as parsley and cilantro, and perhaps a “greens food” blend that includes algae such as chlorella and spirulina). If his diet is poor at present, a high-quality multivitamin will also likely be helpful, at least in the short term (e.g. Metagenics’ PhytoMulti). Replenishing suboptimal magnesium has also been found to be helpful with EBV.
It’s important to remember that every function in the body (all cells) requires consistently adequate cellular energy production. Poor cellular metabolism can be a root cause of any dysfunction in the body, including ineffective immune function. To this end, remember to consider, in particular, both thyroid and adrenal function in these types of persistent chronic viral infections. Suboptimal thyroid function can be at play (alas, a real catch-22 in the case of infection-mediated Hashimoto’s and a great example of why at least short-term medication, when needed, may be critical to allow long-term healing). This can be assessed via a full thyroid panel (TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3, and both TPO and Tg autoantibodies).Suboptimally low cortisol availability will impair thyroid function too, by limiting the ability of T3 thyroid hormone to get into our cells.
Suboptimally high cortisol promotes the formation of Reverse T3 (which competes with available Free T3) and impairs thyroid action and also weakens immune function in fighting infections. A multi-sample salivary or urinary cortisol test (click here to watch a short video) will help to clarify if adrenal dysfunction is at play.
In terms of countering an active viral infection itself, the use of a cocktail of two or more natural anti-viral “immune booster” compounds for at least a few months can be helpful. Some potent examples include olive leaf extract (e.g. Designs for Health), coconut oil (typically 1 Tbsp twice daily or can be taken as monolaurin in capsules), reishi mushroom (e.g. Thorne’s Myco-Immune), cat’s claw (e.g. Pure Encapsulations or other 250-500 mg, 1-2x/day) and larch arabinogalactan (e.g. Pure Encapsulations, 3 caps/dose, building up to twice daily). Optimal selenium levels also are critical for optimizing immune function; eating 3-4 Brazil nuts daily is a simple strategy to increase selenium.You can find more details in this Virus/Flu Support Protocol in the resources.
Hope this helps. -
thank you so much for your detailed reply.
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