Why am I so tired?
Epstein Barr Virus
Chronic Fatigue and EBV
Do you have chronic Epstein Barr or reactivation?
After an initial encounter with the Epstein-Barr virus, which may or may not show up as mononucleosis at the time, the virus goes into stealth mode in your body. Its ultimate goal is wreaking havoc in your nervous system.
The issues that result from this viral inflammation can include chronic fatigue, muscle pain, joint pain, tender trigger points, back pain, migraines, dizziness, insomnia, unrestful sleep, and night sweats.
Menstrual problems are often part of this picture, as well as digestive issues from inflammation in the gut. Patients with these issues are sometimes (mis)diagnosed as having fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, irritable bowel, PMDD, or rheumatoid arthritis, all of which are collections of symptoms that medical communities admit they don’t understand and have no solutions.
Immune System Overload
Opportunistic bacteria and parasites
When your body is stressed from external events like a physical accident, working too many hours without rest, night shift work, financial problems or poor diet, it becomes vulnerable to overgrowth of opportunistic pathogens.
Equally, emotional and mental stresses such as anxiety (fear of the future) depression (living in the past) anger and resentment all have a similar negative impact on your overall health.
Chronic viruses such as Epstein Barr (EBV) or Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and even cold and flu viruses attack the microbiome balance of the gut, thus affecting your overall immune health.
Epstein Barr Virus is in the Herpes family, so it can go into remission and reactivate when your body is vulnerable. The healthier you are, the more you are able to keep it in remission.
When your body is dealing with survival-level issues such as pathogen attacks, most of your available nutrition goes toward immune health, leaving your energy-producing cells on the low end of the pecking order to receive nutrition. Your body just can’t keep up with everything at once, and survival issues are most important. As a result, you are left without enough energy to get through the day, much less have joy and enthusiasm in your life.
“Where to even begin? I was barely functioning when I first started seeing Dr. Robin. My depression was debilitating. My ability to focus was gone. My sleep was non-existent. I was more anxious and un-productive than ever before. Everything was out of control, from my mood to my compulsive behaviors to my eating habits. I was in such a haze that i reached a new, all-time-low of despair.
Oh how things have changed! Dr. Robin checks everything. From vitamin deficiencies to brain chemistry (neuro-transmitter stuff) to hormones. Not only does she run labs but she also listens. Years of experience have given her an extensive knowledge of signs and symptoms. As she is listening, she carefully considers what you have to say and unlike most doctors I’ve seen, Dr. Robin actually cares.”*
Testing for Epstein Barr Virus
Testing for the Epstein Barr Virus is challenging. Almost every one of us have been exposed to the virus, and once exposed your body develops antibodies to it whether you had active “mono” or not.
The only easily available lab we have right now in the USA is for those antibodies. There are 4 commonly used blood tests, and it depends upon your pattern of results whether your virus is in remission (hooray, good for you!), chronic infection or current reactivation.
In the world of natural health, your history, your story, your signs and symptoms are just as important as your labs. In some cases, your story overrides the labs, because numbers don’t always tell the whole story. Your body may respond differently with regards to displaying diagnostic lab results, but your symptoms can tell us what to do.
The good news is that we are able to check the health of your opportunistic bacteria and parasite overgrowth via the findings of your microbiome in your gut. This can establish a baseline for your overall immune health.
Natural health diagnosis means that much of health diagnosis is extrapolation of what your results mean for YOU, in your world, in your environment, in your family of origin, in your level of stress.
The Art of Healing
Immune system function represents our will to fight against oppression.
How does that show up in your everyday life? Do you speak up for yourself appropriately?
Do you hold your boundaries and take care of yourself with ample downtime and quietude?
Do you feed yourself properly – meaning eating enough organic vegetables and fresh foods, but also treating yourself without guilt occasionally?
The Science of Healing
Seek out a doctor that understands EBV and is willing to acknowledge its damaging influence on your body.
Find a doctor that looks beyond commonplace diagnosis such as perimenopause effects, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and looks deeper for underlying issues.
Support your microbiome so that your immune system can function adequately.
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