Epstein Barr Cures Blog

For athletes who have had Epstein Barr, over exertion can cause a re-activation of the symptoms of landular fever or mononucleosis, or suppress immunity to the point where infections are easily picked up.

Australia’s Olympic swimmer Grant Hackett, a former Epstein Barr sufferer, was beaten today by less than a second in the Mens 1500m Final at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. This dashed his hopes of claiming a third consecutive Olympic title.

Hackett had been confined to his bed for a day prior to the competition with a chest complaint that affected his breathing. It is well established that physical performance can be reduced during infection.

Hackett originally suffered from glandular fever, caused by Epstein Barr, when he raced in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Four years later he climbed from his sick bed again to win in Athens. Only later was it revealed that he had swum with a partially collapsed lung which reduced his lung capacity by a quarter.

For the 2008 Olympics, Hackett had taken extraordinary precautions to avoid infection. These included wearing face masks on the plane, avoiding handrails and other public surfaces, and even refraining from kissing his wife in the lead up to his events. He also decided not to march in the opening ceremony.

Hackett is not alone in suffering the long term effects of Epstein Barr. Another Australian swimming champion Ian Thorpe resigned from his elite swimming career in 2006, citing health complications due to having glandular fever.

The spleen is a large organ located behind the stomach in the left hand side of the abdomen. Its role is to filter the blood and to produce immune cells that help when you are sick.

About half of all glandular fever patients will suffer from an enlarged spleen. Fortunately it is rare for the spleen to rupture, occurring in only 1-2 of every 1000 glandular fever cases.

Rupture may be triggered by trauma including a fall, contact sport or lifting something which is heavy. In some cases the spleen can rupture spontaneously. Rupture of the spleen is a potentially fatal consequence of glandular fever. It is a medical emergency requiring hospitalization and often a blood transfusion due to massive blood loss.

The best way to avoid a ruptured spleen when you have glandular fever is to rest your body and avoid contact sports, weight lifting or anything too physical in the first few weeks of your infection. Rupture is most likely to occur in week two or three of the infection. If you are an athlete or play a contact sport then it is advisable that you have a check up with your doctor before resuming these activities.

Avoiding constipation which puts pressure on the abdomen is also important when looking after the spleen. A high fibre diet based around plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, plus at least 8 glasses of water a day will help here.

If the left hand side of your abdomen is sore and tender, then it is worth seeing your health practitioner for a check up. There are some excellent herbs like Red Root and Milk Thistle which can help with an enlarged spleen and other symptoms of glandular fever. These are discussed along with other nutrients and foods to fight glandular fever in my e-book “Nature’s Amazing Mononucleosis Cures”.

• My Mononucleosis (glandular fever) Cures e-book is a sensible place to start to build up your immune system and re-claim your life. It is applicable for those with Epstein Barr as well as for those who have progressed to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. You can learn more at www.EBVCures.com

The Epstein Barr virus is a known trigger for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

Epstein Barr is the virus that causes mononucleosis or glandular fever. It is a latent virus that, like the herpes virus, can recur when the body is run down or under stress.

In most people Epstein Barr is a short lived virus that lasts only a few weeks, and the body’s immune system keeps it under control longer term. However in some people the virus returns recurrently for weeks, months and years.

Chronic Epstein Barr symptoms typically include fatigue, aching muscles, sore throat and swollen lymph glands. These symptoms can fluctuate from day to day. They are often bought on by stress, exercise or just doing too much.

So how do you know if your Epstein Barr virus has triggered Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

The standard criteria for CFS is when you’ve had relapsing fatigue for 6 months or more, plus 4 or more of the following:

- recurrent sore throat
- swollen lymph glands
- muscle aches and pain
- headaches of a new type, frequency or severity
- waking up feeling unrefreshed
- poor short term memory or concentration
- post exercise malaise lasting more than 24 hours.

There are also other symptoms which CFS patients commonly report. These include dizziness, palpitations, chest pain, nausea, gastrointestinal discomfort, diarrhea, constipation and changes in mood like depression and anxiety.

If you think you may have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, your first step is to get a thorough medical checkup to exclude other medical reasons like anemia, under active thyroid, low blood sugar, low blood pressure, auto immune disease and gastrointestinal disorders. You should also get some blood tests to check your liver function, immune cells, iron stores and inflammatory state.

If Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is diagnosed you will need the support of an understanding wholistic practitioner who can offer treatments and monitor your progress. There is no standard medical treatment for CFS. The best approach is to boost your immune system with the use of a healthy diet, supplements, herbs, graded exercise and stress reduction.

• My Mononucleosis (glandular fever) Cures e-book is a sensible place to start to build up your immune system and re-claim your life. It is applicable for those with Epstein Barr as well as for those who have progressed to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. You can learn more at www.EBVCures.com

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It is estimated that over 60% of Westerners are chronically sleep deprived. This is a worry because inadequate sleep is known to decrease the number and effectiveness of natural killer cells - the white blood cells that kill Epstein Barr.

It’s no coincidence that many of my patients report that their Epstein Barr began during or after a period of intense stress and the sleep deprivation that accompanies it. Stress may be the final, busy years of school, the pressures of university exams, the challenges of a new job, long hours at work, the loss of a job, the birth of a baby or the death of a loved one.

Picking up a virus like Epstein Barr is when the stress catches up on the body. In really bad cases some people find that they can’t get out of bed, their body is racked by muscle aches and pains, they have constant nausea, a raging sore throat, painful swollen glands and feelings of being helpless and totally overwhelmed.

Unfortunately without taking the time out to rest the body and rebuild the stress-coping chemicals, the body will never fully recover. I have seen far too many patients who try to push through their symptoms and struggle with daily life, only to find that they end up with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or fibromyalgia - a chronic condition of fatigue and muscle pain.

If you are recovering from Epstein Barr or mononucleosis, it is essential that you get at least 8 - 10 hours sleep a night. This is when your body produces growth hormone which help repairs your body.
Resolve to get to bed at a reasonable time - preferably by 10 p.m., and no later than 11 p.m. During the day, a power nap of 30 - 60 minutes will help recharge your batteries and magnify your body’s healing powers.

Many mononucleosis patients are so exhausted that rest and sleep is about all they can do! However it is the quality of sleep that really counts. The majority of patients go into a light, restless sleep punctuated with nightmares and bad dreams, as fevers run their course. They wake up exhausted, unrefreshed and feeling just plain awful.

If this sounds like you, you need to work with the simple natural therapies that help you enjoy a deep, rejuvenating, unbroken sleep. This can include taking some natural sleep-inducing herbs like valerian, skullcap and passionflower, taking some nutrients like magnesium, vitamin C and the B complex, and doing some stress-reducing techniques like meditation, yoga and deep breathing.

All the tips and techniques to turn your sleep patterns around are in my Mononucleosis Cures e-book.