Chronic Viral Syndromes: People Often Don't Realize They Are "Harboring" Them, or How it Impacts Their Overall Well-Being

Chronic viral infections can weaken your immune system and leave you susceptible to other infections and disease. There are treatments for your chronic viral Illness so you can regain a healthy life. Many people are not aware they have a virus chronically lingering in their bodies and contributing to how they are feeling, however.

The Problem:

Chronic viruses are illnesses that have developed and remain alive in the body without the patient even being aware of them. Most people, including many physicians, believe that you get a virus and then you recover from it without considering that many viruses may “set up housekeeping” in your body and never leave.

For example, consider genital herpes (herpes simplex virus II = HSVII), a sexually transmitted virus, which has an initial phase, but is also known to come back over and over again. Most patients who have symptoms of genital herpes either need continuous treatment or frequent re-treatment to keep the virus under control. Long term treatment is preferred because genital herpes can be transmitted even when there are no obvious lesions.

Since it has been learned that viruses may never leave your body, it is important to understand what havoc they can wreak patient’s body. Besides the pain and damage these viruses routinely cause, these viruses can weaken the immune system and leave the body susceptible to other infections. When a body’s immune system is depleted or weak, infectious agents such as yeast, bacteria, and other viruses may take the opportunity to take root and start multiplying inside the body.

The body tries to keep these foreign invaders at bay, but when the immune system is depleted it cannot. These “opportunistic infections” are often seen in weakened immune system disorders such as cancer, newborns (with virtually no immune system), the elderly, and HIV/AIDS. Getting control of these infections is critical in patients whose systems are struggling with infection problems.

Many patients are totally unaware that they have underlying infections. The symptoms that are present are not fatal or incapacitating; they may be subtle and vague. As a result, most doctors are unable to know how to treat these patients. The patients may eventually get better, but are faced with having frequent flare ups when the symptoms come back again. Symptoms that are commonly seen with chronic infections include, but are not limited to:

• Recurrent fevers
• Hives
  
• Skin rashes
  
• Periods of exhausting fatigue following a stressful event
  
• Frequent sore throat
  
• Intestinal distress
  
• Chronic sinus or lung infections
  
• Chronic yeast (candida) infection

Several of the viruses that are found to be most common and problematic are:

• Herpes Simplex I (HSV-I) – the “fever blister/cold sore” virus
  
• Herpes Simplex II (HSV-II) – genital herpes
  
• Herpes Virus 3 – Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) – “mono”, or infectious mononucleosis
  
• Herpes Virus 4 – Cytomegalovirus (CMV) – this virus is a particularly dangerous virus, and can affect many systems; brain, sinuses, retinas, esophagus, stomach, intestines, liver and skin
  
• Herpes Virus 5 – Varicella virus – chicken pox/shingles
  
• Herpes Virus 6 – (HHV6) – Mostly an immune system virus

Other viruses that may be checked include:

• Parvo virus B19 – the human version of this virus, causing immune and skin problems
  
• Coxsackie A & B – the “Hand-Foot & Mouth” virus, 5ths Disease, 6ths Disease, or the “Slapped Face” disease often seen in children
  

Who is at risk?

• While these illnesses can affect anyone from any age or ethnic group, the largest groups of people affected by these disorders are people who take care of children or work with children; elementary and preschool teachers, pediatric nurses, dentists and their assistants and daycare workers.Because many of these people are women, it is no surprise that the majority of those affected with these viral disorders are women.
  

The Solution:

Through intensive and thorough laboratory testing, the underlying viruses and other possible infections can be diagnosed and correctly treated. Treatments include repairing the immune system (hormone and nutritional support), anti-viral prescription medications, "super viral IVs" (IV nutrition, etc.), and natural supplements that greatly boost the immune system. When a patient has received a full course of therapy, often they no longer have the symptoms produced by these disorders, and are capable of returning to their normal life.

Unfortunately, medical science has not found a way of eradicating these viral invaders. They incorporate themselves into our DNA, and become little “virus factories”. With chronic viruses, patients may need to take certain medications the rest of their lives to avoid the infection coming back. Long term treatments are not harmful, but must be monitored by physicians who thoroughly understand these treatments.

In conclusion…

The good news is chronic viral infections are routinely treatable with good outcomes. Many patients’ lives have been salvaged and restored through treatment, and they go on to have fully productive lives. There is hope for renewing your vitality!