What is Herpes?
Herpes refers to a family of viruses. Almost everyone carries one or more of the most common herpes viruses that occur in people (pets have different types than you do). The most well-known types are:
HSV-1 (cold sores)
HSV-2 (genital herpes)
HZV (chickenpox and shingles)
Six additional types round out the human herpes family. Among these are viruses that scientists believe to be responsible for many diseases, including:
Infectious mononucleosis
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Disorders of the immune system
Hepatitis
A type of skin cancer called Kaposi's sarcoma
This is a pretty nasty family of viruses. Herpes viruses are under constant scrutiny by research scientists because new discoveries point to an ever widening role for herpes in more and more diseases. Nearly 50,000 scientific journal articles have been published on herpes since 1975, more than 15,000 since the year 2000 alone.
The old notions of herpes as just a sexually transmitted disease that 'a friend of mine, not me' has, or as ordinary childhood chickenpox or an occasional cold sore, are obsolete. These old beliefs lull people into a false sense of security by completely missing how deadly this family of viruses can be to almost everyone in the country.
Herpes Dangers Are Much Greater Than Your Doctor Knows
If your doctor knew the trouble that herpes viruses can cause, you would be hearing about a worldwide herpes pandemic. Three-quarters of the population already has a type of herpes virus that has been linked with lupus, lymphomas, and a number of cancers. This type causes mutations that turn on cancer genes. Cancer is a bigger problem than ever, regardless of the propaganda claims from the cancer research industry.
Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading killers in all developed nations. Recent research has found that type of herpes virus may play a key role in the development of coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis. This type infects about 60% of adults and is even more common among homosexual men. It can be sexually transmitted.
Herpes viruses are opportunistic. They bloom when they sense that the immune system is preoccupied fighting off another infection, such as a cold or flu. When herpes viruses sense that stress, aging, cancer or physical injury, etc., has weakened the body, they accelerate their attack. This is why symptomatic herpes outbreaks often occur right after an illness like a severe flu, a physical injury such as surgery, or periods of emotional stress.
No Symptoms? The Shocking Hidden Story
A much larger number of people have herpes viruses than actually show symptoms, whether they be genital herpes, cold sores, shingles, or chickenpox. Symptom-free carriers of HSV-2 are more prevalent than those who develop genital rashes. Almost everyone has HSV-1, although fewer than 20% will ever have cold sores. All adults who had chickenpox as children will harbor HZV for life, even though this virus will only reappear as shingles in a minority of them.
Two newly discovered herpes viruses rarely cause typical herpes symptoms. However, they are found in about 90% of the population. These are considered to be "universal" herpes viruses. One is now linked with the development of multiple sclerosis. New types of herpes also play a role in heart disease, hypertension, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, lupus, and multiple sclerosis.
No Such Thing as a Herpes Cure: Even 'Latent' Infections Ruin Your Health
As you can see, herpes infections aren't just nuisance diseases as once thought. Regardless of whether they cause outbreaks or remain latent, these viruses are dangerous to everyone who has them. The old logic held that, since people were not visibly sick most of the time with herpes virus diseases, these viruses must be 'sleeping' during most of our lives and therefore were not dangerous to our health. Herpes viruses are not actually 'sleeping' at all. Rather, they are very active in the parts of the body that they inhabit, inflicting constant, cumulative damage to critical organs in our bodies as they replicate at a low level throughout our lives. This damage begins early in life, at a low enough level to not produce any noticeable symptoms in generally healthy individuals.
This new way of viewing herpes viruses is a tremendously important revelation that will affect everyone, since herpes viruses are universal factors in human health. The medical data are very clear. Virtually 100% of the human population, regardless of location, carries at least one herpes virus. Research also shows that the majority of the human population is harboring at least five herpes virus infections.
And herpes viruses never go away complete. This means that no treatment can be considered a true herpes cure.
Ongoing herpes research underscores the challenge of understanding how this family of viruses affects our immune system. Several dozen complications are already known to be associated with herpes infections of different types, and more are being discovered each year. Many such complications, such as painful post-herpetic neuralgia, do not respond to antiviral treatments and can drag on for months or years after the initial infection has subsided.
Drugs Are Not the Answer
Synthetic drugs do, indeed, stop viruses from reproducing. They do not, however, help your body defend itself. On the contrary, drugs slow your immune system down right when you need it the most. Why doctors continue to prescribe them has to do with big business, not with your health.
You must learn about the actions of both new and old antiviral drugs if you want to even think about choosing this route for your health. Drug companies have come up with a lot of tricks. Your only defense against them is to keep up with what they are doing.
Best Natural Treatments
The main advantages of natural treatments is that they are non-toxic, have multiple ways to help you fight a viral infection, and often help boost your immune system just when you need it the most. They also offer short-term solutions as well as long-term health. The track record of herbs is especially impressive against the trickiest types of herpes, the ones that cause genital herpes, cold sores, and shingles.
Worldwide research on natural herpes treatments is substantial. The health benefits of certain herbs, such as creosote bush and lemon balm are well-established. The importance of boosting the right vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional supplements is a must-know for you. Research on the benefits of Tai Chi may even surprise you. On the other hand, studies on lysine supplementation show that this amino acid doesn't really measure up to what people have thought.
Key to Your Success Against Herpes
It may be my bias as a former university professor. However, I believe that the key to good health in the face herpes is to know about how the latest research can be of benefit to you. The activities of herbs against viruses are being investigated in laboratories around the world every day. Hundreds of research articles have been published on this topic over the past few years.
It may be difficult and overwhelming for you to find the latest research on your own and to interpret its value for you. Your best bet is to find a scientist who has expertise in this area and with whom you can communicate regularly. You can also surf the Internet to find all of the sites and blogs that offer reviews of the scientific literature for the public and that provide regular updates on the latest studies.
Living a normal life with herpes, whether it leads to outbreaks or lurks dangerously in its so-called 'latent' form, demands that you stay well-informed. It is your best hope for making the best choices for your own health.
Dr. Dennis Clark, PhD, is a research scientist who spent many years conducting studies in his university laboratory on the benefits of medicinal plants against herpes. Get his free DVD on herpes research and natural treatments at http://herpesreliefcenter.com.
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herpes simplex zoster and low glutathione levels: herpes simplex
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