How Do I Know if I Have EBV?
What is Epstein – Barr Virus? Epstein – Barr virus is a very common virus. It is from the herpes family of viruses, and is known as human herpes virus 4. It is found all over the world and most people get infected with EBV at some point in their lives. Once infected with Epstein – Barr virus, you have it in your body for good. It’s DNA stays in your cells, most commonly affecting B cells, but can also infect other immune cells as well. You may have heard of it more commonly as the viruses that causes mononucleosis, mono, or the kissing disease. It is primarily spread through saliva and bodily fluids. What symptoms does Epstein – Barr virus cause? When you are first infected. Typically when you are first infected with Epstein – Barr virus the symptoms include: fatigue fever inflamed throat swollen lymph nodes in the neck enlarged spleen swollen liver rash Usually these symptoms only last for a little bit ( 2 – 4 ) weeks and then you feel better. The virus is considered self – limiting and is sometimes mild to where you may not have known you had it or you just thought it was a cold or the flu. Typically doctors just recommend rest and fluids during this time. What about Reactivation? Remember how I said that EBV stays in the body for good? Well, turns out it can turn back on and make you sick again. This is termed going back into a lytic state. Reactivation has become more concerning as research continues to come out about EBV’s involvement in cancers and autoimmune conditions. Typical reactivation symptoms. In my clinical experience I have seen that reactivation symptoms are usually more severe and broader than acute infection and may include: Flu – like symptoms Anxiety Depression Brain fog Insomnia Hormone problems Digestion problems Neuralgias Vagus nerve dysfunction Hepatomegaly EMF sensitivity Testing When it comes to getting tested for EBV, it is actually really simple. You can do a good old fashioned blood draw with your doctor and insurance may or may not cover it. The key is to order a complete panel! If you communicate your symptoms with your doctor and ask for a complete panel they should listen and order it for you. If not there are also private labs available. Complete panel EBV VCA IgM: This is positive during acute infection and sometimes during reactivation. It is showing your body’s first response to the viral capsid antigen. This is your body’s first immune response to Epstein – Barr virus. EBV VCA IgG: This is positive after you have been infected. It can stay positive even after initial infection. Often times it is very elevated during reactivation. EBV EBNA IgG: This may be positive after you have been infected. It is showing you developed antibodies to the nuclear antigen of the virus. Similar to EBV VCA IgG, it may stay positive after initial infection and often times shows extreme elevation during reactivation. EBV EA – D: This is looking at the early antigen. This is positive during reactivation. As you can see, when a complete panel is run it gives a picture of how your immune system is responding to Epstein – Barr virus and that paired with a thorough history and your symptoms helps your doctor understand if you are having a first time infection, reactivation, or if you are experiencing chronic reactivation. P.S. Whenever you are ready, here is how I can help you now: 1. Work with me 1 on 1 in my 3 month transformation plan. Click Here for Details. 2. Learn more about EBV Bootcamp Here. 2. Sign up to learn when I share my next webinar Here. 3. Check out my podcasts where I talk all about Epstein – Barr virus Here. References: https://www.cdc.gov/epstein-barr/about-ebv.html Kerr JR. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation and therapeutic inhibitors. J Clin Pathol. 2019 Oct;72(10):651-658. doi: 10.1136/jclinpath-2019-205822. Epub 2019 Jul 17. PMID: 31315893.
Long haulers and POTS
What are long haulers? More people are reporting symptoms that linger for months after infection with COVID-19. Sometimes called “Long Haulers,” these people experience everything from exhaustion to headaches to shortness of breath and a racing heartbeat. Some doctors have noticed similarities between these symptoms and a rare condition called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). What is Pots? POTS is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system. People with POTS experience a sudden drop of blood pressure when they stand up because their blood vessels don’t respond quickly enough to return blood to the heart and brain. With POTS, the heart races and heart rate can double or triple upon standing up. Other symptoms of POTS include dizziness, headaches, shortness of breath, and brain fog. People can become sensitive to lights or sound or temperature. They can even develop digestive problems. In many ways, POTS is similar to chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia. The cause is unknown in conventional medicine, the symptoms are vague, and there is no definite cure. In my experience I have commonly seen POTS present with Epstein – Barr virus, mold, and Lyme disease. Complete list of pots symptoms This is the complete list of symptoms related to POTs from the Cleveland Clinic: High/low blood pressure High/low heart rate; racing heart rate Chest pain Dizziness/lightheadedness especially in standing up, prolonged standing in one position, or long walks Fainting or near-fainting Exhaustion/fatigue Abdominal pain and bloating, nausea Temperature deregulation (hot or cold) Nervous, jittery feeling Forgetfulness and trouble focusing (brain fog) Blurred vision Headaches and body pain/aches (may feel flu-like); neck pain Insomnia and frequent awakenings from sleep, chest pain and racing heart rate during sleep, excessive sweating Shakiness/tremors especially with adrenaline surges Discoloration of feet and hands Exercise intolerance Excessive or lack of sweating Diarrhea and/or constipation How to deal with pots When dealing with POTS, it is important to get to the root cause and take a holistic look at how all of the body systems interact. In POTS, there are interactions between the nervous system, adrenal function and overall stress response, immune system, gastrointestinal system and more. Whereas the conventional approach to treating disease gives a medication to cover up a symptom, a functional approach looks under the hood for the root cause. We begin to balance the body systems from the inside out rather than just taping on a band-aid. We are still learning how COVID-19 affects the body in the long run. We do, however, know a lot about the long-term effects of some other infections (like EBV and Lyme disease). It’s in these complex cases and unique presentations that root cause medicine and Naturopathic care shine. Practicing medicine is a continuous process of learning and connecting what we already know with new situations. We are here to support all patients—but especially those who are not getting the results they want and deserve elsewhere. Please reach out to our office at support@drkaseyholland.com if you have any questions about how we can help. References: Rubin R. As Their Numbers Grow, COVID-19 “Long Haulers” Stump Experts. JAMA. 2020;324(14):1381–1383.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2771111 National Institutes of Health. NINDS POTS Dysautonomia International. General Information Brochure on Orthostatic Intolerance and its Treatment NHS. Postural Tachycardia Syndrome PoTS. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16560-postural-orthostatic-tachycardia-syndrome-pots
How to Exercise with Chronic Fatigue
Do you feel sick or “sicker” after exercise? Do you feel like even a little bit of exercise knocks you down? Do you notice a flare up or increase in your health ailments after gentle exercise? This commonly happens with chronic fatigue, stealth infections, and autoimmune conditions. It is not “Just in your head.” This is known as post – exertional malaise. It is also starting to be called systemic exercise intolerance disease. Post – Exertional malaise You may experience an extreme increase in your symptoms, debilitating fatigue, or an increase in sore muscles that does not correlate to the intensity of your work out. There is more research being done on this topic, but it is still not well understood and most of the time you are left without a plan of action! One of the biggest problems with post – exertional malaise is that it causes a decrease in exercise. Now, hang with me here. This decrease in exercise is completely normal, it is you listening to your body, recognizing that something is not right, and trying to allow your body to heal. The problem is that sedentary lifestyle makes chronic fatigue worse. It also leaves your body unable to fight infections optimally. Less blood flowing for long periods of time means that your heart is not staying in shape, you are not getting as much oxygen to tissues in your body, and immune cells are not getting pumped around as well either! Exercise is important for all these things and more. So, how can you exercise without feeling awful the next day? What to do about it We have to start where you are at and begin adding in movement. Your exercise now looks different. Your exercise needs to be targeted in such a way that it builds your health and does not tear it down. Let’s talk about ways this can be done. Isometric contractions. This form of exercise is a type of strength training in which the joint angle and muscle length do not change during contraction. Isometrics are done in static positions. A study showed that during sustained isometric muscle contraction there was increased blood flow and circulation. This is a way to build your muscles that is less taxing, while still increasing circulation and pumping blood back to your heart. Benefits of isometric contractions One study showed that isometric contractions in yoga helped improve chronic fatigue. Improvements in fatigue and pain of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, who were resistant to conventional therapy, showed better outcomes. This is huge because not only was there improvement in fatigue, but pain as well – think fibromyalgia here. Building muscle and strength training has also been shown to have a positive impact on your immune system and help reduce inflammation. Studies have shown reduction in IL-4, IL-10, CRP, and IFN-γ, all of which contribute to inflammation. Another benefit of strength straining is supporting your mitochondria. Many times chronic illnesses disrupt the way our mitochondria work and we are unable to create ATP like we once did. This causes even more fatigue. Strength and resistance training help prevent this from happening in muscles. Exercise may look different for you now, but starting out with exercise that is doable for you and in the form that your body needs it is vital to preventing further chronic illness, protecting your heart, optimizing your immune function, keeping mitochondria healthy, and getting your energy back. Adding the right form of exercise back in stops the snowball effect and implications on your health that a sedentary lifestyle can have. Start where you are. Do what you can. References https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/69/3/302 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4269854/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1001318 https://ndnr.com/anti-aging/muscle-as-medicine-a-most-naturopathic-anti-aging-medicine Categories: health and wellness, epstein – barr virus, chronic fatigue, exercise
Is Mold Making You Sick?
Step 1: Screen your symptoms Do your symptoms suggest mold exposure? Thankfully there is a tool that can help gauge how likely it is that your symptoms are due to mold exposure. Take this QUIZ created by Dr. Jill Crista, ND to find out how moldy your symptoms are. Step 2: So, you have moldy symptoms Let’s gather some more easy information. When mold is contributing to symptoms often times it will affect how your optic nerve sends information and processes contrast. To test this Dr. Shoemaker created an easy online screening test known as the VCS test. He has found that there is a high likelihood that mold is a factor when people fail this test. Take the VCS test HERE. Step 3: Moldy symptoms and a failed VCS test If you scored high on the moldy symptoms and failed the VCS test, then it is time to see how mold is affecting your body, what kinds of mold are contributing, and how much is present. No test is perfect, but these are the tests that I have seen be most effective. 1. Vibrant Wellness Mycotoxins Urine Test This test is an at home urine test that can be sent to your home from your doctor. It looks at mycotoxins, which are produced from mold in your urine. It checks the most common mycotoxins that lead to health problems, which includes 31 different mycotoxins. Different species of mold affect different systems of the body. Knowing what kind of mold you are dealing with is important. Vibrant is able to detect mycotoxins as small as 5pcg, which greatly expands it’s ability to detect mycotoxins. 2. Great Plains Laboratory Organic Acids Test It is very helpful to also have the Organic Acids Test done because this allows us to see how mold is affecting your body. Mold causes a lot of oxidative stress in systems. How well you are able to detox, methylate, and repair is an important part of recovery. The OAT test gives us insight into these things. Along with this, it also checks for other fungal loads present like candida. When mold is present it is important to check candida as well because this contributes to your total fungal load. The OAT test also looks at dysbiotic bacteria that may be affecting your gastrointestinal health and immunity. All of these things allow for a more targeted approach to you beating the mold and getting back to symptom free. Are you dealing with mold and ready to break free? Schedule below to get started with Dr. Kasey clearing the mold! Clear the mold References: 1.Crista, Jill. Break the Mold. www.drcrista.com 2.VCS test. Surviving Mold, www.survivingmold.com. www.survivingmold.com 3.Mycotoxins test, https://www.vibrant-wellness.com/tests/mycotoxins/ 4. Shaw, William, and Matthew Pratt – Hyatt. “Biochemical Markers in the Urine Associated with Gastrointestinal Mold-Overgrowth Are Linked with Elevated Urinary Mycotoxins in Patients with Suspected Mold Illness.” 21 Nov. 2019, doi:https://static1.squarespace.com/static/560ac814e4b067a33438ecea/t/5dd6b844ba56c218436f79c8/1574352966228/New+Mycotox+Article+Townsend+102319.pdf. 5. Organic acids test https://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/organic-acids-test
Why is Testing for Chronic Lyme Disease Difficult?
Often referred to as the great imitator, Lyme disease has become increasingly common as the stealthy culprit for a variety of symptoms that people experience. There is a reason that Lyme is referred to as a stealth infection. Lyme disease is caused by a unique type of bacteria known as a spirochete named Borrelia burgdorferi. While Borrelia burgdorferi is the most common offender, there are many different species and sub species of spirochetes that can also create symptoms. The disease is transmitted to humans via tick bites from black legged ticks that are usually in their nymph phase, which means they are less than 2mm in size and difficult to see. There has been controversy over acute verses chronic Lyme presentations, which are now being referred to as Post – Treatment Lyme Disease by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and NIH (National Institutes for Health). This article serves to provide you with information about Chronic Lyme disease testing as well as ways to gauge whether or not a spirochete could be contributing to your chronic health problems. Standard Testing Standard testing uses direct and indirect testing. Direct testing is only specific for the microbe being tested and usually only useful for acute infections. The spirochete is called a stealth infection for a reason. It hides in cells, cysts, mucous membranes, lymph, synovial fluid, and deep in tissue, which makes it difficult to isolate. It also replicates in low levels during chronic infections – enough to make you sick, but not enough to be easily detected. Direct testing uses PCR (polymerase chain reaction) to isolate the microbe’s DNA. When able to isolate it is useful, but this is difficult to do in chronic Lyme. Indirect testing uses serology. It looks at blood samples that look for your body’s response to Lyme or proteins from the actual spirochete itself. This kind of testing has high false negatives for the same reasons listed above. Due to the stealthy tactics of Lyme it is still difficult to isolate these responses in the blood. The most common indirect tests used and what you will usually receive from your primary care doctor are ELISA and Western Blot. ELISA – This stands for Enzyme Linked Immunoassay. This measures your body’s antibody in your blood to the spirochete. Western Blot – This also detects your body’s antibodies. It is able to look at different microbes. This is why in order to be positive with this test you need multiple bands present. This is more sensitive than the ELISA for Borrelia. This can be ran at standard labs like Quest and LabCorp, but IGeneX tests for the most strains and is more sensitive. It is more expensive and it still has false negatives. It was all negative, but I’m really sick If all your standard Lyme tests with your primary care provider showed up negative, but you have the symptoms it is time to do some deeper investigation. While this is not diagnostic, taking the Horowitz Score Questionnaire helps you and your Naturopathic doctor get an idea of how vast your symptoms are and how likely they are to be from a tick – borne illness. Here is the Horowitz Questionnaire. If you score really high, then keep reading and continue deeper investigation. Non – standard testing Armin – Armin labs has a variety of tests. They can check immune cell function and several co-infections that can be helpful. If interested in using their tests check with Global Lyme Alliance or Lyme Advise because sometimes they provide patients with financial assistance, discounted testing etc. Ceres Nanotrap – Ceres tests for spirochete in the urine. This test can be done at home. It checks for the outer surface protein from Borrelia bacteria. It is listed as having high sensitivity for acute infection. Chronic infections can be more difficult because the spirochete has even more time to be in tissue and not so much in blood. If this is the case using a sauna before Ceres collection can help drive the spirochete out of tissue and increase sensitivity of catching it in the urine. This test is not acknowledged as being diagnostic for Lyme by standard of care and conventional medicine. How’s your body doing? Thyroid – It is common for the thyroid to have problems when dealing with stealth infections. Checking in on your thyroid is key for proper immune function, but it needs to be a complete thyroid panel that includes T3, rT3, T4, fT4, AND TSH. These can be ordered by your primary care provider, but in conventional medicine the rT3 and fT4 is often left out so make sure to request a complete panel. Inflammation – chronic Lyme can cause high levels of inflammation and lead to autoimmune conditions. Checking your CRP is a good idea. This can be ordered by your primary care provider. Immune function – Lyme takes a toll on the immune system. Checking your Natural killer cells (CD57 and CD56) is helpful for seeing how your immune system is doing and tracking your progress through treatment with Lyme. It is a common trend to see these become very low with chronic Lyme disease. These can be ran by Armin, but your primary care provider can also order them. Organic Acids Test – This test gives us a good look at if you have any candida, mycotoxins, dysbiotic bacteria, how your oxidative stress levels are, and how your mitochondria are functioning. If you have any of these out of balance it will be especially hard to get your body in a place where it can overcome Lyme. This is especially true with mold and candida! It can also give insight to whether or not MTHFR testing is appropriate. If you cannot detox properly it will be very difficult for you to feel better when treating Lyme. Comprehensive stool test – If your Organic Acids test comes back high for dysbiotic bacteria and candida then a stool test will be helpful in restoring
The Science Behind Celery Juice
Celery juice has had quite the claim to fame. Celery juice is commonly listed as having the following benefits on many health platforms. Should celery be the most famous vegetable of all time? Celery’s current claims to fame Lowers inflammation Supports weight loss Helps heal digestion Reduces bloating Helps eczema and psoriasis Fights infections Helps prevent UTI’s Healing for acne Prevents high blood pressure Helps lower high cholesterol Helps prevent ulcers Protects liver health Can one simple vegetable really do all of these and how does it work? Why have we not used it before? Celery juice is not a new thing Celery also known by it’s latin name of Apium graveolens in botanical medicine has long been recognized and used by the Naturopathic medical community. It has been used in raw plant form, juice form, capsules of celery seed extract, and tincture form. Different parts of celery also have different properties ( fruit, leaf, root, seeds). Think you are getting all the amazing properties in your juice? Well, tinctures can do this with many plants even more powerfully. You can get that property in a highly concentrated form and only need a couple dropper fulls! Different forms of plants have different properties. Isolating different constituents allows for targeted effects in your health. Isolating and formulating these medicinal properties is the ancient art of botanical medicine. Naturopathic doctors complete 130 hours of botanical medicine education just in the classroom. Some of the core medicinal conditions that celery has been used for are hypertension (high blood pressure), nutrition, diuretic properties, and detoxification. It is well known for its’ diuretic properties and as being a source for potassium. The diuretic, lipid – lowering, and liver protective properties that are listed in regards to celery are actually best achieved when the properties of the seed are used! You can have too much celery juice?! Celery’s diuretic properties are why it has been said to help with kidney stones as well as high blood pressure. It is important to note here that when using celery for these purposes that it needs to be used according to other factors. For example, how high your blood pressure is and how consistent it is needs to be taken into account by your doctor so that the health of your organs and kidneys is protected. As for kidney stones it can help flush things out due to its diuretic properties, but this is only if the stone has also been properly broken down. Be careful here! This is another case that needs to be carefully monitored. Too much diuretic activity with a kidney stone can actually cause an obstruction with the stone. In other words, a lot of PAIN! That’s right you can have too much celery juice. Just like you can have too much of anything. It is always important to use medicine ( I believe food is medicine) and any health technique in accordance with your own personal health needs, medications, and history. What works for one person is not going to work for everyone. The science behind the magic in celery juice The magic ingredient in celery juice that can be beneficial for your health is p – coumaric acid. There are a mix of other wonderful compounds in celery juice as well, but this guy is the one getting attention. P – coumaric acid is from the polyphenol family. It has properties that help reduce intestinal absorbtion of carbohydrates, modulates enzymes involved in using glucose, and helps you process glucose better so that your pancreas does not have to work so hard. It also helps improve gut microbiota because your good gut bacteria get nutrients from celery – they like to eat it too. It has antioxidant properties as well as anti – inflammatory properties. Essentially, p – coumaric acid gets absorbed in our gastrointestinal tract, boosts our flora there, helps us control our blood sugar, gets passed through our liver, where it helps us detoxify, then out through the kidneys, helping filter all the toxins out of our body! Many of us feel a lot better when we do simple detoxes like adding in celery juice to our day. We feel even better when we reduce processed foods. Celery juice helps our body better process all that we are exposed to. It is a great habit when used properly and in moderation. Amazing! Right? How else can I get p – coumaric acid? Yes, it is amazing that p – coumaric acid can do this, but it can do this in other fruits and vegetables as well. Not just celery. P – coumaric acid is found in plants in general. Thus, celery juice, while extremely popular and an easy way to get p – coumaric acid is not the only food that can do this. Detox, antioxidants, and the gut microbiota are all pieces of ancient medicine that Naturopathic doctors use regularly to restore health. Celery juice is an example of one of the many tools we have to accomplish these things. We have a whole arsenal of simple tools like celery juice to beat your health ailments and empower you to take your health back. Want to have the effects of celery juice x 10?! Incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your daily routine, try eating the rainbow. You might be surprised what happens. Still think celery is the hero? Yes celery juice is amazing when used appropriately. However, there are other heroic vegetables out there, and celery’s properties are not just found in the juice! References Al-Asmari, Abdulrahman Khazim et al. “An Updated Phytopharmacological Review on Medicinal Plant of Arab Region: Apium graveolens Linn” Pharmacognosy reviews vol. 11,21 (2017): 13-18. El‐Seedi HR, El‐Said AM, Khalifa SA, Göransson U, Bohlin L, Borg‐Karlson AK et al., Biosynthesis, natural sources, dietary intake, pharmacokinetic properties, and biological activities of hydroxycinnamic acids. J Agric Food Chem 60:10877–10895 (2012). Kooti W, Daraei N, A Review of the Antioxidant Activity of Celery ( Apium graveolens L). J
