Harmony Hub Health
Functional Medicine, Hormone Health and Weight Loss with Michele Postol, CRNP
Harmony Hub Health
EBV: The ‘I’m Still Here’ Virus
There's a silent saboteur that might be lurking in your system, one that approximately 90% of adults worldwide carry without knowing it. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) goes far beyond just causing mono—it could be the hidden culprit behind your unexplained fatigue, brain fog, autoimmune flare-ups, and mysterious health struggles.
After seeing multiple patients with EBV-related issues in recent weeks, I felt compelled to shed light on this misunderstood virus. EBV is remarkably crafty—once infected, it integrates itself into your B cells' DNA and can remain dormant for years before something triggers it to reactivate. Stress, poor nutrition, or immune system weaknesses can all wake this sleeping giant, setting off a cascade of symptoms that conventional medicine often misattributes to other causes.
When EBV reactivates, it's like running a marathon with a backpack full of bricks—your body expends tremendous energy fighting an invisible battle. The virus hijacks your B cells, forcing them to produce more viral particles while your immune system launches inflammatory responses that leave you feeling exhausted, achy, and mentally foggy. This chronic state can eventually trigger autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis when your confused immune system starts attacking your own tissues.
But there's hope through functional medicine approaches that go beyond just managing symptoms. I've seen remarkable results using ozone therapy—a treatment that supercharges oxygen levels to make your body hostile territory for EBV while directly attacking viral particles. Combined with orthomolecular NK cell stimulation to enhance your immune system's natural killer cells, these approaches strengthen your body's ability to identify and eliminate EBV before it can cause trouble.
Don't let this sneaky virus dictate your health and energy levels. If you recognize these symptoms in yourself, comprehensive testing can reveal whether EBV is playing a role in your health struggles. Schedule a consultation at Harmony Hub Health where we can develop a personalized strategy using immune support, detoxification, and advanced therapies to help you reclaim your vitality and kick EBV to the curb once and for all.
Welcome to Harmony Hub Health, where my mission is to provide comprehensive, affordable, integrative care that addresses the root cause of health issues. At the Hub, the focus is on individual patient journeys. I strive to optimize health, vitality and longevity, fostering a community where each person can thrive in body, mind and spirit. Today I want to talk about a virus that's been around for ages, quietly wreaking havoc in your system while you're distracted with life. This is the Epstein-Barr virus, also known as EBV, and my earliest memory of EBV was a neighbor that we had when I lived in Fort Walton Beach, florida. I was very young at the time so my memory may not be fully accurate, but I remember there was a son who was in high school or older and he got mono and they made him stay in their camper outside of their house for several, several weeks. So you might have heard of EBV, you may know it as a culprit behind mono, but did you know that it could be messing with your health in many ways that you're not even aware of In functional medicine? I like to take a deep dive into how EBV impacts your body, not just when you're in bed feeling awful with sore throat and fatigue, but in sneaky ways that affect your immune system, energy levels and overall health. So I want to kind of break it down a little bit. Just in the past few weeks at Harmony Hub Health I have come across three EBV patients. One of them came to me because she had EBV and wanted treatment. One of them came for other things but knew that she had EBV, so we started treatment to see if that could help with that. And then I had another patient that came in with just unknowingly having EBV. But because of the other functional medicine testing we did, I decided to check for EBV and, lo and behold, it was probably what was affecting her energy levels and draining her so much. So I thought this would be a good time to talk about it and really give some great information in case you are suffering from it or think you might be.
Speaker 1:So Epstein-Barr virus is a member of the herpes virus family. You know the one that's also responsible for cold sores. It's that party crasher that's been lurking in your body and once you're exposed to it, usually through saliva that's why they call it the kissing disease it takes up residence in your cells. Ebv does not just hang out and mind its own business. It can be activated at any time by stress, poor nutrition and any various trigger that can do that. Most people get infected with EBV during their childhood or early adulthood and never really notice it, but for some unlucky individuals, ebv stays dormant in the body for years before waking up and wreaking havoc. When it does, it often leads to more than just the kissing disease.
Speaker 1:We're talking about chronic fatigue, autoimmune flare-ups and even cancer in extreme cases. But if you're wondering signs that you may have EBV besides the obvious fatigue, you know EBV could make you feel like a zombie for weeks. But what if you didn't catch it during the official episode? Here's where EBV likes to sneak in and make things a little trickier. So common signs include the chronic fatigue. This is the kind of fatigue that makes you feel like your body has been hit by a truck and then it came around the corner and ran over you a couple more times. Then there's the brain fog. If you ever feel like your brain is just wrapped in cotton wool, ebv could be the blame for that as well. And of course, this is after we've ruled out other factors that we can talk about during consultation.
Speaker 1:Also, ebv is linked to autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's lupus, rheumatoid arthritis Isn't that fun, because usually if you have one of those, you have more than one. If you have frequent colds or infections, you know EBV is something to look at because it could weaken your immune system. It leaves you vulnerable to bugs and viruses that normally wouldn't stand a chance. If you have swollen lymph nodes, they're likely your body's emergency response team, and when they're on high alert, it's usually a sign that something is up alert, it's usually a sign that something is up. What about an EBV flare? What happens in your body and why is it such a pain? So picture this you're going about your day feeling pretty good until suddenly you're hit with a wave of fatigue, brain fog, joint aches, you might even get swollen glands or a sore throat for good measure, and you think not again. That is an EBV flare and your body's way of telling you that this crafty little virus is causing some chaos behind the scenes. But what is actually happening on the cellular level? How does EBV go from being an invisible bystander to causing so much trouble? Okay, let's dive into that. So first we'll talk about how EBV gets comfy in your body. It's like that house guest who arrives uninvited, settles in and then quietly stays hidden, dormant, minding its own business for a while.
Speaker 1:Ebv enters your body when it is first contracted, even you know, mostly saliva. That's why it's the kissing disease. It takes up residence in your B cells. This is a type of white blood cell that is central to your immune system. Once in, ebv essentially goes underground, integrating itself into the DNA of your B cells. Think of it as EBV's version of the Houdini escape trick. It stays inside the cells. It evades detection by your immune system like an invisible ghost. This is the dormant phase, and it can last for years. During this phase, ebv does not cause much of a ruckus. You're walking around oblivious, maybe having a drink or two, but definitely not with EBV in mind. And then now, this is when things get interesting, ebv in mind. And then now this is when things get interesting.
Speaker 1:If your immune system gets compromised, ebv can decide to reactivate. Think of it like a dormant volcano that suddenly erupts without warning. It could be triggered by stress, sleep deprivation, hormonal changes, poor diet or viral infections that weaken your immune system. And this is when EBV's evil twin emerges. When it reactivates, the virus bursts out of its dormant state. And here's what happens. First EBV starts replicating. The virus wakes up and starts multiplying, like a surprise party you never asked for. It hijacks your B cells and forces them to turn out new virus particles. Your immune system, still trying to keep everything in check, suddenly finds itself overwhelmed by the sudden burst of viral activity. Then you have your immune system response. Your body reacts to the reactivation of EBV by sending in cytotoxic T cells. This is your immune system SWAT team to hunt down and destroy infected B-cells.
Speaker 1:What happens next? Inflammation. These T-cells rush in like bouncers in a nightclub, but the problem is they're also causing collateral damage to your healthy cells along the way. This is when you feel the swollen lymph nodes, the sore throat and joint pain. As the immune system gets fired up, it releases cytokines, these signaling molecules that help control immune responses. Normally they are kind of helpful, but when EBV is involved they can go into overdrive, leading to cytokine storm. I saw this a lot with the COVID virus when I was working in the intensive care unit. This storm creates a cascade of inflammation that can leave you feeling fatigued, achy and generally miserable.
Speaker 1:The real problem with EBV is that it doesn't just invade any old cell. It goes straight for the B cells which are responsible for producing antibodies that help your immune system fight off infections, and as EBV replicates, it uses your B cells as its personal factory for new viruses. As a result, the body's antibody production can get all mixed up and you might see autoimmune responses or chronic infection issues because the body cannot keep up with the viral load. Eventually your immune system gets a grip on the flare up and puts the virus back into quasi -dormancy. But the thing is, ebv doesn't actually ever leave. It just waits for the next opportunity to pop back up.
Speaker 1:When your immune system is vulnerable and during an EB flare, you might feel like you're battling an invisible enemy, but on a cellular level it is a full-on war. The viral replication, immune system activation and inflammation all contribute to the symptoms you experience. This can lead to chronic fatigue. When your body is in an inflammatory state, it uses up a ton of energy fighting the virus, leaving you exhausted. It's like running a marathon while carrying a backpack full of bricks. Then the brain fog, that feeling of being mentally hazy. It's tied to inflammation in the brain caused by cytokine release. Your neurons are like what day is it again? Then the muscle and joint pain as your immune system runs amok. Inflammation doesn't just stay in your lymph nodes, it spreads to your muscles, your joints, making you feel like you've just done a crazy workout, except you did not.
Speaker 1:And when EBV triggers a prolonged immune response, it can confuse the body into attacking its own tissues, leading to autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto's, thyroiditis or lupus. Ankylosing spondylosis is one that I've noticed. And if you're prone to frequent EBV reactivations or your immune system is constantly under attack, you could be looking at chronic EBV a long-term game of whack-a-mole. Remember that whack-a-mole where you're constantly just hammering down. That's how I feel when you get these symptoms that pop up and you try to whack them one by one and you know it kind of fades away but doesn't go away completely. So this chronic state can lead to fatigue syndromes, autoimmune diseases and persistent viral infections. It's a tough cycle to break, but with functional medicine I focus on restoring immune balance and managing EBV flare-ups with a mix of nutrition, lifestyle changes, immune modulation and supportive therapy like ozone or orthomolecular. So don't worry, because EBV might be tricky, but with the right support you can manage flares and keep this virus from stealing the show. Okay, if you're listening to this and nodding your head, thinking, oh my goodness, this sounds like me, you might be wondering how to get tested In the world of functional medicine.
Speaker 1:I'm all about understanding what's really going on in your body beyond just the surface symptoms. So traditional testing for EBV is done with a blood test checking for the presence of antibodies like IgM and IgG. But functional medicine takes it a step further by checking for EBV, viral load and immune, looking at how well your body's responding to this long time resident virus. I'm talking more than just whether or not you have it right now. The comprehensive testing can also provide clues about your immune health how much EBV is in your system and whether it's causing a chronic issue. Ebv is so crafty I thought I was crafty. It can take root in your body and hide out in your cells, waiting for the perfect moment to flare up. In functional medicine, I don't just throw antibiotics and call it a day, because spoiler alert antibiotics don't do squat for viruses. Instead, I focus on supporting your body's immune system and detoxification pathways to help clear out the virus or at least keep it in check.
Speaker 1:Now some functional medicine approaches with the EBV treatment. One is immune support. Boosting your immune system is so key, so I might recommend things like vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc and herbal remedies like elderberry and echinacea. Stress management has to be a big part of it, because stress is a big trigger for EBV activation. Management has to be a big part of it, because stress is a big trigger for EBV activation. That would mean meditation, yoga, vagal nerve stimulation and other forms of stress relief, which are very important for keeping that sneaky virus in its dormant state. The detox protocols that I have because EBV loves to hang out in your liver and other organs, so supporting your detox systems with liver support supplements and gentle detox protocols really can help Gut health, because a huge chunk of your immune system lives in your gut.
Speaker 1:I focus on healing and maintaining a healthy gut flora with probiotics, prebiotics and possibly gut healing herbs. These are things that will go over at your consultation. There's also antiviral herbs. These are herbs that are known to fight viruses, such as licorice root, cat's claw, andrographis, which can support your body in keeping EBV in check. And then I have peptide therapy. In some cases I love to use peptides like thymus and alpha-1. That can really help stimulate your immune system to attack EBV more effectively.
Speaker 1:Now this is where I think things get more exciting, because here's my favorite absolute treatments. It's ozone therapy and then orthomolecular. These are two game-changing treatments that I'm using right now when it comes to tackling EBV head-on. So for ozone therapy, imagine this. Imagine your body is a high-tech fortress and EBV is that annoying invader that knows how to sneak in and hide in the deepest corners. Now ozone therapy is the secret agent that knows every hidden passage. It can trap the invader and force it out. And I want to break out how the superhero therapy works to kick EBV's butt. All right. Ozone is a molecule made up of three oxygen atoms, so O3. And while that may sound like a chemistry lesson, trust me, this is a complete game changer. I'm seeing it happen with my own eyes.
Speaker 1:When ozone enters your body, it works its magic in three main ways that make EBV quiver. Number one it boosts oxygen like a supercharger. Ebv is so lazy it thrives in low oxygen environments where it can hide and just wreak havoc without much resistance. Ozone therapy, however, supercharges the oxygen levels in your bloodstream. It makes the environment very unfriendly for any virus. Ebv doesn't like fresh oxygen rich atmosphere. So it's like making EBV try to survive in a super fancy penthouse when it's used to hanging out in a creepy, nasty, crusty basement, and EBV doesn't stand a chance. Number two it fires up your immune system. Think of ozone like your body's motivational speaker. When it enters, it stimulates your immune cells to work harder, like setting your immune system on beast mode. It activates your white blood cells those are your immune system's elite fighters and it makes them more efficient in identifying and fighting off EBV. This is really important because, remember, ebv is a master of disguise. With ozone therapy, your immune system gets the boost it needs to spot and destroy EBV before they can even cause any trouble. And then, number three it's the viral hitman mode. So it's a direct attack on EBV.
Speaker 1:But that's not all. Ozone therapy doesn't just rely on making your immune system stronger. It directly attacks the virus. Ozone's high reactivity helps break down viral particles. It destroys the structural integrity of the virus. It's like a hammer smashing glass. So ozone can cripple the EBV particles, making them unable to replicate or spread.
Speaker 1:Basically, ebv gets knocked down and ozone is there to make sure it stays down. This is when I really have to give, maybe, extra binders, because, as we're breaking down the virus structure, you might need some help eliminating it. But when you get ozone therapy, you're not just helping your body breathe easier even though that is a big perk You're making your body's hostile territory for EBV. With its ability to boost oxygen, ramp up your immune defenses and directly attack the virus, ozone therapy becomes a virus busting ninja that kicks EBV out of its hiding spots into the nearest exit. Ninja that kicks EBV out of its hiding spots and to the nearest exit. So ozone therapy doesn't just sit around and hope EBV goes away on its own. It declares war on the virus, it revs up your immune defenses and it leaves EBV really nowhere to hide. So next time EBV thinks it can sneak in and cause trouble, your body will be armed with the superpower of ozone therapy to send it packing.
Speaker 1:That is my absolute number one favorite treatment for viruses, and especially EBV. The second one is orthomolecular. Orthomolecular, as most of you know, is so tried and true. It is the most amazing supplement protocols I've ever experienced ever. But I have my own EBV protocol using orthomolecular, and you know I love this approach with orthomolecular because we're talking about natural killer cell stimulation. Now, this is EBV's worst nightmare.
Speaker 1:Besides ozone, natural killer cells are the unsung heroes of your immune system that are just waiting for the chance to obliterate unwanted invaders like EBV. Natural killer cells are kind of like the bodyguard squad of your immune system. They're little badasses that patrol your body constantly on the lookout for cells that are misbehaving, whether it's a virus like EBV, a cancer cell or anything else that doesn't belong. When they find something suspicious, they go full John Wick so they destroy it with a deadly precision. Natural killer cells are the snipers that can spot EBV hiding out in your cells and take it down before it can do any more damage.
Speaker 1:Sometimes your natural killer cells need a little help, especially when EBV has been laying low and your immune system needs a nudge to step up its game. When your immune system needs a nudge to step up its game, that's where orthomolecular NK cell stimulation comes in. So this is orthomolecular NK stim, and of all the cells that make up the immune system, natural killer cells are the most aggressive. They make up about 15% of the total circulating lymphocyte part of your white blood cells and they're part of your body's innate immune system. Natural killer cells are called natural killer cells because they do not need to recognize specific antibodies before releasing those cytokines. These are those strong intracellular signals to destroy abnormal cells, allowing for a faster immune response. Once target cells are identified, your natural killer cells trigger an immune response and direct other immune cells, like dendritic cells, macrophages, t cells, to take action against a potential threat to the body. So enhancing your natural killer cell activity boosts the body's targeted immune response and promotes the normal process of eliminating unhealthy cells.
Speaker 1:Nk-stem is a targeted formula specifically designed to support your body's immune response by boosting your natural killer cell activity. Nk-stem includes a synergistic combination of large arabinoglactin, olipurine that's the active ingredient found in olive leaf extract you know how I feel about that with hydroxytyrosol Asemanin, that's the immune stimulant constituent of aloe vera concentrate, and chelated zinc. So NK Stim's unique preparation supports immune function, boosts natural killer cell activity, promotes the growth of healthy bacteria probiotics in the gut and helps maintain bacterial balance throughout your body. Nkcm is the ideal preparation for those with immune challenges and gastrointestinal related concerns. So I have people just take two capsules twice a day.
Speaker 1:And here I can break down the different ingredients. One of them is zinc. Zinc is known to play a central role in boosting your immune response. So zinc affects multiple aspects of immune responses, from maintaining the integrity of the physical barriers, like your skin and the mucosal berries to activating genes within lymphocytes. Zinc is also important for the normal development of a multitude of immune cells, including neutrophils, your natural killer cells, t lymphocytes, b lymphocytes and improving IgG antibody response. As a key trace mineral required for immune activity and development, supplementation with zinc for a period of one to two months has been shown to stimulate a stronger immune response. I talk about zinc a lot, especially when I do the HTMA, and I like to balance minerals. I would say 99% of the time zinc is out of balance.
Speaker 1:Then we have the arabinogalactin heartwood. These are a class of polysaccharides that are found in the larch tree and, as a highly long and densely branched polysaccharide, it's been shown to increase the production of short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate and propionate. So since SCFAs, or short-chain fatty acids, are the primary fuel source of beneficial bacteria found in your gut, this has been shown to boost that intestinal flora, including bifidobacteria and lactobacillus. So supporting the number of beneficial bacteria in your gut can significantly enhance your immune function and it's been found to stimulate those natural killer cells cytotoxicity. Okay, then we have the aloe vera concentrate. This is a 200 to one concentration. This is a 200 to 1 concentration.
Speaker 1:This is a member of the lily family and it's been used topically and orally as a traditional remedy for thousands and thousands of years. So the active ingredient in aloe is the asamanin. It's a complex carbohydrate that's been found to be the component responsible for the immune boosting properties of aloe vera. Asamanin has been shown to stimulate a multitude of key components of the immune system, including macrophage, cytokine activity, nitric oxide release, and that is so huge right now. When I went to that hormone cruise, everybody was selling nitric oxide in a bottle. I had not heard of that, but that is a really big thing right now. This is a natural way to do that Surface molecule expression and cell morphologic changes, so all of which produce a sharper, highly effective immune response. So the aloe vera used in NK stem has had the aloe and light compounds removed, so this eliminates the possibility of producing the laxative effect, because some of you might be like wait a minute, you gave me aloe for my pooping. It has been removed in this, so it's normally observed following ingestion of aloe vera concentrate.
Speaker 1:Then there's that olive leaf extract. So alluropan is a unique polyphenol molecule in olive leaf extract and it has a number of health-promoting benefits. So the olive tree produces this abundantly in its leaves, as well as the olive fruit itself. So special processing techniques now allow for the extraction of a stable, standardized form of that alluropin, and it is a potent antioxidant and promotes inflammatory balance. Studies have indicated that it boosts host immune defenses and supports a strong immune response during seasonal and respiratory challenges, so it's really helpful for those with immune challenges related to an imbalance of bacteria in the gut.
Speaker 1:Along with this, I do also like to add viricid in the gut. Along with this, I do also like to add viricid. I do give viricid for any type of person that is suffering from a virus, but for EBV I love viricid as well. It has a synergistic nutrient blend of zinc, vitamin C, vitamin A. It has lysine. It has pantothenic acid, which is B5. They all play a major role in maintaining healthy, functioning immune system.
Speaker 1:The virucid also has black elderberry extract. This is a long history of traditional use among herbalists and it is native to Europe, northern Africa and western and central Asia. And the bioactive components of elderberry include the flavonoid, anthocyanin. So Viracid is standardized to include black elderberry extract with 13% anthocyanins. That's amazing. And Astragalus membranus is native to northern China. It has been traditionally used to strengthen the immune system, and the root is one of the two commonly used species in traditional Chinese medicine and, being half Chinese, you know I fully believe in that.
Speaker 1:And then echinacea this is a perennial herb that's been used for centuries in Native American medicine. Current research has supported echinacea's clinical applications, as this botanical has been the subject of more than, I would say, 300 scientific studies. Echinacea activates multiple aspects of immune function, including enhancing leukocytes and granulocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils, all of the things. And then it also has that andrographis, andrographis paniculata. It is a plant that's been used in Asian medicine for centuries. Traditionally, the plant has been used as an infusion or a powder, either alone or in combination with other herbal plants, and it's been reported to provide strong antioxidant support due to its ability to activate highly protective antioxidant reactions, including superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, sometimes I like to use the NK stem with the Viracid. Of course, I'm going to add Mitocord to that. If you have EBV. I'm also going to throw in some CoQ10 and BioPC Pro, which increases membrane fluidity and that increases nutrient delivery to cells and boosts ATP for that crazy fatigue that you can have. So when you boost natural killer cell activity with orthomolecular strategies, you essentially train your immune system's elite squad to be more efficient and lethal, so EBV does not stand a chance.
Speaker 1:Your natural killer cells now can spot the virus more easily, attack infected cells and prevent your EBV from spreading. By stimulating natural killer cells, you're making sure that your immune system isn't just waiting for it to show up. It's always on high alert. It's ready to stop the virus before it can make an issue in your body. Because EBV is sneaky, since it can go dormant in your body for years and hide in your cells, and it waits for the perfect moment to reactivate. But using orthomolecular NK stem, you're giving your immune system the boost it needs to clear it from your body for good. With a combination of targeted nutrients and herbs, you make sure your natural killer cells are always in fighting shape and ready to take on any viral threat. So you don't have to let EBV run the show.
Speaker 1:If you're dealing with chronic fatigue, autoimmune symptoms or other bizarre health issues, ebv might be part of the puzzle. Testing can give you insight on how it's affecting your system and functional treatments can help tackle it with a holistic approach. If you're ready to stop EBV from being the invisible culprit behind your health struggles or if you're listening to this, wondering if you need to be tested for EBV, let's chat and we can dive into some personalized testing and treatment options that focus on you. Not just the virus and EBV may not always show itself in the obvious ways, but when it reactivates, it can leave a mark on your health in surprising and frustrating ways. With functional medicines focus on holistic healing, immune system support and gut health, I can help you keep this tricky virus under control and optimize your overall well-being.
Speaker 1:Don't let EBV crash your party. Kick it to the curb with the power of functional medicine. And if you are curious, here's a little fun fact my maiden name was Bar, so technically EBV and I are family and I'm here to help you kick this viral family member to the curb too. So you can make a virtual consultation. If you want more information, you can find me at wwwharmonyhubhealthcom. You can also email me at Michelle, that's M I C H E L E at harmonyhubhealthcom. Or you can find me in person in Manchester, maryland, at Monarch Beauty and Spa.