When Herpes Migrates Into the Brain or Other Areas of the Body:
by Ask a Healer
One very serious complication from the herpes simplex virus is herpes encephalitis, or herpes of the brain. I haven't seen a single commercial telling folks that, if they have repeated outbreaks of genital herpes or oral herpes, they are also at risk for developing herpes of the brain. Herpes Encephalitis can lead to permanent brain damage and can also be fatal.
This type of herpes may go undetected for years because so many of the symptoms could be caused by so many other things. A person with herpes of the brain may have a noticably stiff neck, sore throat or a fever and may just think they are catching some kind of bug.
Other symptoms, such as mental confusion, headaches, a feeling of eye pain, itchy eyes and agitation, unexplained eye pain and head pain could also be contributed to stressful situations, overwork, computer strain, etc.
There’s new research suggesting a particular strain of herpes, one that is dormant in a large portion of the population, might be a factor in brain cancers. This strain, called the herpes CMV strain, may cause those who have it to be more susceptible to cancer of the brain.
Update 7/18/2008: After receiving a comment from a person with GHSV, I wanted to include the fact that HSE ( herpes of the brain ) is considered rare. According to emedicine, 3 in 100,000 with HSV develop HSE.
I also want to note that some of the symptoms of herpes of the brain may also be present in other brain-related conditions such as occipital neuralgia and cavernous angioma. Please see a doctor if you are having vision disturbances, unexplained head pain or unexplained eye pain.
Despite the rarity of HSE, I feel compelled to warn about it because, as I also wrote in the comments section, the fact that herpes encephalitis is rare will NOT matter at all to those who are diagnosed with it; the fact that HSE is rare also means it is harder to diagnose and may not always be ruled out when symptoms present.
What will be important to those with HSV who then develop herpes of the brain will be knowing early enough for effective treatment. If this post hepls one person know that early enough, it’s been a good thing to talk about here.
Related post:
Arginine and Herpes
I also wanted to update what I said about the cause of HSE, again due to the insightful comment from a person who has genital herpes. I went back online and pored over information again and, after reviewing about 20 medical sites, came to the same conclusion. Most sites agree that HSE in adults is caused by HSV-1 while HSE in newborns is typically caused by HSV-2.
What was important to me through all the reading I did was that, whether it was from HSV1 or HSV2, it was definitely herpes-related so I?d consider anyone at risk who has had either fever blisters, genital herpes or shingles.
This brings up another important factor?.I?m not singling out genital herpes in this article but herpes in general. I believe scientific study will one day find that the systemic effects of herpes simplex and herpes zoster are more pervasive and far-reaching than is now believed to be the case.
Part Three:
The link between herpes and heart disease
If you have just recently contracted herpes, know that you have a great deal of help available now that you would not have had years ago so take hope in that truth! Ask a Healer Wellness Library is a great place to educate yourself. Be sure you check each page and discern which treatment is right for you because not every treatment is right for every person. Your body knows what it needs. You'll find the right help here. A few suggestions:
Antiviral blend for herpes ===>>> FDA-approved drugs vs. natural antivirals ===> Cold Sore Relief
Health Disclaimer: The articles on herpes and treatment options for HSV on this website are all educational in nature and intended to replace any needed medical testing, evaluation or treatment. Hopefully, you will choose a doctor who is open to the idea of further supporting the body with natural antivirals and not just suppressing symptoms with Valtrex.
