Kissing and Thyroid Disease - What's The Connection?
Epstein-Barr virus, EBV or glandular fever has recently been implicated in contributing to Hashimoto's thyroid disease:
What has the kissing disease got to do with thyroid disease I hear you ask – a lot it may seem
A 2015 Polish study found the presence of the Epstein-Barr Virus in the thyroid nodular cells of over 80% of people with Hashimoto’s and 62.5% of people with Graves’, whereas, it was not detected in those without thyroid disease
And it seems that the timing of the infection is crucial - essentially, if we catch this disease when we are younger, we develop very few, if any symptoms, but if this virus doesn’t infect us until the teenage years or older, up to 50% of us can become symptomatic with the classic “glandular fever” symptoms of fatigue, chronically sore throat, fevers, swollen lymph glands in the throat and lethargy. The virus is said to enter our bodies via the mouth and throat area and hence its more common name of “the kissing disease” as many teens develop it after an amorous encounter!
And the reason that this infection and all its consequences is more problematic in our western cultures is that we are too clean and sterile. In developing cultures, grandmothers share their food with babies and families kiss more readily. And there are generally animals around and just more dirt as these are often rural cultures.
EBV has already been implicated in the development of some cancers and now also, through a process called “molecular mimicry”, autoimmune disease.
Molecular mimicry essentially occurs when our own immune system makes an antibody for a foreign invading organism – in this case the EBV virus – so far so good! But some other trigger – be it the virus itself or I actually suspect it actually has something to do with hyperpermeability of our gut (essentially leaky gut due to incorrectly balanced microbiome), our immune system becomes a little hyper-vigilant, and those antibodies that it made against the virus, all pf a sudden it turns upon itself.
This mechanism is not yet truly known and research is in its infancy, but it appears, depending on a person’s genes, the general state of their health and the infection itself, will depend on what your immune system targets. EBV seems to have an affinity with the thyroid!
So, what can you do about it?
Well, in conventional medicine – not a lot. But natural medicine offers a few alternatives: one being Bioresonace therapy and the other herbal medicine – EBV is considered a stealth pathogen and combined with an over excited immune system requires a strategic herbal management plan to help eradicate it.
If you have any concerns or questions – don’t hesitate to give us a call!