viral illness

Table of Contents What is the Epstein-Barr Virus? EBV Symptoms How Can Someone Get Infected with EBV? Diagnosing EBV Treating EBV EBV Complications How is EBV Tested Using Blood Samples? Blood Tests for EBV Infection at DiscountedLabs.com How Does It Work? What’s Next? What is the Epstein-Barr Virus? The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is known to be one of the widely spread viruses in the world. Estimates show that approximately 95% of adults have antibodies for this virus. This means that they are infected or have been infected with EBV at some point in their lives. EBV can cause an infection called mononucleosis as well as other health complications which can be life-threatening. It’s important to extend your knowledge about EBV so that you can protect yourself and avoid complications. EBV can be tested for using two different tests you can purchase from DiscountedLabs.com - the EBV Acute Infection Antibodies Profile and the EBV Early Antigen Assembly IgG. Let’s talk about EBV in greater details. EBV Symptoms EBV is also known as the human herpesvirus 4, and it is commonly found all over the world. Most adults get infected with this virus at some point in their lives, but usually, symptoms are mild and complications rare. Here are the most common symptoms of EBV: Rashes Extreme fatigue Inflamed spleen and throat Inflamed lymph nodes Enlarged liver It’s important to notice that most people don’t have any symptoms, particularly children. When symptoms do occur, these are easily confused with the symptoms of other common illnesses. If a person shows symptoms of having EBV, these can go away in about three or four weeks without treatment. However, some people experience symptoms such as extreme fatigue for several months in a row. This is rare, though. People who have relatively weak immune systems are more likely to develop symptoms. After an EBV infection, the virus can get deactivated and stay in the body for the rest of your life. It is possible for the virus to “wake up” and show symptoms again over your lifetime, but your body has already developed antibodies, so its negative effects are greatly diminished.   How Can Someone Get Infected with EBV? EBV can be transmitted from one person to the other very easily. Here are the most common transmission methods: Through saliva (kissing) Sharing objects, cutlery items or a toothbrush with an infected person Sharing food recipients, cups or eating tools with an infected person lGetting in contact with objects with saliva on them such as the toys of babies Sexual contact Blood transfusions Organ transplant The most common transmission is through saliva. Kissing an infected person can easily get the virus from his/her body to yours. EBV is known to stay on infected objects for as long as these are moist. Therefore, if you use cutlery or glasses previous used by infected people, you will get EBV. Once you get EBV, you’ll also indirectly spread it to others as the virus is in an active state. EBV can also be transferred to another person through bodily fluids (semen or blood) as well as through organ transplants. Diagnosing EBV It is relatively difficult to diagnose EBV since this virus shows symptoms like other illnesses so that doctors can get easily confused. However, more advanced testing methods have been created, and you can detect EBV in your body using a blood test. The blood test checks for EBV antibodies created by your system. Nearly 90% of adults have EBV antibodies which means they have been infected with this virus before. Treating EBV Treating EBV is also quite difficult because there’s no way to get this virus out of your system once it’s there. However, you can use over the counter medicine to alleviate the symptoms of EBV. For example, people frequently use pain and fever medication as well as other types of pills to reduce fatigue. The only way to prevent getting infected with EBV is to avoid kissing infected persons or using objects previously used by them. Make sure that you stay away from toothbrushes used by a person with EBV as well as food utensils, cutlery items, etc. EBV Complications In rare cases, EBV can cause different types of complications and severe health conditions. Mononucleosis is one the most common conditions caused by EBV. That’s why it’s important to test yourself and see if you have been infected with EBV in the past. For example, EBV can cause mild ear infections in children as well as diarrhea, gastrointestinal problems or cold-like symptoms such as a running nose. EBV infections can also cause neurological problems such as Guillain-Barré syndrome. This health condition is an auto-immune disease in which the immune system starts attacking nerve cells. As a result, people with Guillain-Barré syndrome experience numbness, tingling sensations and paralysis in the worst cases. Meningoencephalitis is also a common health complication of EBV. This is characterized by an infection of the meninges and the brain at the same time. Other people report abnormalities in the way blood is coagulated in the body, leading to anemia, leading to disseminated intravascular coagulation. Since EBV can enlarge the spleen, very few people experience a rupture of the spleen as a complication of EBV. This happens very rarely (2 in 1000 people). Other complications include airway obstructions as a result of inflamed airway tissues. Although it can happen very rarely, certain types of cancers or tumors can also appear as a result of getting infected with EBV. These life-threatening conditions develop later in life after the virus has been present in the body for many years. For example, the Burkitt's lymphoma is a common tumor found in people with EBV. It is commonly found among African children and the tumors are in the jaw area. Studies show that more than 95% of children in Africa have been infected with this disease. Hodgkin lymphoma can also develop as a result of an EBV infection. This disease is life-threatening, and doctors have found approximately 50% of EVB material when analyzing patients with Hodgkin lymphoma, so there is a correlation between the two. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is also associated with EBV infections, particularly in Chinese populations. Very few people have developed this cancer, though. T-cell lymphomas have been correlated with EBV infections too as well as certain hematologic conditions. How is EBV Tested Using Blood Samples? As mentioned earlier, you can test to see if you have been infected with EBV by using the tests available at DiscountedLabs.com. These tests require you to draw a blood sample which will be analyzed in a laboratory. The test is run to determine if there are EBV-specific antibodies present in your system. If antibodies are found, it means that you have been infected with EBV recently or at some point in the past. If no antibodies are found, it means that you don’t have EBV. However, since this disease is easily transmissible, you can still get it at some point in the future from an infected person. EBV antibodies are created as a response to EBV-specific antigens. An antigen is a type of toxin which triggers an immune reaction in the body. For example, the EBV test looks for antibodies to three specific antigens such as viral capsid antigen IgG (VCA), VCA IgM and EBNA which stands for Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen. Depending on whether some or all these antibodies are present in the blood, the doctors can diagnose the EBV infection and determine its severity. For example: If there are antibodies to the EBNA antigen present in the body, the infection has occurred at some point in the past. If there are VCA IgM antibodies and no antibodies to EBNA, then this means that the EBV infection happened very recently If there are VCA IgG antibodies present in the blood, then it means that the infection occurred at some point in the past or recently. Blood Tests for EBV Infection at DiscountedLabs.com DiscountedLabs offers you two types of tests to determine whether you have been infected with EBV or not. The EBV Acute Infection Antibodies Profile test looks at the antibodies to all three antigens we talked about earlier. This test comes at an affordable price, and it can help in diagnosing EBV infection as well as ruling out other illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome. The EBV Early Antigen Assembly IgG test can be used in diagnosing the EBV infection, and it should be used in conjunction with other clinical information related to the patient. The test uses the chemiluminescent immunoassay method which is very accurate in detecting antibodies in the bloodstream. How Does It Work? Taking advantage of these tests is easy. You just order your preferred test from DiscountedLabs, and you’ll be emailed a form to print out and visit a nearby lab for blood collection. Your samples will be analyzed in a laboratory, and you’ll get the results mailed back to you in just a few business days. You can check the results against reference values, or you can talk with your physician to help you interpret the results. That’s it! What’s Next? As you can see, EBV appears to be harmless, and it’s usually asymptomatic. However, your health is more important than anything, and it’s great to know whether an EBV infection transforms into something more complicated. Order the tests from DiscountedLabs today and be in complete control of your health!

COVID-19 has demonstrated that men tend to get it more than women. This has suggested to researchers that perhaps testosterone is to blame for more severe disease, which has led to the formulation of several theories. The cytokine theory proposes that a low testosterone level leads to an increase in inflammatory immune system proteins called cytokines which may facilitate a cytokine storm in men with COVID-19.  Conversely, the testosterone-driven COVID-19 theory suggests that testosterone may promote infection by the severe acute respiratory syndrome. An increase in venous thromboembolism has also been associated with COVID-19, particularly in patients who are more severely affected.  Furthermore, previous studies have found that even though patients diagnosed with cancer have an increased risk of contracting COVID-19, men on androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer had a lower risk of developing an infection. TRT and COVID-19 Risks Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is associated with secondary polycythemia (increased red blood cell production), but it is unclear whether this leads to an increase in thromboembolic events. However, some authors have suggested that men should be taken off TRT during this pandemic. A study was performed to determine the impact of TRT on the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in men at the School of Medicine of Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan and published on the Journal of Sexual Medicine in October, 2020. A total of 3,697 men diagnosed with COVID-19 were identified of which 38 were on TRT. 6 men in the TRT group and 13 men in the control group had incomplete data and were excluded resulting in inclusion of 32 men in the TRT and 63 men in the control groups. Among men on TRT, 32 were diagnosed with hypogonadism (2 hypergonadotropic, 7 hypogonadotropic, and 23 mixed). 23 men received intramuscular testosterone cypionate injections while 9 were on transdermal testosterone gel. TRT-COVID-19 Study Results Patients on TRT had higher rates of hypertension (65.6% vs 55.5%), cardiovascular disease (37.5% vs 30.1%), diabetes mellitus (40.6% vs 30.1%), and immunosuppression (25% vs 14.2%) and a lower rate of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than controls (12.5% vs 25.4%), none of which were statistically significant.  When focusing on endpoints, patients on TRT had similar rates of hospitalization (62.5% vs 63.4%), thromboembolic events (12.5% vs 12.7%), and death (9.3% vs 12.7%) as their counterparts not on TRT. Patients on TRT had lower rates of ICU admission (12.5% vs 25.4%) and mechanical ventilator utilization (9.3% vs 19.0%) than patients not on TRT, but none were statistically significant. TRT was not an independent predictor of any of the examined endpoints on multivariable analysis. Testosterone Level and COVID-19 Once an infection occurs, testosterone may serve a protective role by decreasing the risk of a cytokine storm. A recent report observed lower levels of testosterone in men who were admitted to the ICU with SARS-CoV-2 infections. It is unknown whether these men had a low testosterone level at baseline or if they developed a low testosterone level in response to the infection. There is evidence to suggest that most men admitted to acute care units have a transient suppression of testosterone to a level below the normal range. A decreased testosterone level is associated with an increase in proinflammatory markers.  Testosterone may facilitate cell infection with the SARS-CoV-2 but also be protective of worse clinical outcomes during active infections. A study measuring testosterone levels of men at baseline and at various times during COVID-19 may help further delineate this relationship. In conclusion, this study failed to demonstrate a statistically significant difference in COVID-19 outcomes among men treated with TRT and those not on TRT. Future studies are needed to help further guide clinicians on the optimal management of hypogonadism with TRT in the era of COVID-19.   Reference: J Sex Med. 2020 Oct 9  

  The statistics are staggering regardless of where in the world they come from and the message they bring with them is the same – men are more likely to become infected with Covid-19 and die from it than women. In Europe, it has recently been estimated that 63 percent of all Covid-19 deaths are men. In one large subset of Covid-19 patients in China, more than 70 percent of those who died were men. And in New York City, as of early April, the rate of Covid-19 infection for women was 23 per 100,000, while for men it was nearly double that at 43 per 100,000. Data cannot lie, and there’s a lot more of it that all points to the same conclusion. Let’s first look at a few reasons why this trend exists then dive into a particular subset of men who are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus.   Men have More Preexisting Conditions We’ve heard it dozens of times. Anyone with a certain preexisting medical condition is more likely to be affected negatively by the Covid-19 virus, while those who do not have those conditions are more prone to a better outcome. Here’s the unfortunate part if you’re a man: Men have higher rates of nine out of the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S. compared to women. All of those conditions are going to be problematic when you ask the human body to deal with another threat. But when it comes to Covid-19, conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, and liver disease are all a concern and all conditions that men have in greater abundance than do women.   It’s in the Enzyme A recent study has shown that men have higher concentrations of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in their blood than women. Since ACE2 enables Covid-19 to infect healthy cells, researchers reported that this may contribute to men being more vulnerable to the disease than women.   Negative Lung Health Behaviors Research has suggested that smoking may play a role in Covid-19 deaths, as smoking is related to higher expression of those ACE2 receptors we mentioned above. However, it’s not just smoking that can have negative respiratory effects that may contribute to Covid-19 related problems. Air pollution is also a concern. And unfortunately for men, we’re the ones more likely to be working outside.   Women have Stronger Immune Systems It’s no surprise. A stronger immune system can ward off illness and disease more easily than an immune system that’s not working as it should. And thanks to an extra X chromosome, women appear more biologically capable of fighting those battles than men. According to Veena Taneja, who studies differences in male and female immune systems at the Mayo Clinic, the second X chromosome isn’t usually activated, but it can be activated. "Many of those genes are actually immune-response genes," Taneja said. She added this could provide women with an additional layer of protection against the coronavirus. That extra X chromosome is also thought to contribute to a higher rate of autoimmune diseases in women.   Low Testosterone in Men Makes Covid-19 Much Worse There are a number of reasons, as you can see from the above list, why men have a higher death rate when it comes to Covid-19. There are also a number of solutions: Be healthier in general. Don’t smoke. Make sure your immune system is getting the support it needs. But when it comes to Covid-19, there seems to be one factor in particular that separates strong males from susceptible males. A study published on April 27, 2020 has shown testosterone to be a key hormone in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The study points out that testosterone is reduced by age and many preexisting conditions and this, too, comes with higher rates of a poor Covid-19 outcome. The study found that low testosterone levels can cause a reduction in respiratory muscle activity, while normal testosterone levels have a protective effect on the respiratory system. Most importantly, researchers found a correlation between inflammation, testosterone, and the virus. The study highlights the role of proinflammatory cytokines in the progression of the Covid-19 infection and how any successful treatment must include reducing that cytokine activity. The study’s researchers also mention how testosterone may downregulate this inflammation and suggested, “testosterone may have a role in the cascade of events leading to progression of Covid-19 infection due to the cytokine storm.” According to another study, the majority of male patients with Covid-19 also presented with low testosterone levels on admission to the intensive care unit at University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf in Hamburg, Germany. According to the study, researchers “systematically analyzed sex hormones as well as cytokine and chemokine responses in male and female patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections upon hospital admission.” Researchers also identified risk factors like hypertension (high blood pressure), cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and chronic heart disease, with cancer being the only factor where the women admitted had a higher prevalence than the men. But it was their testosterone findings that were most surprising. Most male Covid-19 patients admitted to intensive care had low testosterone levels – 69 percent – and low dihydrotestosterone levels – 49 percent. Perhaps more shocking, most female Covid-19 patients had elevated testosterone levels – 60 percent. The study’s researchers concluded that “We here show that critically ill male Covid-19 patients suffer from severe testosterone and dihydrotestosterone deficiencies. Both androgens are required to mount antiviral immune responses to combat infection in males.” There is still much we don’t know about this virus and new information is coming in all the time. However, there are a few things that are becoming clear, like men having a higher prevalence of a bad outcome from Covid-19, but also how important testosterone levels are to every man’s chances of fighting this virus.   TIPS: Would you like to maximize your testosterone levels? Would you like to have more energy and enthusiasm for life? Would you like to increase your chances of successfully fighting Covid-19? Check out Nelson Vergel’s new 386-page illustrated book – Beyond Testosterone– for FREE. Simply follow that link to claim your copy. You can also find out if you have low testosterone by buying your own testosterone blood test cheaply online with no doctor order needed (U.S. only). Last but not least, chat with other men and experts about men's health and testosterone on the best men's health TRT forum.    

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) From January 1 to May 10, 2019, over 839 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 23 states in the United States. This is an increase of 75 cases from the previous week. This is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1994 and since measles was declared eliminated in 2000. This increase has been fueled by the anti-vaccine movement and other factors.  Alarmingly, two-thirds of pediatricians and other primary care physicians expect deaths from measles or resulting diseases to increase, according to a recent survey by real-time market insights technology firm InCrowd done in April 2019. But how do you know if you are protected against Measles? What are Measles? Measles is a highly contagious virus that lives in the mucus of an infected person. It can spread to others through coughing and sneezing. The measles virus can live for up to two hours in a space where the infected person coughed or sneezed. If other people breathe the contaminated air or touch the infected surface, then touch their eyes, noses, or mouths, they can become infected. Measles is so contagious that if one person has it, 90% of the people close to that person who are not immune will also become infected. Infected people can spread measles to others from four days before through four days after the rash appears. Early symptoms include high fever, a cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Two or three days later small white spots may appear inside the mouth. Within three to five days the red measles rash breaks out on the face and spreads down the body to the feet. The patient’s fever may go to 104 degrees or higher. In a few days, the fever goes down and the rash fades. If you have been exposed to measles, call your doctor immediately and let them know. Your doctor can determine if you are immune to measles based on your vaccination record, age, or laboratory evidence, and make special arrangements to evaluate you, if needed, without putting other patients and medical office staff at risk. Are You Immune to Measles? As a disturbing surge in measles cases has been reported nationwide, Professor of Medicine at New York University Dr. Marc Siegel warns that if you were vaccinated between a certain time frame, you might not be as immune to the disease as you think. Dr. Siegel told "America's Newsroom" hosts on Tuesday that a primary reason the CDC is informing the public about these skyrocketing numbers is so that individuals born between 1963 and 1989 know that they should be checked by a physician to ensure their vaccines were successful. CDC considers you protected from measles if you have written documentation (records) showing at least one of the following: You received two doses of measles-containing vaccine, and you are a(n) 1. a school-aged child (grades K-12) 2. adult who will be in a setting that poses a high risk for measles transmission, including students at post-high school education institutions, healthcare personnel, and international travelers. You received one dose of measles-containing vaccine, and you are a(n) — 1. preschool-aged child 2. adult who will not be in a high-risk setting for measles transmission. A laboratory confirmed that you had measles at some point in your life. A laboratory confirmed that you are immune to measles. (Buy a Measles Immunity Test Here ) You were born before 1957. CDC recommends that people get MMR vaccine to protect against measles, mumps, and rubella. Children should get two doses of MMR vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12 to 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. Teens and adults should also be up to date on their MMR vaccination. Children may also get MMRV vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox). This vaccine is only licensed for use in children who are 12 months through 12 years of age. Some people should not get MMR vaccine or should wait. Tell your vaccine provider if the person getting the vaccine: 1. Has any severe, life-threatening allergies. A person who has ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction after a dose of MMR vaccine, or has a severe allergy to any part of this vaccine, may be advised not to be vaccinated. Ask your health care provider if you want information about vaccine components. 2. Is pregnant, or thinks she might be pregnant. Pregnant women should wait to get MMR vaccine until after they are no longer pregnant. Women should avoid getting pregnant for at least 1 month after getting MMR vaccine. 3. Has a weakened immune system due to disease (such as cancer or HIV/AIDS) or medical treatments (such as radiation, immunotherapy, steroids, or chemotherapy). 4. Has a parent, brother, or sister with a history of immune system problems. 5. Has ever had a condition that makes them bruise or bleed easily. 6. Has recently had a blood transfusion or received other blood products. You might be advised to postpone MMR vaccination for 3 months or more. 7. Has tuberculosis. 8. Has gotten any other vaccines in the past 4 weeks. Live vaccines given too close together might not work as well. 9. Is not feeling well. A mild illness, such as a cold, is usually not a reason to postpone a vaccination. Someone who is moderately or severely ill should probably wait. Your doctor can advise you. Do not take a chance, find out if you have immunity to Measles by getting tested.