Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is a common human virus that affects thousands of people each year. EBV levels, however, differ dramatically based on the individual. If your levels are not overly elevated, you may not even know you have this virus. If the levels are elevated, chronic fatigue and illnesses may follow. You can't treat EBV, but you can control it with a variety of lifestyle changes.
Instructions
1. Start taking a good multivitamin. Symptoms of EBV can flare-up when nutritional needs are not met. If you skip meals, all the more reason to add a good multivitamin to your diet.
2. Revamp your diet, cutting out fatty foods that have little nutritional value. Up your intake of high protein nuts, soy and beans, as well as eating high fiber cereals and breads along with fresh fruits and vegetables.
3. Add zinc to your diet. Zinc is necessary to support a healthy immune system and aid in healing. Symptoms of zinc deficiency include fatigue, hair loss and digestive disorders. Zinc can naturally be found in many of the foods above, including beans, nuts, whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals and dairy products.
4. Cut back on coffee. Caffeine can exacerbate an EBV flare-up, causing you to feel mentally and physically sluggish and uncharacteristically prone to flu and colds. Drink beverages that have less caffeine, such as chai tea.
5. Try to get 6 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep nightly. Sleeplessness and its ensuing fatigue will weaken your body's natural defenses. If sleeplessness persists for more than 2 weeks, you should see a physician, who may diagnose a serious, underlying illness or disorder.
6. Stay active. With EBV symptoms mimicking that of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), it may be hard to get out of bed. It's important to keep moving. Develop a daily fitness regimen, in which you elevate your heart rate continuously for at least 30 minutes. Increasing your heart rate gives you a mental and emotional boost and helps control stress, which triggers EBV symptoms.
7. Manage stress. Stress is a foremost factor in triggering EBV flare-ups. Do what makes you happy and allows you to unwind. Play your favorite sport or just get away from it all for an afternoon or a weekend.
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