Can you get rid of Epstein-Barr virus?
Although no medicine can cure an EBV infection, you can take these steps at home to ease your symptoms: Get plenty of rest. Drink a lot of water and other liquids to stay hydrated. Suck on lozenges or ice pops, or gargle with warm salt water, to make your sore throat feel better.
What other illnesses are caused by Epstein-Barr virus?
EBV-related diseases
- Infectious mononucleosis. IM usually occurs during adolescence or adulthood but can occasionally affect children and the elderly.
- Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
- Burkitt’s lymphoma.
- Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease.
- Nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
How long does Epstein-Barr virus stay in your system?
People who get symptoms from EBV infection, usually teenagers or adults, get better in two to four weeks. However, some people may feel fatigued for several weeks or even months. After you get an EBV infection, the virus becomes latent (inactive) in your body. In some cases, the virus may reactivate.
What causes Epstein-Barr to reactivate?
EBV never truly goes away. Even if the symptoms subside, the virus will remain inactive inside your body until it is reactivated by a trigger. Some triggers include stress, a weakened immune system, taking immunosuppressants, or hormonal changes such as menopause.
Does Epstein-Barr stay with you forever?
Once you’re infected with EBV, you carry the virus — usually in a dormant state — for the rest of your life. Sometimes, however, the virus may reactivate. When this happens, you’re not likely to become ill. Rarely, reactivated EBV may cause illness in people who have weak immune systems, such as those who have AIDS.
What doctor treats chronic Epstein-Barr virus?
You may be treated by a primary care provider (PCP), such as a family practitioner, an internist, or a child’s pediatrician, for Epstein-Barr virus. If the symptoms of EBV become chronic, you may be referred to an infectious-disease specialist or an immunologist (also called an allergist/immunologist).
What kind of doctor do you see for Epstein-Barr?
Can chronic Epstein-Barr be cured?
The only proven effective treatment for the disease is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Current studies to find a cause of this disease focus on immune defects and genetic abnormalities associated with the disease.