I
just read an article posted on www.bottomlinepublications.com
which reports that “There’s growing evidence that Alzheimer’s may be caused by
the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1), the same virus that causes fever blisters or
cold sores on the face and mouth.”
I don’t want to believe that a simple cold sore can cause so much
damage.
The article goes on to say that “It is not believed to be caused by the other
herpes simplex virus—HSV2, genital herpes, which is transmitted sexually.” I'm not sure if that's good news or bad news. Since I don't have herpes, does that mean I'm lined up to get more bad brain tumor news? Or, if you have had HSV2, etc. you have a chance of even more horrible problems?
Another question that popped into my mind was "How
would this happen?" According to the
article, “HSV1 attacks the immune system, particularly the peripheral nervous
system. Once it has attacked, it never leaves the body but lies dormant and
occasionally reactivates, causing a flare-up of blisters or enlarged lymph
nodes, especially when set off by a trigger, such as stress or fatigue.”
You
can read the full article at: http://www.bottomlinepublications.com/content/article/health-a-healing/warning-a-cold-sore-could-cause-alzheimers
Interestingly,
or perhaps disturbingly, there is also a lengthy conversation on ABTA’s Inspire web site that tosses in sun
overexposure into the conversation about the connection between cold sores and brain tumors: http://www.inspire.com/groups/american-brain-tumor-association/discussion/quick-survey/?ref=as&asat=78099999
Since I am a melanoma cancer survivor, this just adds fuel to my late-night worries.
One
victim wrote that “I was told when I was first diagnosed that there is about a
20% higher incidence in Brain Tumors in the Southeast US. I was also recently
told at Duke University that airline pilots used to have a higher rate of brain
tumors also. I know that I personally was both a Lifeguard and a sun worshiper,
I got a really bad sunburn in college once, on my face and lips and have had
many, many years of cold sores, just about every year for twenty years or so.”
My
reaction to this is that we are all searching for an answer to the question of “Why
did I/my spouse/my child/my loved one get this nasty, unforgiving, relentless and criminally powerful tumor?”
And in that quest, we will leave no stone unturned, no rumor un-investigated and
no fact un-dissected.
Image
credit: <a
href='http://www.123rf.com/photo_18564300_a-cartoon-mouth-with-a-cold-sore.html'>blamb
/ 123RF Stock Photo</a>
