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Sunday, September 16, 2007

Plant Medicine Treats Herpes Without Toxicity by bcured

Patients with immature or suppressed immune systems, such as newborns, transplant recipients, or AIDS patients are prone to severe complications from HSV infections. Sometimes, HSV infection is associated with cognitive deficits of bipolar disorder, and Alzheimer's disease, although this is often dependent on the genetics of the infected person. Cognitive functioning and serologic evidence of infection with potentially neurotropic herpes viruses were measured in individuals with bipolar disorder and in individuals without a history of psychiatric disorder. Cognitive functioning was evaluated with the repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status. Serologic evidence of infection was ascertained by the measurement of serum immunoglobulin G class antibodies with specificities for six potentially neurotropic herpes viruses. The association between serologic evidence of herpes virus infection and cognitive functioning was analyzed by univariate analyses, as well as multivariate analyses that included demographic and clinical factors associated with cognitive functioning. Serologic evidence of infection with HSV-1 was an independent predictor of decreased cognitive functioning in the individuals with bipolar disorder. Discriminant function analysis indicated that most of the difference in cognitive functioning between individuals who were antibody positive and antibody negative for HSV-1 could be attributed to immediate verbal memory. No association between antibodies to herpes viruses and cognitive functioning was found in the control individuals without a history of psychiatric disorder. Serologic evidence of HSV-1 infection is associated with cognitive impairment in individuals with bipolar disorder. There was no significant association between cognitive functioning and the other human herpes viruses. HSV infection also causes several distinct medical disorders. Common infection of the skin or mucosa may affect the face and mouth, genitalia, or hands. More serious disorders occur when the virus infects and damages the eye, or invades the central nervous system, damaging the brain. In some cases HSV is never removed from the body by the immune system. Following a primary infection, the virus enters the nerves at the site of primary infection, migrates to the cell body of the neuron, and becomes latent in the ganglion. As a result of primary infection, the body produces antibodies to the particular type of HSV involved, preventing a subsequent infection of that type at a different site. In HSV-1 infected individuals, seroconversion after an oral infection will prevent additional HSV-1 infections such as whitlow, genital herpes, and keratitis. Prior HSV-1 seroconversion seems to reduce the symptoms of a later HSV-2 infection, although HSV-2 can still be contracted. Most indications are that an HSV-2 infection contracted prior to HSV-1 seroconversion will also immunize that person against HSV-1 infection. The herpes virus remains dormant in the ganglia, seemingly inactive, however once provoked, the virus becomes symptomatic. It travels down the ganglia and forms blisters on the surface of the skin causing an outbreak, often reoccurring in the same location. There is currently no cure that can eradicate herpes virus from the body, but antiviral medications can reduce the frequency, duration, and severity of outbreaks. Certain dietary adjustments, dietary supplements, and alternative remedies are believed to be beneficial in the treatment of herpes, either alone, or in conjunction with prescribed antiviral therapy. Plant medicine plays a dominant role in natural drugs. Plant medicine is natural and has broad prospects in treating difficult and complicated diseases such as herpes without significant toxicity and side effects. For recent years, plant medicine is considered to be very important because of the unique advantage in the treatment. Plant medicines are drugs that are extracted and separated according to the main physicochemical property and material characteristics from roots, stems, flows, skins, leaves, or fruits of plants. Most of the plant medicines are targeted with insignificant toxicity and side effects, which are one of the main sources of clinical drugs. Plant medicine is emerging all over the world. To learn more, please go to http://www.naturespharma.org.