The Epstein-Barr virus has created a secret epidemic. Out of the roughly 320 million people in the U.S., over 225 million Americans have some form of EBV that's affecting their life. Medical communities are aware of only one version of EBV, but there are actually over 60 varieties. They have no idea how the virus operates long-term and how problematic it can be.

The truth is, EBV is the source of numerous health problems that are currently considered mystery illnesses, including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disorders, lupus, Lyme disease, tinnitus, vertigo, and much more. To understand EBV better, it’s helpful to know the four stages it goes through:

Stage One

If you catch EBV, it goes through an initial dormant period of floating around in your bloodstream doing little more than slowly replicating itself to build its numbers—and waiting for an opportunity to launch a more direct infection.

Stage Two

At the end of Stage One, the Epstein-Barr virus is ready to do battle with your body. That’s when EBV first makes its presence known by turning into mononucleosis. Medical communities are unaware that every case of mononucleosis is only Stage Two of EBV. During this Stage Two, your body’s immune system goes to war with the virus. It’s during this stage that EBV seeks a long-term home by making a run for one or more of your major organs—typically your liver and/ or spleen.

Stage Three

Once the virus settles into your liver, spleen, and/or other organs, it nests there. From this point on, when a doctor tests for Epstein-Barr, she or he will find antibodies and take these to indicate a past infection, when EBV was in its mono phase. The doctor will not find the EBV presently active in the bloodstream. The confusion here is one of the biggest blunders in medical history—this is how this virus has slipped through the cracks.

Stage Four

The ultimate goal of the Epstein-Barr virus is to inflame your central nervous system. Your immune system normally wouldn’t allow this to happen. But if EBV has successfully worn you down in Stage Three, the virus will take advantage of your vulnerability and start to cause a multitude of strange symptoms that range from heart palpitations to generalized aches and pains to nerve pain. Patients with these issues are sometimes diagnosed as having fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, or rheumatoid arthritis, all of which are collections of symptoms that medical communities admit they don’t understand and for which they have no cure.

Anthony William