Comment by jamal-kumar | Hacker News Reader

Comment by jamal-kumar | Hacker News Reader

Oh yeah for sure. Other herpes link: It can be even worse if you somehow get it in your nose, where it could be a causal factor in "learning and behavioral deficiencies and violence in children and adults", as well as other risks from other forms of herpes like HHV-6 via that route, nice and close to the brain, and also possibly linked to the development of multiple sclerosis. [1][2] It's worth noting to those that don't know that this virus lies dormant in your spinal cord and can eventually travel to the brain, causing encephalitis and as the research has actually been saying for some time now is probably also linked to alzheimers, and there's also an increased incidence of alzheimers between spouses [3]. Lots of indications that we should probably figure out a way to stamp these viruses out if we're to totally be past these extremely debilitating and life ending conditions as a species.

[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8560783/

[2] https://www.livescience.com/15453-nose-gateway-virus-brain-d...

[3] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2945313/

The current best effort at curing HSV by way of gene-editing out the latent virus from infected cells is being conducted by the Fred Hutch center. You can donate to their research here:

https://secure.fredhutch.org/site/TR?px=1802786&pg=personal&...

In the meantime, taking anti-virals will reduce the risk of alzheimers:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8234998/

Silicon nitride might also be a novel therapy for HSV, if it could perhaps be formulated as a skin scream.

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/16/12657

Most of the population carries one herpesvirus or another, and those damn things integrate into our nervous system as nuclear plasmids for life. We really should accelerate this line of research.

The herpesvirus family could be causing ADHD, Alzheimer's, MS, and a whole host of other brain diseases. Perhaps even a general cognitive decline in the population.

So I'm fucked in three ways here. I get cold sores, sometimes in my nose, and as an adolescent playing Aussie rules football I was concussed seven times in two years and once more about fifteen years later (when I took the brutal sport up again for some reason).

There are some "checks in the mail" that could arrive at any time that, if I was the sort of person to worry about the future, would make me worry about the future. But I don't tend to worry, but maybe that's a symptom... I am known to have an incredibly patchy memory; some things stick in great detail, but other things are entirely lost immediately.

As an aside, sun exposure tends to bring on a cold sore 'episode'. Plenty of sunscreen and more specifically lip balm helps prevent it from occurring. But during an Australian summer that requires dedication I haven't quite mastered.

I used to get oral cold sores pretty regularly which made dating a drag. It really sucked to be hitting it off with someone and be unable to kiss due to a breakout. I got a prescription for valacyclovir 500mg twice a day and now I never get cold sores. I kiss a lot of people now it’s really nice!

Want to second the antiviral. I have a much lower prescription (200mg once a day of the older generic Acyclovir), but I've been using it prophylactically for over twenty years. Each new GP responds with horror, but it reduces my outbreaks from once or twice a month to perhaps three times a year (stress dependent). Given the fact that the more outbreaks you have, the more you will have - everyone with HSV-1 should be on this or similar medication.

Almost everyone has HSV-1, and most don’t ever have outbreaks or any noticeable symptoms.

Correction - everyone with HSV-1 outbreaks could in my opinion benefit from prophylactic antivirals.

It's worth noting that HSV-1 seroprevalence is extremely heterogeneous. Many nations have rates over 90%, which some Northern European nations have rates of 40% - suggesting broad immunity or reduced transmission. Although this could also be a function of different amounts of research and testing.

> Given the fact that the more outbreaks you have, the more you will have

What does this mean exactly? My understanding (and experience) is that over time you will have fewer outbreaks naturally

Lysine supplements may be something to look into for cold sores. Got a friend who is from SA who doses up on it before and during summer months and she swears by it.

Get in on a research study or good doctor who can read the research already done. Don't take too much stock in medical stuff from some rando on hackernews but definitely ask your medical practitioner about these things.

I grew up playing American football and I am pretty well versed on the literature.

I live for now and don't put a lot of stock in having a great life after 65.

In American football, much depends on the position you played. I am not sure how that is for Aussie rules but lineman and linebackers who would be involved in more hits have it worse than wide receivers and cornerbacks. That never seems to be reported with CTE.

The concussion count is mostly non-sense from my understanding. I think this is how the NFL has shaped the narrative to not be so bad and their bogus "concussion protocol". The subconcussive hits are the major problem and that is just part of football. I took at least a thousand of them smashing heads together.

It is also degenerative over time. You aren't going to just wake up one day with problems. If it is really bad you are going to have crazy behavior problems. Like Aaron Hernandez. I am sure OJ Simpson had bad CTE.

I just doubt cold sores are that big of a variable compared to being hit in the head thousands of times.

My memory completely sucks but that has just made me an incredibly good note taker for job related functions.

I don't understand how that aren't weight classes in football. I was a 185lb center going up against 300lb nose guards in high school and everyone thought that was ok.

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