herpes simplex virus and the nervous system

caused by worry, anxiety, overwork or inadequate ventilation. The most common type, a chronic tension headache, is often caused by depression. Brain tissue itself is insensitive to pain, as is the bony covering of the brain (cranium). The stimulation of the nerves of the cranium, upper neck and the membranous linings of the brain will cause headache pain. This stimulation can be produced by inflammation, by the dilation of blood vessels of the head or by muscle spasms in the neck and head. Headaches brought on by muscle spasms are classified as tension headaches: those caused by the dilation of blood vessels are called vascular headaches. Migraine is the most common cause of vascular headache. Many things seem capable of triggering migraine attacks, including stress, fatigue, drugs and foods that contain substances that affect the blood vessels. Chronic headache may be physical symptoms of depression or other kinds of severe emotional problems. Stress has a debilitating effect on the nerves in general and certain premenstrual symptoms may be aggravated by stress. Many sufferers of PMS have abnormal levels of the adrenal hormone aldosterone, which may account for some of the problems of excessive fluid retention and weight gain, breast tenderness and abdominal bloating. Further release of aldosterone caused by stress will exacerbate these problems. Chronic stress can produce severe depression because of its debilitating psychological effects. The physiological changes produced by stress can also contribute to depression. Adrenaline and noradrenaline are not only adrenal hormones but chemical messengers in the brain. Deficiencies of noradrenaline have been linked to depression in certain individuals and so adrenal exhaustion through chronic long term stress may be a contributory factor in depressive illness. An outcome of a viral infection, cold sores can manifest themselves on the skin and the nervous system and they are also called fever blisters. Caused by herpes virus, which can lay inactive within the body and gets activated by a trigger and these are infectious. One should not confuse them with impetigo which shows up between the nose and upper lip. Areas where sores do not develop are inside the mouth, where canker sores may appear as ulcers on the soft tissues but they are not contagious. In a move to stop cold sore from spreading further, keep your hands properly washed. A drug called Acyclovir (Zovirax) helps in cutting short the time of infection. Treatment options could span over creams, ointments and even some antiviral drugs like acyclovir or famciclovir. If you have to manage accompanying pain, take paracetamol or take the help of witch hazel and apply on the sores. This local skin therapy doubles up as an effective anesthetic. It is important to have a hearty yet balanced diet which is in no way deficit in vitamins A, C, E, zinc and iron, as this helps in boosting your immune system. Over and above, you must learn to do away with overtly salty and spicy foods or foods which promote acidity and drinks whi