In the early 2000's an advisor introduced me to the idea that many/most diseases are due to viral infections. Paul Ewald"s1994 book, Evolution of Infectious Disease, advances this notion, which is forcibly asserted in his 2002 popular book Plague Time.

Amazon's description of Plague Time states:

-Germs appear to be at the root of heart disease, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, many forms of cancer, and other chronic diseases.

-The greatest threats to our health come not from sensational killers such as Ebola, West Nile virus, and super-virulent strains of influenza, but from agents that are already here causing long-term infections, which eventually lead to debilitation and death.

-The medical establishment has largely ignored the evidence that implicates these germs, to the detriment of our public health.

-New evolutionary theories are available, which explain how germs function and offer opportunities for controlling these modern plagues — if we are willing to listen to them.

The relation of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori to ulcers revealed in the early 80's is an early example of an unexpected association of a pathogen with a disease which had been assumed to have entirely different origins.

The left side and the right side of my body behave remarkably differently. On the left side, I have pellucid marginal degeneration (a progressive corneal collagen disorder), profound hearing loss, residual Bell's palsy, and other health issues. Fortunately the right side of my body compensates, so none of those issues causes me much stress. I attribute all my left side weirdnesses to an otherwise hidden H. simplex infection.