Facebook Pixel

What is Lyme Disease?

By HERWriter
 
Rate This
Lyme Disease related image Photo: Getty Images

Lyme disease is an illness that has been popping up with greater frequency in the news. There is some disagreement and confusion as to how widespread this disease is, and how serious the condition can become.

What is Lyme disease? It is an infection that is spread by ticks that carry the Borrelia burgdorferi spirochete (spiral-shaped bacteria). Chipmunks, shrews, mice and a wide variety of birds can all be carriers of B. burgdorferi.

According to the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) there are five subspecies of B. burgdorferi, with over 100 strains appearing in the United States. To make identification of Lyme disease even more difficult, many organs can be affected by the spirochetes. Consequently Lyme disease symptoms come in a variety of forms.

Lyme disease symptoms in humans may be mistaken for a number of other diseases, including lupus, dementia, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromalgia and Parkinson's disease. If you have any type of mysterious multisystem disorder that seems to be eluding diagnosis, Lyme disease should be considered and tested for.

Some, though by no means all, recipients of a tick bite may find the classic Lyme disease rash which shows up in the infamous shape of a bull's eye. But it is important to be aware that it is entirely possible to have Lyme disease without ever seeing any sign of a rash.

If a bull's eye rash is not always present, and if the disease can present in so many ways, how can this disease be recognized?

ILADS recommends the performance of a Western blot test that reads and evaluates all bands that are linked to B. burgdorferi. This testing can reveal Lyme antibodies as well as chronic Lyme infection.

The nervous system can be affected, manifesting in depression, anxiety and panic attacks. Sleep can be disrupted, and the brain's ability to think and process can break down. Headaches and stiff neck can be evidence of infection.

The sufferer may become lightheaded, experiencing tingling, numbness and twitching in the muscles. Hypersensitivity to sound and light may occur along with tinnitis, or ringing in the ears.

Infection by the spirochete can cause chronic Lyme disease if not treated successfully. Lyme disease treatment can go down two different paths.

Long-term antibiotic treatment may offer success. Short-term courses often are followed by relapse and a flooding of old and new symptoms of Lyme disease once the course of antibiotics is done.

Naturopathic therapies have also been used successfully for some sufferers of Lyme disease, by building up the immune system, and removing toxins.

Sources:

Basic Information about Lyme Disease. ILADS.org. Web. Sept. 13, 2011.
http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/about_lyme.html

Treatment Guidelines. ILADS.org. Web. Sept. 13, 2011.
http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/treatment_guidelines.html

Top Ten Tips To Prevent Chronic Lyme Disease. ILADS.org. Web. Sept. 13, 2011.
http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/lyme_tips.html

Looking at Lyme Disease. Lookingatlyme.blogspot.com. Web. Sept. 13, 2011.
http://lookingatlyme.blogspot.com/2010/08/xmrv-hgrv-mecfs-patient-awareness.html

Dr. Klinghardt's Treatment of Lyme Disease. Onlinehealthnews.org. Web. Sept. 13, 2011.
http://onlinehealthnews.org/2009/07/dr-klinghardts-treatment-of-lyme-disease

Microbes, Chronic Illness and Lyme. Naturalhealthinnovations.org. Web. Sept. 13, 2011. http://www.naturalhealthinnovations.net/microbes-chronic-illness-and-lyme.html

Visit Jody's website and blog at http://www.ncubator.ca and http://ncubator.ca/blogger

Reviewed September 14, 2011
by Michele Blacksberg R.N.

Add a CommentComments

There are no comments yet. Be the first one and get the conversation started!

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
By submitting this form, you agree to EmpowHER's terms of service and privacy policy

We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

Tags:

Lyme Disease

Get Email Updates

Health Newsletter

Receive the latest and greatest in women's health and wellness from EmpowHER - for free!