10 top things you should know about Lyme disease:
1. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection known to be caused by the bite of a tick.
Tick bites are not always detectable, and every person who contracts Lyme has a unique response. Contrary to old notions, Lyme can be extremely difficult to cure. Your best approach is to educate yourself and take a proactive stance in your recovery. Learn more about the Lyme bacteria.
Tick bites are not always detectable, and every person who contracts Lyme has a unique response. Contrary to old notions, Lyme can be extremely difficult to cure. Your best approach is to educate yourself and take a proactive stance in your recovery. Learn more about the Lyme bacteria.
2. The bull's eye rash is not a reliable marker of Lyme.
Many people, perhaps even as high as 80% of people who have Lyme, never get the bull's eye rash. In addition, Lyme disease is a superb mimic of hundreds of other diseases and conditions. Therefore, Lyme is frequently misdiagnosed. Keep up-to-date with the latest blog posts on Lyme rash.
Many people, perhaps even as high as 80% of people who have Lyme, never get the bull's eye rash. In addition, Lyme disease is a superb mimic of hundreds of other diseases and conditions. Therefore, Lyme is frequently misdiagnosed. Keep up-to-date with the latest blog posts on Lyme rash.
3. Lyme tests used by IDSA doctors (the Western Blot and the ELISA) are notoriously unreliable.
Lyme-aware doctors (also called LLMDs or Lyme literate MDs) observe the patients' symptoms and make a clinical diagnosis. As a patient, it is preferable to avoid delayed treatment, and LLMDs will begin treatment even while test results are pending, if they deem it appropriate. Learn more about the Lyme tests.
Lyme-aware doctors (also called LLMDs or Lyme literate MDs) observe the patients' symptoms and make a clinical diagnosis. As a patient, it is preferable to avoid delayed treatment, and LLMDs will begin treatment even while test results are pending, if they deem it appropriate. Learn more about the Lyme tests.
4. There are two different standards of care for Lyme disease.
The opposing views represent two organizations made up of physicians. On one side is the IDSA (Infectious Diseases Society of America). On the other is ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society). Your doctor is probably aligned with one side or the other. This will directly affect your diagnosis, your treatment, and your recovery. Read the latest blog posts on Lyme treatment.
The opposing views represent two organizations made up of physicians. On one side is the IDSA (Infectious Diseases Society of America). On the other is ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society). Your doctor is probably aligned with one side or the other. This will directly affect your diagnosis, your treatment, and your recovery. Read the latest blog posts on Lyme treatment.
5. Many highly skilled, well-educated doctors are not trained how to recognize the symptoms, diagnose and/or treat Lyme.
It is not unusual for people with Lyme disease to seek help from multiple doctors before finally receiving a positive diagnosis and beginning treatment. Read the latest news posts on Lyme doctors.
It is not unusual for people with Lyme disease to seek help from multiple doctors before finally receiving a positive diagnosis and beginning treatment. Read the latest news posts on Lyme doctors.
6. Lyme is a multistage illness.
You may receive a positive diagnosis while the disease is in the early stage. In this case, many doctors agree that the antibiotic protocol recommended by the IDSA will help you get better quickly. Many people, however, discover they have a Lyme infection when the illness has progressed to the second or tertiary stages. In this case, antibiotics may be administered long-term, via IV, and/or alternative treatments are frequently advised.
You may receive a positive diagnosis while the disease is in the early stage. In this case, many doctors agree that the antibiotic protocol recommended by the IDSA will help you get better quickly. Many people, however, discover they have a Lyme infection when the illness has progressed to the second or tertiary stages. In this case, antibiotics may be administered long-term, via IV, and/or alternative treatments are frequently advised.
7. If you have been diagnosed with late-stage Lyme (also called chronic Lyme or Post-Lyme Syndrome), and you don't remember getting a tick bite, you are not alone. Many people do not recall the tick bite, and are not correctly diagnosed until the disease has progressed. Take heart. There are many treatment options you and your doctor should be aware of. Keep up-to-date with the latest blog posts on chronic Lyme.
8. Your doctor may not be willing to test you for Lyme disease.
Myths are rampant, such as, "Your province doesn't have Lyme disease."
Myths are rampant, such as, "Your province doesn't have Lyme disease."
9. Ticks do not simply carry Lyme bacteria.
Chances are high that along with Lyme, they will deliver co-infections such as Babesia, Bartonella, and Erlichiosis. Therefore, the possibility of co-infections must also be detected and treated.
Chances are high that along with Lyme, they will deliver co-infections such as Babesia, Bartonella, and Erlichiosis. Therefore, the possibility of co-infections must also be detected and treated.
The latest blog posts on Lyme tick.
10. Personal Prevention
Reduce Your Chances Of A Tick Bite
- Avoid tick-infested areas, such as leaf litter under trees. Avoid brushing against long grasses and brush on edges of paths. Don’t sit on stumps or fallen logs.
- Wear light-colored long pants and long sleeves so you can easily see any ticks.
- Tuck shirt into pants and tuck pants into socks.
- Use DEET on skin and treat clothing with spray containing permethrin.
- Do a thorough tick check upon returning inside and for several days following exposure.
- Check bedding for several days following exposure for ticks that drop off.
- Ticks, especially nymphal ticks, are tiny. Find and remove them before they bite.
What To Do If You Are Bitten
- Use fine-point tweezers or a special tick-removing tool. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. If you don’t have tweezers, protect your fingers with a tissue.
- Pull the tick straight out with steady, even pressure.
- Avoid squeezing the tick, breaking it, or allowing any blood to remain on your skin.
- Place the tick in a small plastic bag or vial with blades of grass, leaf, or moist (not wet) piece of tissue.
- Label the bag with your name, date, site of bite and how long tick was attached.
- Have the tick identified and tested by a lab, health department or veterinarian.
- Wash your hands, disinfect the tweezers and bite site.
- Educate yourself about tick-borne diseases and consult a doctor to see if treatment is warranted.
Considerations For Prophylactic (Preventive) Treatment
- The tick infection rate in the area where you acquired the tick. An area may still labeled as “no risk” despite lack of scientific studies.
- The relative risk of transmission, depending on whether the tick was a nymph or adult, duration of attachment and how it was removed.
- Whether the tick tested positive for a tick-borne infection.
- The Lyme germs may spread widely in the body, including to the brain, within hours/days.
- The cost of prophylactic treatment vs. risk of infection.
- The risks and benefits of prophylactic treatment vs. risks of infection.
