Archive for the ‘What is Lyme?’ Category

Lyme Disease is a widespread infection caused by the invasive spirochetal bacteria known as Borrelia Burgdorferi.  The bacteria is carried by deer ticks but it has now been discovered that many if not all biting insects are capable of carrying the bacteria.  These insects include mites, fleas, flies and mosquitos.

Lyme is a potentially devastating and debilitating illness that if left untreated can cause neurological, cardiac and arthritic symptoms.  It is very important that the illness be caught in the early stages for a chance at complete recovery.  The longer the bacteria is left to spread in the body the more likely it will be to invade all major body organs and invade the muscles, tissues and blood cells.

The tricky part is that not everyone infected with the bacteria will initially know that they are sick.  The first initial physical symptom some people notice is the Erythema Migrans or “Bulls-Eye” rash.  Even scarier is that not everyone infected develops this rash or it may be hidden behind your ear or possibly underneath your hair which makes it difficult to spot.  Many people then go on to develop a “flu-like” illness which they mistake as a flu but it is actually the first signs of illness from Lyme Disease.

Lyme is commonly named the “The Great Imitator” because the symptoms it produces are also common in many other diseases such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Multiple Sclerosis, ALS, Parkinson’s, Lupus, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Anxiety and the list goes on.  It is very common for people to see numerous medical specialists and be misdiagnosed for many years before it is proven that Lyme is the true culprit behind their numerous strange physical symptoms.

To complicate the issue even further it has been discovered that many ticks don’t just carry the Borrelia bacteria alone but can also be a host to many other complicated infections, more commonly known as co-infections.  Some of the more well known co-infections include but are not limited to:  Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Mycoplasma.  When someone is infected with both Lyme and one or more co-infections it puts even more burden on the body and the symptoms can be more advanced and additional symptoms may appear from the numerous infections.

It is very important that any possible co-infections be addressed as well as the Lyme because each infection needs to be treated separately and numerous antibiotics or natural treatments need to be considered in the whole picture.  With a delayed diagnosis these co-infections even begin to become “in sync” with each other and begin working together to further invade the body organs even deeper and therefore treatment becomes much more lengthy and complex.

Testing for Lyme and co-infections can be very difficult and traditional testing methods should not be relied upon for a diagnosis.  Lyme needs to be a clinical diagnosis based on history of exposure and symptoms and blood tests should only be used to help support the diagnosis.  Lyme Literate Medical Doctors are true experts in this field but sadly they are hard to come by in Canada and most patients have no choice but to travel to the United States to seek treatment from these doctors who are extremely knowledgeable and sympathetic to a Lyme patients needs.  They understand the complexity of Lyme and co-infections and that it is not a simple illness to treat and cure.  Also the wonderful feeling of support and encouragement that these doctors give their patients when the bacteria causes extremely painful and disheartening symptoms.