Sep
23
Written by:
Emily Sherman
9/23/2010 11:28 AM
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Introduction to Lyme Disease
http://lyme-disease-research-database.com/
What is Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease is a multi-system inflammatory disease that affects all the systems of the body, including the brain. Although every case is different, left untreated, Lyme disease can be devastating. Read articles on Lyme disease.
Causes and Risk Factors
The specific bacteria that causes Lyme is a spirochete called Borrelia Burgdorferi, and it is believed to be primarily spread through the bite of a deer tick. Those who live near, or visit, densely forested areas are believed to be at higher risk of exposure to ticks, yet increasing medical evidence suggests that the bacteria can spread through other means. Learn about the 100 perspectives on Lyme.
Lyme Disease Symptoms
Lyme can cause fever, headaches, body aches and crushing fatigue. Some patients develop a characteristic bull's eye skin rash at the location of the tick bite. Lyme can also affect the cardiac system and the brain, causing arrhythmia, vertigo, speech impairments such as stammering, and poor concentration. Palsy and facial paralysis are also symptoms of Lyme. It is not uncommon for patients to suffer mood swings, depression, and psychotic episodes such as hallucinations.
However, some people who have the disease do not develop symptoms immediately after being infected. It may take years for some people to become symptomatic. Some who have been exposed may never develop Lyme disease symptoms, and further, is not yet known how long the bacteria may lie dormant. Learn more about Lyme disease symptoms.
Tests and Diagnosis
Currently, the recommended diagnostic tests for detecting Lyme disease are the Western Blot analysis, used to identify particular antibodies, and the ELISA, a general antibody test. Tests for the disease are unreliable. Negative clinical test results do not necessarily mean that the patient is free of Lyme or its co-infections. The bacteria appears to evade the body's immune system, as it is capable of changing into two, three or more shapes as it spreads throughout the body. Learn more about Lyme disease tests.
Unfortunately, it is common for people with Lyme to receive a misdiagnoses and thus remain untreated. The medical profession’s nickname for chronic Lyme disease is the Great Imitator, because symptoms mimic hundreds of other conditions including Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Epstein-Barr virus, and rheumatoid arthritis. Learn more about Lyme disease diagnosis.
Lyme Treatment
Lyme disease is treatable with antibiotics. However, the strength and length of prescription of antibiotics is at the core of controversy in the medical community. Antibiotics given immediately after infection seem to work for most Lyme patients. During later stages of the disease, some patients have responded to extended courses of antibiotics, but extended courses are not sanctioned by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Current guidelines for treatment of Lyme published by the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) state that it is reasonable to continue antibiotic therapy, in some cases, beyond the arbitrary 30-day course recommended by the IDSA. Learn more about Lyme disease treatment protocols.
Experts familiar with the complicated nature of diagnosing Lyme advise that if a person has had a tick bite, or exhibits symptoms characteristic of Lyme, they consult a Lyme literate medical doctor (LLMD) and begin treatment, even if test results are negative or pending.
Alternative Medicine
Increasingly, LLMDs are treating patients successfully with alternative protocols, such as pharmaceutical and herbal antimicrobials combined, and other non-invasive methods, such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Further, doctors are seeing fewer cases of relapse in patients who are treated with some of these alternative protocols. Learn about alternative Lyme treatments.
For Patients
People suffering the symptoms and stress of Lyme disease need accessible information that helps them make sound decisions about the course of their own treatment. The Lyme Disease Research Database aims to be a resource for patients seeking education about prevention of the disease, support for identifying and alleviating Lyme symptoms, and news of current treatments, both conventional and alternative. Listen to interviews with Lyme patients.
For Health Professionals
The Lyme Disease Research Database (LDRD) helps provide a platform for health professionals, LLMDs, researchers, patients, medical experts and other licensed health care practitioners to speak directly to others in the Lyme community. Health professionals share up-to-date information about therapies that are effective for their patients with Lyme disease. In addition, LDRD also showcases stories of patients who are successfully overcoming Lyme disease.