Approximately 300,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year. This disease is transmitted by ticks that are infected with (Lyme) spirochete bacteria that causes infection in humans. Lyme disease is also known as an imitator disease because its symptoms often mimic those of many other illnesses and medical conditions. It is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions in the medical field.
Cause of Lyme Disease
Because the bites of infected ticks are often painless, many people are not aware that they have been bitten until after they have been diagnosed with Lyme disease. When ticks bite humans, they often remain attached to their food source for several days. The longer an infected tick remains attached to a human, the greater their chances are for developing this condition. Once Lyme (spirochete) bacteria has entered the bloodstream, it rapidly starts to multiply and spread throughout the body. Lyme disease can affect any part of the body, including the brain, nervous system, and other organs.
Symptoms
Lyme disease often occurs in stages depending on the severity of infection. During the onset of this disease, an infected person may experience cold and flu-like symptoms that often resolve on their own. Shortly after, there is often a rash that appears around the area of the tick bite. This rash may look normal in appearance, or it can present as a bull’s eye, with the actual bite being the bull’s eye. A bull’s eye rash indicates that Lyme disease is indeed present and that medical attention is required immediately.
Only a small amount of people experience the rash. The rash typically occurs within several days to weeks after being bitten, and often lasts for several weeks. In some cases, the rash will fade only to reappear later on. The rash varies in appearance and can resemble ringworm, spider bites, scabs, cellulitis, or bruises. Some infected people may also experience rashes on other areas of their bodies that are not near the bite site.
Over 85 percent of people who are bitten have no recollection of the experience, and 70 percent of people who have been bitten by an infected tick do not experience or notice a rash. If you suspect that you have Lyme disease or notice a rash, take a picture of it and see a doctor right away.
Other symptoms of Lyme disease include:
- Sweats
- Muscle aches
- Fatigue
- Neck stiffness
- Joint pain
- Sudden onset of arthritis
- Light or sound sensitivity
- Shortness of breath
- Bell’s palsy
- Chest pain
- Heart palpitations
- Unusual moods or behavior
Early testing is the key to ensuring a proper diagnosis of this condition. However, some people end up with false negatives even though they have the condition. Also, many people that develop Lyme disease may develop other health conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome and Fibromyalgia.
Alternative Treatments
Although conventional treatments involve the use of antibiotics and other medications for a period of two to four weeks, the symptoms of Lyme disease can persist for weeks or even months long after the disease is gone. Also, antibiotics are effective in treating many cases of Lyme disease but not all of them. Naturopathic medicine can be very effective in treating Lyme disease.
- IV Therapy involves the intravenous administration of vitamins, nutrients, and mineral, to treat Lyme disease in a natural way. When the body has little to no levels of certain vitamins, minerals and nutrients, its ability to fight Lyme disease is severely impaired. IV therapy helps to boost the body’s own healing response so that it can fight the long lasting effects of the disease and restore balance, energy, and overall health.
- Herbal Therapy uses special herbal mixtures that are tailored to the individual needs of the patient. Everyone responds differently to Lyme disease. The use of herbal medicine to fight this disease can boost one’s immunity and detoxify the body so that it can recover much faster.
- Homeopathy involves the use of natural remedies that are designed to treat a patient’s individual response to the disease. Throughout the treatment process, a naturopathic doctor develops a unique profile for the patient and administers the corresponding homeopathic treatment to restore the body’s ability to identify and fight the disease and any lingering symptoms itself.
Alternative treatments are very effective in treating all stages of Lyme disease.
Lyme disease can negatively impact your health and overall well-being. If you suspect that you have or were recently diagnosed with Lyme disease and want to overcome this illness the natural way, give Health for Life a call today at (602)-368-9211.