The Truth About Lyme Disease
The West Clinic is known worldwide for our successful treatment of Lyme Disease. Lyme disease cases have tripled in the United States over the last 2 decades, making it the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere. The disease now affects around 300,000 Americans each year.
Commonly after exposure—a rash may appear around the site of the tick bite. Long-term infections can produce serious symptoms, including joint stiffness, brain inflammation, and nerve pain.
First discovered in Lyme, Connecticut, this disease is now found in all 50 US states and on every continent except Antarctica.
It’s growing in numbers and spreading geographically, yet some medical professionals don’t acknowledge that its chronic form even exists!
Lyme disease is transmitted through a bite from an infected deer tick the size of a poppy seed.
Most people who are bitten by a tick never even know it. Fewer than half of people infected get the tell-tale bull’s eye rash, the first obvious sign of the disease.
Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacteria which can lie dormant for months or years, making it difficult to diagnose.
Lyme disease is called the “great imitator” because symptoms can mimic many other diseases — fibromyalgia, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and lupus.
Even if you receive an accurate diagnosis, it is persistent and difficult to treat. The bacteria form “biofilms” — a slimy protective coating that keep the bacteria safe from detection and antibiotics.
Lyme Disease Symptoms
Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi. Sometimes manifesting as a bulls-eye rash around the area of contact. Initially, Lyme disease is accompanied by fever, flu-like symptoms, migraines, fatigue, muscle, and joint aches.
However, due to many false negatives associated with Lyme tests, a large number of cases are misdiagnosed and progress into a more severe condition known as late disseminated Lyme.
Late disseminated Lyme is comprised of many debilitating symptoms and has been considered difficult to treat in the medical community. In addition to the symptoms mentioned above, the late stages are often accompanied by immune system dysfunction, nervous system abnormalities, chronic axonal polyneuropathy, encephalopathy, cognitive disorders, sleep disturbance, personality changes, and cardiac problems. While the condition is not considered fatal, symptomology is so severe that many patients are bed-bound.
Due to the vast range of symptomology present in Lyme, often patients are misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, depression, or even arthritis. In addition, there is not one diagnostic test for the condition, further complicating a diagnosis and proper treatment.
Typical Lyme Disease Symptomology:
Early Stage Lyme Disease
Many people infected with Lyme do not notice these early indicators of infection. Early manifestations usually disappear and disseminated Lyme may occur. While the list below offers common symptoms, these symptoms alone do not indicate Lyme disease.
Flu-like feelings
Muscle aches
Headache
Fever
Enlarging rash
Stiff neck
Fatigue
Late Disseminated Lyme Disease
The following list should serve only as a guideline for Lyme symptomology. This list is not all-inclusive. If you are experiencing a number of the symptoms below, you should see a physician for testing and evaluation.
Abdominal pain
Abnormal brain waves or seizures
Attention deficit (ADD)
Balance problems
Behavioral changes/mood swings
Brain "fog" or often confused
Burning or stabbing pain
Buzzing in ears
Change in hearing, smell, and taste
Chest pain
Chronic illnesses
Clumsiness
Conjunctivitis
Constant low body temperature
Cough
Cracks around the sides of the mouth
Cramps
Dementia
Depression
Diarrhea or Constipation
Difficulty breathing
Difficulty chewing, swallowing, or speaking
Dilated cardiomyopathy
Discoloration of hands and feet
Disorientation
Disturbance of sleep patterns
Dizziness/fainting
Drooping shoulders
Dyslexia
Ears popping
Eating disorders
Elevated blood pressure
Endometriosis
Extreme agitation
Eye disturbances
Facial paralysis/ Bell's palsy
Fever(s)
Flashing lights
Frequent and easy bruising
Gastrointestinal dysfunction
Hallucinations
Hands/fingers temporarily lock into unusual positions
Heart block (electric conduction disturbance)
Heart palpitations or extra beats
Hoarseness or vocal cord problems
Hot/cold flashes
Hyperactivity
Impulsive violence
Increased dreams
Increased motion sickness
Irregular heartbeat
Irritability
Light or sound sensitivity
Loss of appetite
Loss of reflexes
Lower back pain
Lymphocytoma
Manic, or obsessive behavior
Memory problems
Meningitis
Mild liver function abnormalities
Miscarriage, premature or stillbirth
Myocarditis
Nausea
“New” seasonal allergies
Night sweats
Nightmares
Optic atrophy
Pain that moves to different body parts
Painful teeth
Panic attacks
Paralysis of limbs
Paranoia; schizophrenic-like states
Pelvic pain
Peripheral neuropathy
Pneumonia
Problems with numbers
Profound fatigue
Red eye
Retinal damage
Runny nose
Severe headache
Severe muscle/joint aches/pain
Sexual dysfunction/loss of drive
Shortness of breath
Sleep disorders/disturbances
Sore throat
Spleen tenderness or enlargement
“Spots” before eyes
Stiff neck
Stroke
Swollen glands
Testicular pain
Tingling extremities
TMJ pain/discomfort
Tremors or unexplained shaking
Unexplained breast pain, and discharge in females
Unexplained hair loss
Unexplained menstrual pain or irregularity in females
Unexplained weight gain or loss
Upset stomach
Vasculitis
Vision changes
Some Lyme disease specialists have said that they have never had a single patient with Alzheimer’s, ALS, Parkinson’s disease, or multiple sclerosis who did not test positive for Borrelia. These are all diseases with no known cause and it is suspected that Lyme disease might be the common link.
An Ugly Chapter in Modern Medicine
The way diagnosing and treating Lyme disease has been handled is a particularly ugly chapter in modern medicine. Special interests put profits above the lives of thousands, including children. The official Lyme disease treatment policy is dictated by insurance companies who don’t want to pay for ongoing care.
At the West Clinic, we take a different approach. Not treating the disease but treating the person instead, focusing on their individual needs. It's about determining the underlying cause, finding the imbalances, giving the body the building blocks it needs to heal, and restoring balance to the whole system.
If you think you may be suffering from Lyme Disease, call The West Clinic or visit our website at www.lymefighter.com
