A: Lyme Disease is caused by a bacteria, specifically known as a spirochete (similar to the one that causes syphilis) and can be found at least 9 different species of ticks, 6 species of mosquitoes, 13 species of mites, 15 species of flies, 2 species of fleas, and numerous wild and domestic mammals including rabbits, rodents, and birds. Once transmitted to humans, the spirochete causes damage by spreading to various parts of the body. It can infect any and all organs and tissues in the body, causing a multitude of symptoms that can make a person very ill, sometimes totally disabled, and it can be fatal.
Q: Can Lyme Disease be transmitted from person to person?
A: The spirochete that causes Lyme disease has been found in semen, urine, blood, breast milk and other body fluids and tissues. Those who have Lyme disease are prohibited from donating blood or organs. Lyme disease has also been shown in a number of cases to be passed from mothers to their unborn children and to babies through breast milk. The spirochete can be found in the blood of deer which poses a threat to hunters and it is recommended that anyone handling raw venison use gloves.
Q: What are some of the signs and symptoms of the disease and its effects?
A: Unless a doctor is very experienced with Lyme disease, (he or she) may not recognize it until it is too late or not at all. Lyme Disease has been misdiagnosed as a variety of other conditions, including but not limited to, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, Alzheimer's, Fibromyalgia, depression, lupus, ADD, and various forms of arthritis. The list of possible symptoms is overwhelming. Anything from hearing loss to panic attacks surfacing in otherwise healthy individuals can be the first indication a person has contracted Lyme. Many patients do not recall a tick bite (thought to be the most common form of transmission) and many never get the typical bulls eye rash or flu-like symptoms that are sometimes associated with early stages of Lyme. Lyme can affect the eyes causing sensitivity to light, floaters, conjunctivitis, unequal pupils, bacterial infections, optic neuritis, blurred or double vision, and even blindness.
The brain and surrounding tissues may become infected and can leave the patient with permanent damage and/or pain. Cranial nerve palsies, encephalopathy, meningitis, dementia, memory deficits, brain hemorrhage, intracranial pressure, and aseptic meningitis can all be caused by Lyme Disease.
A number of people develop problems with their digestive tract and people with Lyme can battle acid reflux, diarrhea, bloating, cramps, partial to full blockages, and pain. The bladder and reproductive organs are not spared and menstrual problems may surface in woman, while swollen testicles and pelvic pain may cause problems for men. There is often brain "fog," memory problems, confusion, difficulty thinking, and speech difficulties. Extreme fatigue may be a constant problem, along with muscle spasms and joint pain. The heart and lung problems found in Lyme patients can range from palpitations and shortness of breath, to heart block and respiratory failure.
Depression, severe anxiety, insomnia, and mood swings are common. The list goes on and on. The most important thing to remember is to consider Lyme even though a tick was not seen, or as rash did not appear, or a blood test comes back negative, especially if someone seems to have bizarre or seemingly unrelated symptoms, atypical diseases of any kind, or a disease that does not respond to standard treatment. The standard blood tests often used to detect Lyme antibodies are missing approximately half of the cases of Lyme Disease. Lyme, according to the Center for Disease Control, is a clinical diagnosis and negative tests should NOT rule out the disease. A lab specializing in Lyme Disease and co-infections should be used for the best chances of aiding the clinical diagnosis.
Q: Can Lyme cause other diseases?
A: Lyme can mimic many diseases and can force the patient to require treatment for a variety of other problems. The thyroid responses can be off and require adjunct therapy.
Other infections (such as bladder, sinus, eye, and kidney infections) often develop and are hard to fight off once the immune system is compromised. As the spirochetes inhabit and die off in the human body, toxins develop, which can cause a multitude of chronic problems unless treated properly. A VCS test should be done to detect toxins.
Q: If caught early, can the effects be minimized?
A: Outdated information indicates a tick must be attached for at least 24 to 48 hours to infect a person. This is NOT the case. If you are bitten by a tick, the old wait-and-see approach can be devastating. Once in contact with an infected source, the earlier the treatment the better. You should NOT wait for blood tests, rashes, or symptoms to appear before being treated if you have a tick bite.
Q: What type of treatment is available and how long does it run?
A: Treatment protocols vary depending on the amount of time between the infection and when treatment begins. Current guidelines indicate newly discovered tick bites and early cases should be treated with antibiotics for a minimum of four to six weeks, and late stages usually require a minimum of four to six months of treatment, either IV or oral medications, or both. If treatments are discontinued before all symptoms of Lyme disease have ended, the person can remain ill and relapse. Many patients who were not treated properly in the past have developed chronic cases of lyme and may need ongoing treatment to be able to keep from deteriorating.
Q: What are the long-term effects of Lyme disease?
A: Patients can relapse with any and all of the original symptoms, develop new ones and progressively deteriorate as time goes by. Lyme disease can cause pain and may affect the ability to walk and may limit the range of motion. Speech, writing skills, or communication problems may worsen. Many patients become bedridden or house bound. Damage to the brain and other organs can result. The financial burden of Lyme can be devastating. In addition, some insurance companies continue to deny necessary treatments, which further stresses individuals and worsens their condition.
Q: What is the risk of contracting Lyme disease?
A: In some areas of the country where winters are not severe, it is possible to have nearly year-round exposure to ticks and other insects carrying Lyme disease. One female tick can produce 2,000 to 5,000 babies. Once an area has a small tick population, the numbers increase rapidly. Ticks are carried into new areas by birds, pets, wildlife and people.
Q: What is the best way to prevent getting Lyme disease?
A: Often it is difficult to wear long pants, long sleeve shirts, shoes and socks and a hat outdoors in the summer without suffering from heat related problems. I recommend wearing light colored clothing, doing regular tick checks while outdoors and again after returning home. Showering using a stiff wash cloth may help to dislodge ticks before they become fully attached. I also recommend Repel Permanone be applied to outdoor clothing, hats, outdoor duffel bags and equipment. This unscented product kills ticks as they crawl across treated surfaces instead of trying to simply deter them as most repellents try to do. Yards can be treated with Sevin which is available locally in the garden department of many stores in a dust or concentrated liquid form. It won't kill all of the ticks but it will reduce the numbers to a safer level. I do NOT recommend the current Lyme vaccine that was recently pulled from the market.
Q: What other tick borne diseases can affect humans?
A: There are increasing numbers of Babesia, Bartonella (cat scratch fever), Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Ehrlichiosis being found as in patients originally diagnosed with Lyme disease or in patients who are exposed to ticks. These diseases may appear with or without typical symptoms and are often being overlooked, causing patients to suffer. These co-infections may become chronic if left untreated and all have been found to be responsible as a cause of death in some individuals.