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EARLY SIGNS OF INFECTION

-what to look out for-

  • "SUMMER" FLU - Often the first sign of infection: fever with body aches and without a cough or lung presentation *any time of year

  • BULLSEYE RASH - definitive Lyme,  only present in 30% of infected.

  • OTHER COMMON RASHES - commonly resembles a spider bite pustule. With/without redness and with intense itch (most do not remember being bit or have a rash)

  • CRIPPLING FATIGUE - unexplained and severe, with inability to work/play  

  • NEW CARDIAC SYMPTOMS - (low blood pressure, dizziness, high resting heart rate, POTS, etc) unexplained by cardiologist workup   

  • SWOLLEN LYMPH NODES     

  • SUDDEN SEVERE GI SYMPTOMS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

*If caught quickly, within days of infection, prognosis is excellent. 

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CHRONIC SIGNS OF INFECTION

-what to look for-

  • SUDDEN WEAKNESS OF ARMS AND/OR LEGS - newly developed inability to walk

  • ATAXIA - severe balance issue 

  • MIGRATING NUMBNESS /SHOOTING PAIN - usually in arms or legs, unresponsive to chiropractic or medical treatment                                                       

  • SEVERE LIGHT SENSITIVITY

  • SEVERE SOUND SENSITIVITY

  • MIGRAINES - unrelieved by OTC meds, with no known cause                          

  • EYE PAIN (optic neuritis) - with no known cause

  • VISION CHANGES - sudden and unexplained otherwise   

  • MIGRATING JOINT PAIN AND SWELLING- unexplained (without injury) and usually in large joints such as knees and elbows.

  •  TREMORS AND/OR TICS   

  • ALZHEIMER-LIKE COGNITIVE DECLINE 

  • HEART BLOCK/ARRHYTHMIA - known as Lyme Carditis

  • DYSAUTONOMIA - inability to regulate temperature, blood pressure, heart rate   

  • STROKE symptoms

  • GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS - severe and sudden, unrelenting, without known cause

  • FAILURE TO THRIVE - both emotionally and physically                                     

*If diagnosed late, the prognosis is poor and requires care with a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor (LLMD)​

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WHERE IS LYME?

  • No longer limited to the United States Northeast   

  • Heavily in the Midwest, FL, and both Western and Eastern seaboard   

  • Documented cases in every contiguous state

  • Most commonly found in wooded, tall grassy areas and grassy beaches

  • Transported in on birds, deer, rodents

  • Commonly found on livestock and family pets                                              

 

A 2018 study by the Bay Area Lyme Foundation found that 24 states contain counties with newly documented Ixodes scapularis (deer tick) or Ixodes pacificus (Western black-legged tick).​

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PREVENTION

-what to do and use-

  • DEET SPRAY on equipment such as boots, shoes, gloves, hats

  • DEET-free spray such as REPEL LEMON EUCALYPTUS studied and endorsed by CDC - use on skin

  • WONDERCIDE - all natural product safe for humans and dogs. Active ingredient: cedar oil   

  • WEAR SOCKS OVER PANTS when in the woods or tall grasses                                                                  

  • WEAR CLOTHING IMPREGNATED WITH PYRETHRIN OR PERMETHRIN, found on Amazon

  • WEAR WHITE CLOTHING for easy visibility of ticks

  • REGULAR TICK CHECKS - of self, children and pets             

  •  

  • SO YOU GOT A TICK BITE...WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? Read my blog post on this for full instructions!                                                                

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TREATMENT 101

Please visit the Treatment tab on the Home page for more detailed information

  • Early stage: between ten days and two months of doxycycline or amoxicillin

    • Find an Urgent Care/General Practitioner or Dermatologist near you that treats a tick bite appropriately.

      • ask for minimum of 10 days of antibiotic

      • a single dose doxycycline (200mg) has never been shown to prevent Lyme Disease in 100% of patients. No current research supports this treatment.                    

    • IF YOU WERE JUST BITTEN, PLEASE READ MY BLOG POST ON HOW TO TREAT IMMEDIATELY!

  • Late stage: requires a Lyme Literate MD (LLMD) because this requires individualized treatments. 

    • Rule out other illnesses such as Guillain Barre Syndrome, Brain/spinal Tumors, etc.​

    • Chronic Lyme often presents similar to MS, Fibromy

    • algia, Migraine Disease, IBS, MCAS, CFS/ME

    • Find a LLMD with the help of Global Lyme Alliance , CLICK BELOW

    • ​

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TESTING + PREVENTION

  • ELISA & WESTERN BLOT:

are highly specific tests but are not very sensitive and miss upwards of 70% of cases. 

​

  • PCR TESTING (IgG/IgM): more sensitive, used freely in Europe though hard to find in the United States. They also find common coinfections transmitted by ticks. 

 

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LABORATORIES INCLUDE: 

VIBRANT WELLNESS LAB - CLICK LINK BELOW

  • IGENIX - CLICK LINK BELOW

  • ARMIN LABS - EUROPE - CLICK LINK BELOW

JOIN US + GET SUPPORT

  • Women's Lyme Awareness Group - looking to host quarterly Eventbrite meetings (contact us if interested!)

  • PTC Lyme Connection on Facebook                                                    

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