Can Lyme Disease Cause Blood Clots

Lyme Mimics Many Illnesses

Lyme disease is a source of chronic illness for a rapidly growing number of people. The CDC estimates that 300,000 new cases of Lyme are contracted per year.

Some data suggests that a more likely number is 1,000,000 cases per year.

That being said, it is rarely properly diagnosed.

Lyme disease mimics many disorders. This leaves both doctors and patients without a clear cut answer as to what Lyme looks and feels like. Lyme is usually not even on the list of diseases to check for. But chronic Lyme disease doesnt run its course in a week or two like the flu.

Lyme disease symptoms are broad and not specific to Lyme alone. Symptoms can manifest as other chronic disorders like:

• Autoimmune diseases
• Neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , and Parkinson’s
• Rheumatoid arthritis and other joint inflammation

With Lyme resembling these other diseases, the cause behind them may remain unidentified.

The Lyme bacteria come in three different forms:

Only the spirochete form triggers the bullseye rash. This makes early recognition and treatment of Lyme difficult because this is the telltale sign people and practitioners are looking for. Most chronic Lyme sufferers report going to several doctors over many months before Lyme is recognized. Unfortunately, by that time Lyme has spread to many organ systems causing more damage and symptoms.

What Disease Causes Dogs To Limp

Injury to the foot (such as wounds, lacerations or foreign bodies. Injuries or diseases of pads or nails. Primary bone diseases such as fractures, tumors and inflammatory conditions such as panosteitis. Joint diseases associated with degenerative conditions, inflamatory or infectious conditions or congenital diseases.

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What Are Sources Of Lyme Disease

There are some big misconceptions around how a person can contract the Lyme bacteria. Most people think that you only have to be bitten by a tick that carries the infection. If you havent been camping in the deep woods, for example, there is no way to contract Lyme.

This isnt true.

Other insects like fleas, flies, mosquitoes, and spiders can carry and transmit Lyme. Birds and rodents like mice and squirrels can carry it. Mammals like cows, deer, dogs, and horses can all carry Lyme as well.

Lyme can also be transmitted sexually from bodily fluids. Studies have identified that couples can test positive for the exact same strain of Lyme.

Mothers can also pass on the bacteria to their babies, either in utero or from breastfeeding. Because Lyme can live in bodily fluids, it can also be transmitted through blood.

Another misconception is that Lyme disease is only found in specific areas of the world. This might have been the case in the past, but now Lyme is found everywhere. Its believed that migratory birds have spread the bacteria to every corner of the world. Even penguins in Antarctica have been found to carry Lyme.

An additional source of Lyme is parasites. This is the most insidious source of all. Parasites can carry Lyme disease inside them. Amazingly, they can have the Lyme bacteria whether they are in the egg, larva, or adult stage.

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Can Lyme Disease Cause Blood Clots In The Lungs

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Lyme Bacteria Can Camouflage Themselves

Your immune system notes a microbes identity by memorizing its protein sequence or genetic code. Each of your immune cells uses this code to scan for the bacteria.

But the microbes dont play fair. They can change little parts of their DNA so they dont fit the code. Theyre like criminals continually changing their appearance. This means your immune system has to search for many codes, not one.

Biofilm is another reason Lyme is difficult to detect with blood tests. This not only protects them from our immune system, but also from being killed by antibiotics. Biofilm can make them up to 10,000 times more resistant to antibiotics. Not only that, antibiotics can trigger them to make the biofilm even stronger.

Whats more, the bacteria morph their DNA every time you take antibiotics. This makes them increasingly resistant to the drugs.

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What Is Neurologic Lyme Disease

Neurologic symptoms of Lyme disease occur when the Lyme disease bacteria affect the peripheral or central nervous systems.

• Cranial nerve involvement: When the cranial nerves are affected, facial palsy can occur on one or both sides of the face.
• Peripheral nerve involvement: When the peripheral nerves are affected, patients can develop radiculoneuropathy which can cause numbness, tingling, shooting pain, or weakness in the arms or legs.
• Central nervous system involvement: When the central nervous system is affected, Lyme meningitis can cause fever, headache, sensitivity to light, and stiff neck.

Out of every 100 patients whose cases are reported to CDC, 9 have facial palsy, 4 have radiculopathy, and 3 have meningitis or encephalitis. Because of reporting practices, this statistic may overestimate how often these manifestations are seen by clinicians.

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How Can Lyme Disease Affect Your Pregnancy

We dont know for sure about the effects of Lyme disease on pregnancy. Untreated Lyme may cause complications during pregnancy, including:

• An infection in the placenta. The placenta grows in your uterus and supplies your baby with food and oxygen through the umbilical cord.
• Stillbirth. This is when a baby dies in the womb after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
• Congenital heart defects. These are heart conditions that are present at birth. They can affect the hearts shape or how it works, or both.
• Urinary tract defects. The urinary tract is the system of organs that helps your body get rid of waste and extra fluids. Urinary tract defects can cause pain, urinary tract infections, kidney damage and kidney failure.
• Problems with your babys blood, like hyperbilirubinemia. This is when your babys blood has too much bilirubin in it. Bilirubin is a yellow substance that forms as red blood cells break down. Too much bilirubin can cause your baby to have jaundice. This is when your babys skin and the white parts of his eyes look yellow because his liver isn’t fully developed or isn’t working.

Untreated Lyme disease also may cause your baby to have a rash after hes born.

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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Lyme Disease

Signs and symptoms of Lyme disease depend on how long youve been infected. If youre pregnant and have been bitten by a tick or live in or travelled to an area with Lyme disease, talk to your health care provider.

Early signs and symptoms include:

• A rash called erythema migrans . This rash looks like a bulls eye around where the tick bit you. It may feel warm and may or may not be itchy.
• Fatigue
• Fever and chills
• Headache
• Muscle and joint pain
• Swollen lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are glands throughout the body that help fight infection. You usually cant feel them unless theyre swollen.

Later signs or symptoms include:

• Being short of breath
• Facial paralysis. This is when you cant feel or move parts of your face.
• Joint pain and swelling

Unexplained Pain And Other Sensations

Some people with Lyme may have sharp rib and chest pains that send them to the emergency room, suspecting a heart problem 00090-7/abstract%20″ rel=”nofollow”> 27).

When no problem is found, after the usual testing, the ER diagnosis is noted as an unidentified musculoskeletal cause.

You can also have strange sensations like skin tingling or crawling, or numbness or itchiness 00090-7/abstract%20″ rel=”nofollow”> 27).

Other symptoms have to do with cranial nerves.

• Ear-ringing . Tinnitus can be a nuisance, especially at bedtime when it seems to get louder as youre trying to fall asleep. About 10 percent of people with Lyme experience this (
• Hearing loss. One study reported that 15 percent of Lyme patients experienced loss of hearing .
• Jaw pain or toothaches that are not related to actual tooth decay or infection.

Summary:

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What Is The Treatment Of Babesiosis

• If the patient is otherwise healthy and symptom-free, no treatment is necessary.
• Patients who are older, have impaired immunity, or who are asplenic are treated with a combination of clindamycin and quinine or atovaquone and azithromycin.
• In severe cases, whole-blood exchange transfusion may be required to reduce the level of parasites circulating in the blood.

Chronic Fatigue In Lyme Disease

Fatigue is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms associated with Lyme disease and associated infections. The fatigue can either be persistent and low-grade or can be cyclical with other symptoms related to the infections. For some suffering with fatigue from Lyme disease, they have to manage how much energy they can expend in a day, while others can hardly get out of bed. Reduced levels of energy significantly interfere with normal day-to-day activities such as work and household chores, and can also affect relationships.

Fatigue Impacted Allies Relationships and Life

It is not uncommon for people to get labeled with chronic fatigue syndrome before a diagnosis of tick-borne infections is made. With any syndrome, the symptoms are described but the underlying cause is not. Other infections such as Epstein-Barr virus and mycoplasma can also contribute to chronic fatigue.

Causes of Lyme-Related Fatigue

Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections can affect different organ systems on the body, including some that play a role in energy production.

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How Is Aps Treated

Currently, APS has no cure. However, medicines can help prevent health problems caused by the condition. The goals of treatment are to prevent blood clots from forming and keep existing clots from getting larger.

Your doctor may prescribe blood thinner medicine such as warfarin, heparin, or aspirin. Your doctor will know which medicine is best for you.

Going to the doctor and getting treatment is important for people with APS. If left untreated, APS can cause life-threatening blood clots that can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Learn more about how blood clotting disorders such as APS can affect your health.

Untreated APS in pregnancy can result in a higher risk of miscarriages and preeclampsia .

What Are The Risk Factors Of Aps

Your family history and genes, other medical conditions, medicines and procedures, or lifestyle factors may raise your risk of APS. These factors may raise your risk of APS antibodies, trigger blood clotting in APS, or both. APS can also affect people of any age.

Other common risk factors include:

• Sex: APS is more common in women than men.
• Family history: APS may sometimes run in families.
• Diagnosis of another autoimmune disorder: APS is most common in people who have lupus. In fact, 20% to 30% of people with lupus have antiphospholipid antibodies. Of those, about 1 in 3 develop blood clots in their arteries or veins.
• Bacterial or viral infections: HIV, hepatitis C, and the bacteria that causes Lyme disease can increase your risk of making APS antibodies or trigger APS.

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Is Hypercoagulability Causing Symptoms And Interfering With Your Treatment

Chronic illness is associated with increased inflammation, which can lead to a hypercoagulable state. Thick blood and fibrin deposition along blood vessel walls decrease the delivery of oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and other essential compounds to cells. A hypercoagulable state also reduces the ability of blood to remove toxins and metabolic waste from cells. Fibrin contributes to biofilm formation where viral and bacterial infections can evade the immune system and contribute to constant, low-level inflammation.

Assessing hypercoagulability is easily accomplished by a correctly performed blood test at LabCorp or Quest Diagnostics. The Coagulation Results Preferred Reference Ranges form above can be printed so you can enter your results to determine if you are experiencing hypercoagulation. Treating a hypercoagulable state reduces symptoms, speeds up healing, and improves the outcome of chronic illness.

Lightheadedness Dysautonomia And Pots Caused By Excess Fibrin Production

The fibrin layer along blood vessel walls creates stiffening of the vessel, which interferes with the vessels ability to expand and contract as they do in normal circumstances. A common symptom in chronic illness is lightheadedness, especially with a change in position. More severe forms of lightheadedness are diagnosed as dysautonomia and postural orthostatic intolerance syndrome . The spectrum of this presentation can be caused by the inability of blood vessels to expand and contract.

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Symptoms Of Dog Limping

First, it needs to be well-noted that limping or lameness is not a diagnosis per se. Limping is a symptom that develops due to an underlying issue.

Lameness or limping indicates an abnormal walk or gait that develops when the dog cannot put its weight on all limbs. The dog favors one leg as a result of pain or loss of function.

The dogs leg consists of bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles, joints, nerves, and blood vessels. Each of these structures can be damaged and act as a source of discomfort.

A limping dog can also exhibit other symptoms. Knowing them is beneficial in terms of determining the underlying cause. These are some of the symptoms frequently accompanied by limping:

• Reluctance to play and exercise
• Difficulty standing up or laying down
• Difficulty jumping on/off couches/cars
• Weak or numb foot or leg
• Swelling, wounds or bruises
• Fever, vomiting, disorientation, lethargy, and trouble breathing .

Finally, based on what causes the limping, it can be subtle or intense and it can affect one or more limbs.

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What Are The Clinical Features Of Babesiosis

After a bite from an infected tick, Babesia cause lysis of the host’s red blood cells. Clinical features range from nil or mild symptoms to severe disease and death.

• In healthy individuals, babesiosis is usually symptom-free.
• Some people experience a flu-like illness, with 1-2 weeks of fatigue, malaise, fever, chills, and sweating. The incubation period following a tick bite is around 1-4 weeks.
• The disease is most severe in older patients, have impaired immunity, or who have no spleen. These patients can experience jaundice, congestive heart failure, renal failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, disseminatedintravascularcoagulation, or death. Among patients with symptomatic infections, the mortality rate is 10% in the United States and 50% in Europe .

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Viruses Bacteria And Mast Cell Activation Syndrome Create Hypercoagulability

Pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and mold create an inflammatory state in the human body. Inflammation triggers the coagulation cascade leading the formation of an insoluble mesh-like protein called fibrin. Fibrin is deposited along the inner blood vessel cells called endothelial cells. Bacteria such as Bartonella and viruses get trapped in the fibrin, which contributes to their survival.

It is well documented viral infections increased coagulation. Recently, there has been a surge of studies published implicating coagulopathy as the cause of serious illness even death in COVID-19 . Bacterial infections have also been associated with increased coagulation possibly as a way to trap and kill the infection to protect the human. Mast cell activation syndrome is also associated with coagulation abnormalities.

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Regression And Other Symptoms In Children

Children are the largest population of Lyme patients.

The CDC study of reported Lyme cases from 19922006 found that the incidence of new cases was highest among 5- to 14-year-olds . About one quarter of reported Lyme cases in the United States involve children under 14 years old .

Children can have all the signs and symptoms of Lyme that adults have, but they may have trouble telling you exactly what they feel or where it hurts.

You may notice a decline in school performance, or your childs mood swings may become problematic.

Your childs social and speech skills or motor coordination may regress. Or your child may lose their appetite.

Children are more likely than adults to have arthritis as an initial symptom 01267-2/fulltext#sec0040″ rel=”nofollow”> 25).

In a 2012 Nova Scotian study of children with Lyme, 65 percent developed Lyme arthritis . The knee was the most commonly affected joint.

Summary:

Neurological Symptoms From Late

If Lyme disease or associated infections are not adequately treated or go untreated, the persistence of the bacteria, and the inflammation from the immune response, can affect nerve function leading to a myriad of neurological symptoms. One study indicated it took an average of a year and a half following a tick bite for symptoms to manifest in the peripheral nervous system and two years to the onset of symptoms in the central nervous system . The significant length of time from bacterial exposure to onset of symptoms creates a challenge in associating Lyme disease as the cause of chronic neurological symptoms.

Neuropathy is a general term for disease of the nerves.

Polyneuropathy refers to multiple nerves involved in the pathology. In late-stage Lyme disease, polyneuropathy typically manifests as numbness, tingling or burning and can include any nerve but most commonly begins in the hands/arms and feet/legs. Less frequently, chronic neuropathy can lead to radicular pain.

Encephalopathy refers to generalized brain dysfunction

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