Chronic Lyme Disease Symptom Severity
In LDos chronic Lyme disease survey, over 75% of patients reported at least one symptom as severe or very severe and 63% reported two or more such symptoms. Find out more about LDo peer-reviewed published surveys. The chart below shows the severity of ten common chronic Lyme symptoms.
The survey also found that patients with chronic Lyme disease have high disability and unemployment rates. Over 40% of patients with chronic Lyme disease reported that they currently are unable to work because of Lyme disease and 24% report that they have received disability at some point in their illness.
Nadh And Ubiquinol: Vital Co
Energy production cannot occur without the co-enzyme nutrients NADH and ubiquinone/ubiquinol . NADH is a form of vitamin B-3 that is so important to life that every cell in the human body makes it. The highest concentrations of NADH can be found in the heart, brain and muscles because these tissues demand more energy than any other body parts. Interestingly, it seems that in Lyme disease these are the tissues most compromised by the inflammation—suggesting a role for NADH in supporting energy production.
In one study involving 58 patients suffering from a variety of typical fatigue illnesses such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lyme Disease, Fibromyalgia and Gulf War illness, there was a 30.7% reduction in overall fatigue within 60 days of NADH treatment.
There Is Also A Good Chance That Your Condition Is Treatable With Antibiotics
Next, understand that a Lyme disease diagnosis does not necessarily mean you are about to have a huge shift in your general state of health. If your Lyme disease diagnosis comes in the early stages of your condition, the chances are that you will not experience much more than the symptoms that led you to seek medical attention. There is also a good chance that your condition is treatable with antibiotics. More severe conditions like the so-called post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome PTLDS are rather rare. Keep this in mind and dont allow yourself to be troubled by horror stories. Focus on the facts and get the treatments you require.
Last, listen to your doctor. Once your condition is under control, talk with your doctor about possible ways you could have contracted the disease. For example, if you are in the habit of walking through the woods in a short-sleeved shirt and a pair of shorts, you may want to wear more clothing. This will make you less susceptible to the deer ticks that often spread the disease. After consulting with your doctor, you can take steps to make some changes in how you do things so that the chances of a recurring bout of Lyme disease is minimized.
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The Chronic Lyme Disease Controversy
Chronic Lyme disease is a poorly defined term that describes the attribution of various atypical syndromes to protracted Borrelia burgdorferi infection. These syndromes are atypical for Lyme disease in their lack of the objective clinical abnormalities that are well-recognized in Lyme disease and, in many cases, the absence of serologic evidence of Lyme disease as well as the absence of plausible exposure to the infection. The syndromes usually diagnosed as CLD include chronic pain, fatigue, neurocognitive, and behavioral symptoms, as well as various alternative medical diagnosesmost commonly neurologic and rheumatologic diseases. Perhaps the most recognized and contentious facet of this debate is whether it is effective, appropriate, or even acceptable to treat patients with protracted antibiotic courses based on a clinical diagnosis of CLD.
What Are The Symptoms Of Lyme Disease
The tricky thing about Lyme disease is that there is not a single example of a symptom that must be present in every case. Instead, there are a variety of factors, with any combination of the symptoms present. Another problem is that these symptoms are often very vague, and people do not always pay enough attention to them. However, here are some examples of the most common Lyme disease symptoms.
One characteristic of Lyme disease symptoms is that there is a chance of different types of Lyme disease symptoms making an appearance as the condition worsens. In the first stages of the disease, one fairly common occurrence with Lyme disease is the appearance of a red, irritated area at the point where the tick bite took place.
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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:
A Healthy Sleep Routine Is Vital For Your Recovery
If you are being treated for Lyme disease and/or other tick-borne diseases and still have sleep disorders, the most critical step is to practice good sleep hygiene to make sure your body and brain are well prepared for sleep. Here are some things you can do:
Ultimately, sleep is vital for your recovery from Lyme disease. So make sure to implement a healthy sleep routine.
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Signs And Symptoms Of Untreated Lyme Disease
Seek medical attention if you observe any of these symptoms and have had a tick bite, live in an area known for Lyme disease, or have recently traveled to an area where Lyme disease occurs.
Untreated Lyme disease can produce a wide range of symptoms, depending on the stage of infection. These include fever, rash, facial paralysis, and arthritis.
The appearance of the erythema migrans rash can vary widely.
- Fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes may occur in the absence of rash
- Erythema migrans rash :
- Occurs in approximately 70 to 80 percent of infected persons
- Begins at the site of a tick bite after a delay of 3 to 30 days
- Expands gradually over several days reaching up to 12 inches or more across
- May feel warm to the touch but is rarely itchy or painful
- Sometimes clears as it enlarges, resulting in a target or bulls-eye appearance
- May appear on any area of the body
- Does not always appear as a classic erythema migrans rash
Swollen Knee
- Severe headaches and neck stiffness
- Additional EM rashes on other areas of the body
- Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling, particularly the knees and other large joints.
- Intermittent pain in tendons, muscles, joints, and bones
- Heart palpitations or an irregular heart beat
- Episodes of dizziness or shortness of breath
- Inflammation of the brain and spinal cord
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Early Symptoms Of Lyme Disease
More than 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to the Centers for Disease Control each year. The risk of Lyme disease is greatest in the spring and summer when the disease is commonly transmitted through tick bites.
Preventing tick bites is key to fending off an infection, but if you do get bit, look out for these early symptoms of Lyme disease:
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The Connection Between Brain Fog And Lyme Disease
If a tick bites you, common symptoms such as fatigue, fever and chills, headache, and muscle pain can occur. A skin rash may also develop and becoFdiagnome larger over time. Left untreated, the disease may worsen and affect the heart, joints, and central nervous system. Lyme disease can also cause the blood vessels in the brain to become inflamed, leading some people to experience brain fog.
Brain fog is not a condition, but a symptom that can lead to:
- Slow or sluggish thinking
- Short-term memory loss
Brain fog is different than general fatigue or forgetfulness. Most researchers think that brain fog is a form of mild cognitive impairment that can cause long-term feelings of exhaustion and decreased focus. Typically, physical fatigue may go away on its own if you get enough rest. This is not the case with brain fog.
In most cases of Lyme disease, brain fog appears due to a condition called post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome , which is estimated to occur in five to ten percent of people with Lyme disease. Symptoms of PTLDS can affect someone for more than six months after they complete antibiotic treatment. While brain fog can be a temporary symptom of PTLDS, some people report long-term brain fog even after their initial symptoms disappear.
How Does Lyme Disease Progress
People treated in the early stages of Lyme disease usually make a full recovery, but advanced stages of the illness can cause serious and debilitating symptoms.
The progression of Lyme disease is typically divided into three stages:
- Stage 1 Localized Lyme disease, in which the infection is focused in one area of the body.
- Stage 2 Early disseminated Lyme disease, in which the bacteria has begun to spread.
- Stage 3 Late disseminated Lyme disease, in which the bacteria has spread throughout the body.
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What Happens At Your Appointment
The GP will ask about your symptoms and consider any rash or recent tick bites you know about.
Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose. It has similar symptoms to other conditions and theres not always an obvious rash.
2 types of blood test are available to help confirm or rule out Lyme disease. But these tests are not always accurate in the early stages of the disease.
You may need to be retested if you still have Lyme disease symptoms after a negative result.
What Is Lyme Disease Fatigue
by Lyme Mexico | Apr 20, 2022 | Symptoms |
Lyme disease is the fifth most reported noticeable disease. However, it is also one of the most underreported diseases in America due to misdiagnoses and faulty test materials. Currently, there are over 476,000 reports of Lyme disease annually, but many reports suggest that number should be much higher. This means hundreds of thousands of people may be suffering the debilitating symptoms of Lyme disease every day. One of the most concerning symptoms is fatigue. Everyone gets tired after a long day at work or after going to the gym for a workout. At night, you fall asleep quickly and wake up refreshed. This is entirely different than Lyme disease fatigue.
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When To Be Careful With Using Antibiotics
Care should be taken in the administration of antibiotics as Lyme disease treatment. It is all too possible that in some cases, the particular antibiotics may cause more harm to the overall health than good. This is especially true if the person with Lyme disease is pregnant. Taking care to use antibiotics that will not interfere with the pregnancy or interact with any prenatal medication is absolutely essential.
In addition to pregnancy, cardiovascular conditions should also be kept in mind when embarking on Lyme disease treatment. Since one of the possible symptoms of Lyme disease is a change in the natural rhythm of the heartbeat, it is important to make sure there is no permanent condition that may complicate the treatment. Once the presence or absence of heart disease is confirmed, it is easier for the physician to prescribe the right types of antibiotics.
While the use of antibiotics is the best type of Lyme disease treatment, care must be taken to administer the right kinds of antibiotics. By knowing the overall health condition of the person who has contracted Lyme disease, it is possible to prescribe the right antibiotics, effectively treating the disease without causing any additional physical harm.
What Is The Bulls Eye Rash
Usually, this bump continues to grow in intensity and size for a few weeks into a rash, also known as bulls eye rash. And then it begins to fade out. While this rash is an accurate indicator of Lyme disease because no other infection can cause this, it is also true that only about 35% of people with Lyme get it.
Another fairly common symptom is developing a fever accompanied by headaches for no apparent reason. The fever is often a low-grade type, just enough to make you feel tired.
There may also be some appearance of Lyme disease symptoms that are not unlike those of an impending flu. For example, muscle and joint aches may come and go during this time. One morning, you wake up having pain in your shoulder, the other day in your knee or ankle, and so on.
Also, going from being fairly energetic to feeling worn out continuously may indicate that you have Lyme disease. One of the more common symptoms is feeling fatigued, even after getting a good nights rest. While everyone goes through a day or two feeling somewhat run-down, anyone that seems to have a constant state of fatigue lasting several days should check with a doctor and request a Lyme disease test.
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Is Lyme An Autoimmune Disease
Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans via a “tick bite.” The condition can cause debilitating and persistent symptoms that can affect bones, joints, and muscles.
Depending on the stage of infection, it can also lead to cognitive impairment, facial paralysis, and arthritis. These symptoms are similar to those of many autoimmune disorders.
Because of these similarities, there is a lot of medical speculation regarding the association between autoimmune disorders and Lyme disease. Read on to learn how Lyme disease affects your immune system and/or how its symptoms may resemble those of an autoimmune disorder.
How Do You Contract Lyme Disease
In order to develop Lyme disease, an infected tick must bite you. The bacteria enter your skin through the bite and eventually enter your bloodstream. In most cases, a deer tick must be attached to your skin for 36 to 48 hours to transmit Lyme disease.
The most common way to come into contact with chronic Lyme disease is to stay in the open forest, where deers are known to move freely. However, not going to the forest does not necessarily mean that you do not end up with chronic Lyme disease. It is also possible for ticks to bind to another host and eventually find their way into your home. This can happen in several ways.
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Youve Gotten A Positive Blood Test
The fourth and final point to determine if your symptoms are due to Lyme disease is to ask your healthcare provider to run a blood test. Although there are several different laboratory tests to diagnose Lyme disease, these tests each have their pros and cons, and can miss establishing the diagnosis because they are not sensitive enough to always pick up the presence of the bacteria.
A bullseye rash is a classic manifestation of Lyme disease, and does not require a positive blood test, but less than 50% of people may get the rash, and it may be located in a part of the body where the rash cannot easily be seen.
If you suffer from chronic unexplained symptoms, including fatigue and musculoskeletal pain, follow this four-step approach and ask your doctor for a professional opinion.
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Lyme Disease Could Be The Cause Of Your Brain Fog And Fatigue
If you regularly hike or enjoy walking along nature trails during the summer, you may be familiar with the black-legged tick notable for causing Lyme disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 476,000 diagnosed cases of Lyme disease occur each yearand that number is on the rise.
Ticks transmit Lyme disease to humans through tick bites. Lyme disease typically produces short-term flu-like symptoms ranging from fever and chills to muscle pain. However, Lyme disease can also cause long-term symptoms that can last after the infection resolves, such as brain fog.
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Which Areas Are More Likely To Have It
The tick that causes Lyme disease has been moving from the Northeast and upper Midwest into the Southern and Western U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Cases in California and Florida are on the rise. After a drop between 2017 and 2018, the numbers jumped a little bit in 2019.
But most Lyme cases in 2019 were in 15 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New
Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Washington, DC, is also a hotspot.
In 2019, Pennsylvania had the most Lyme infections, with 6,763. New York was next, with 2,847 cases.
In the Southern U.S., where itâs hotter, ticks stay under leaves so they don’t dry out. This means people donât get Lyme from Southern ticks very often because they don’t usually come out to bite.
Even though people only report about 30,000 cases of Lyme infection in the U.S. each year, there are actually around 476,000 a year. The same tick also can spread other diseases, including babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and Powassan virus. Those diseases are also on the rise in the U.S.
Whoâs likeliest to get Lyme disease?
Boys up to age 15 and men between the ages of 40 and 60 are the most likely to get Lyme disease. Thatâs because they tend to play outside and go camping, hunting, and hiking.
Why are there more ticks now than there used to be?
There are several reasons why Lyme is spreading. Some of these are: