For Those Without Access To Antibiotics Or Aversion To Pharmaceutical Use Herbal Antimicrobials Taken Internally Can Be Used Effectively To Address The Suspected Infection Either Instead Of Prescriptions Or In Addition To Them
A recent study looked at several antimicrobial and antiparasitic herbs as compared to the controls of prescription doxycycline and cefuroxime . The botanicals with good to strong activity against Borrelia included Cryptolepis sanguinolenta, Juglans nigra , Polygonum cuspidatum , Artemisia annua , Uncaria tomentosa , Cistus incanus, and Scutellaria baicalensis .
In fact, Cryptolepis sanguinolenta extract caused complete eradication of the spirochete, while doxycycline and cefuroxime could not fully eradicate B. burgdorferi. This research makes a powerful case for using herbal antibiotics in addition to or instead of pharmaceuticals.
You may also consider taking homeopathic Ledum and Apis, two remedies excellent at addressing puncture wounds and insect bites and stings. Dr. Alexis Chesney, a Lyme literate Naturopathic physician, put together a very helpful Tick Preparedness Kit that contains herbs, homeopathics, and items for tick removal and storage.
- Homeopathic Apis mellifica 30C
- 4 ounce Deer Tick Bite Formula
*4 ounce tick bite prophylactic formula specific to the types of ticks in your region
What Is Lyme Disease
If you arent familiar with Lyme disease, its an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. Black-legged or deer ticks carry the disease after feeding on infected deer, birds, or mice, and pass it to humans through a tick bite.
The says that black-legged ticks need to be attached for at least 24 hours before they can transmit Lyme disease.
Most ticks that transmit the bacteria to humans are nymphs, which are immature ticks. According to the CDC , these are about the size of a poppyseed. This means that they are harder to see and remove in a timely manner.
Many people who develop Lyme disease dont remember seeing or feeling a tick bite, as these insects can be smaller than a pinhead.
While adult ticks can also transmit the bacteria, theyre much larger and are often removed earlier. According to a
Lyme Disease Antibiotic Treatment Research
For early Lyme disease, a short course of oral antibiotics, such as doxycycline or amoxicillin, cures the majority of cases. In more complicated cases, Lyme disease can usually be successfully treated with three to four weeks of antibiotic therapy.
After being treated for Lyme disease, a minority of patients may still report non-specific symptoms, including persistent pain, joint and muscle aches, fatigue, impaired cognitive function, or unexplained numbness. These patients often show no evidence of active infection and may be diagnosed with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome .
Multiple clinical trials, funded by NIH and others, have shown no benefit to additional IV antibiotic treatment in patients with Lyme disease, although the interpretation of those results have been challenged by some.
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Scientists Find Promising New Treatment For Lyme Disease
A new study gives hope that an effective treatment for Lyme disease may be available in the future. The new treatment involves the drugs cefotaxime and azlocillin.
The new paper appears in the Nature journal Scientific Reports.
Lyme disease affects nearly 300,000 people a year in the United States and around 230,000 people a year in Europe, according to an article in the Journal of Public Health .
Bacteria belonging to the group Borrelia burgdorferi cause Lyme disease. Most people develop it after being bitten by a tick that carries the bacteria.
Approximately 6080% of people with Lyme disease develop a circular red skin rash called erythema migrans around the infected tick bite, and some also develop flu-like symptoms.
Most people develop the rash within 4 weeks of being bitten, but it can appear up to 3 months afterward.
of people with the disease later develop symptoms of fatigue, pain in their muscles, joints or nerves, and cognitive impairment.
These symptoms can continue for months or even years after their initial infection.
Researchers have suggested that this may because of drug-tolerant persisters, a group of bacterial cells that survive the initial dose of antibiotics.
Others believe its an immune disorder caused by bacteria during the first exposure, which causes a perpetual inflammation condition. Whatever the cause, the pain for patients is still very real.
Natural Lyme Disease Treatment Options
1. Eat to Improve Immune Function
The best way to overcome chronic Lyme disease is by naturally boosting your immune system, lowering inflammation and managing the root causes of your symptoms. Your body can overcome Lyme disease for good only once you control the inflammatory responses its triggering.
My basic dietary advice for anyone struggling with an inflammatory condition is to try removing grains, fruit and sugar from your diet while consuming anti-inflammatory foods mostly vegetables, nuts, seeds, coconut, bone broth, organic meat and raw cultured dairy. If you want to learn more about this approach to controlling leaky gut syndrome and inflammation, you can find out much more detail in this article about healing leaky gut syndrome.
Some of the best foods for naturally raising immunity include:
2. Supplements to Help Improve Cellular Function
The next step in Lyme disease treatment is improving cellular functioning and protection. Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, along with viruses and parasites, can attack healthy cells and weaken your defenses. In order to restore cellular health, consider adding these essential nutrients to your regime:
3. Get Enough Rest and Manage Emotional Stress
To prevent a Lyme infection from continuing to worsen and spread, you must address stress with natural stress relievers if you are truly going to heal:
4. Reduce Mold and Parasite Exposure
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Treatment Of Lyme Disease
Early diagnosis and proper antibiotic treatment of Lyme disease is important and can help prevent late Lyme disease. The following treatment regimens reflect CDCs interpretation of the most current data for four important manifestations of Lyme disease. These regimens are consistent with guidanceexternal icon published by the by the Infectious Disease Society of America, American Academy of Neurology, and American College of Rheumatology.
Some patients report persistent symptoms of pain, fatigue, or difficulty thinking even after treatment for Lyme disease. The state of the science relating to persistent symptoms associated with Lyme disease is limited, emerging, and unsettled.
Additional researchexternal icon is needed to better understand how to treat, manage, and support people with persistent symptoms associated with Lyme disease. In light of these research gaps, recommendations for treatment of persistent symptoms in people previously treated for Lyme disease are not provided here.
If you are interested in information on chronic Lyme diseaseexternal icon, see NIHs website.
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Fasten Recovery With These Home Tips
Following are some of the essential things one can do to fasten the recovery of Lyme disease:
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Eat Whole Foods
Doctors recommend that Lyme disease patients should take a while food diet to fasten the recovery process. Eat a diet that agrees with your gut for a stronger immune system. It is required to have a comprehensive elimination diet where one should analyse which food type works well for their gut health. As per the diet plan by Functional Medicine, it is required to eliminate the allergens and inflammatory foods from the diet. Refrain from taking dairy, gluten, caffeine, sugar and alcohol.
Supplement Your Diet
Recovery is faster if there are proper supplements and nutrients available in the body. For the same, Lyme disease patients should ensure to take proper nutrients and minerals required for faster recovery:
- Multimineral Taking multimineral supplements enhances the detoxification process of the body.
- Probiotics Probiotics are essential to supplement the healthy microbes present in the body.
- Omega Acids – 4:1 ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids is essential to expedite the recovery process
- Vitamin D Sunlight is best required to reduce the rashes on the body. A minimum of 20 minutes of direct sunlight is essential for Lyme disease patients.
Detoxify The Body
Be it antibiotics or herbal treatments, Lyme microbes get killed with such a routine. Detoxify your body with these simple tips:
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Healthy Vs Weak Cells
How all this plays out is a function of the health of cells as much as the aggressiveness of the bacteria: Cells that are weak from being chronically stressed are more vulnerable to invasion by bacteria.
A healthy person with healthy cells who is bitten by a tick may not have much in the way of acute symptoms and may never develop chronic symptoms. It doesnt mean, however, that the bacteria have been eradicated from the body. They can stay dormant in tissues for a lifetime.
All it takes is a shift in the health of cells for dormant bacteria to surface and invade more cells. The immune system scrambles to keep a lid on things as bacteria erupt and infect other cells. Dead cells break apart and create debris. Macrophages secrete acid and free radicals to break down debris. Reinforcements are called in. More acid. More free radicals. More collateral damage. More debris. Flow of nutrients and oxygen is obstructed and cells are weakened even further.
The invasion intensifies as more cells are infected. Along with inflicting injury to cells in tissues, bacteria infect and kill WBCs. In addition, bacteria throw the immune system off balance by disrupting the cytokines the immune system uses to coordinate the resistance. As the process spirals out of control, the immune system loses the capacity to keep microbes in check.
Before long, tissues throughout the body start to look like a war zone. Cells suffer. Symptoms result. It becomes a never-ending cycle of misery.
Best Natural Cures For Lyme Disease
Flaxseed Oil
Oil extracted from a flaxseed is rich in omega 3 fatty acids. This nutrient helps to boost the human bodys immune system.If you know that you have been bitten by a tick, apply one teaspoon of flaxseed oil on the affectedpart and spread gently. For severe cases of lyme disease, consume three to five teaspoons of the oil everyday.
Aloe Vera
Extract the fresh juice of an aloe vera plant and apply on the affected skin. It lends a cool soothing feeling that helps to reduce inflammation and rashes in the case of lyme disease. You can also drink one glass of aloe vera juice daily to flush out harmful toxins that attack the body when suffering from lyme disease.
Garlic Cloves
Garlic has antiseptic properties that help to kill the borrelia bacteria that settle on the skin surface and in the blood if a person is detected with the lyme disease.Keep cloves of garlic bandaged with a clean cloth on the affected skin overnight for complete cure of lyme disease. You can also drink garlic juice after keeping garlic cloves immersed in water overnight or chew garlic cloves. Do not consume garlic in empty stomach.
Olive Leaf Extract
The extract of olive leaves serves as natural antibiotic in curing lyme disease. These extracts effectively fight the bacteria spread by ticks and cure the infection, body ache and fever.
Vitamin C
Echinacea
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Disclosure And Management Of Potential Conflicts Of Interest
The Lyme conflict of interest review group consisting of 2 representatives from IDSA, AAN, and ACR were responsible for reviewing, evaluating, and approving all disclosures. All members of the expert panel complied with the consensus IDSA/AAN/ACR process for reviewing and managing conflicts of interest, which required disclosure of any financial, intellectual, or other interest that might be construed as constituting an actual, potential, or apparent conflict, regardless of relevancy to the guideline topic. Thus, to provide transparency, IDSA/AAN/ACR required full disclosure of all relationships. The assessment of disclosed relationships for possible COI by the IDSA/AAN/ACR review group was based on the relative weight of the financial relationship and the relevance of the relationship . For more information on allowable and prohibited relationships, please review Table 1 and Table 2. In addition, the IDSA/AAN/ACR adhered to Section 7 of the Council for Medical Specialty SocietiesââCode for Interactions with Companiesâ . The COI review group ensured that the majority of the panel and each cochair was without potential relevant conflicts . Each of the cochairs and all members of the technical team were determined to be unconflicted. See the notes section for disclosures reported to IDSA/AAN/ACR.
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We Have Also Learned That Once A Tick Bites The Saliva Further Decreases Normal Immune Function By Slowing Blood Coagulation And Other Aspects Of Wound Healing
This way, the tick can continue to feed for a longer period, while also transmitting higher loads of Borrelia in the process . Together, the tick saliva and Borrelia further manipulate the biochemistry of the body to degrade connective tissue. Collagen is rich in nutrients that nourish Borrelia, so the bacteria tends to migrate to areas high in collagenlike joints in order to feed themselves and reproduce . This ultimately makes the collagen-dense connective tissue in the body an ideal place to host bacteria and let Lyme disease thrive.
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What Is The Earliest Clinical Manifestation Of Lyme Disease
A tick bite can cause Lyme disease in as little as one month, which is referred to as stage 1. Red rash and flu-like symptoms are possible symptoms of this illness. It is possible for some people to have no symptoms. An early disseminated infection, or stage 2, can develop within days to weeks of becoming infected.
Dont Let Lyme Disease Sneak Up On You
Other symptoms can be caused by Lyme disease, including arthritis, neurological disorders, and heart issues. Even if you do not have any of these symptoms, it is still critical to seek medical attention if they occur.
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Biorepositories And Research Cohorts
Well-characterized samples are an essential tool to help researchers develop and validate new diagnostic tests and to better understand the complexities of LD. Well-characterized sample sets can benefit medical providers, test developers, and the public at risk for LD . It is critical that sample users understand the criteria used to enroll participants, how samples were collected and stored, and what additional clinical and testing data may be available. Additional benefits can be realized when multiple sample users are using the same well-characterized sample sets. Current sample sets available for researchers include the CDC Lyme Serum Repository , the Lyme Disease Biobank , and samples from the Studies of Lyme Immunology and Clinical Events at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Additionally, some investigators also have their own sample collections with, in some cases, blood samples, skin biopsy specimens and synovial fluid which form the basis for collaborative studies .
Lyme Disease Biobank
Long Island Outdoor Worker Cohort
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When Should I See My Healthcare Provider
If you feel sick after having spent time in areas where ticks might live, you should make an appointment with your healthcare provider.
If you received a Lyme disease diagnosis and you dont feel well after taking all of your antibiotics, contact your provider. This is especially true if you have symptoms like a stiff neck or mental confusion.
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When Should You See A Doctor If You Think You Have Lyme
The rash is a pretty good indication that you may have been bitten. Take a photo of the rash and see your doctor. At this stage, treatment with antibiotics will probably work.
If you donât have the rash but have symptoms like fatigue, fever, and headache but no respiratory symptoms like a cough, you may want to talk to your doctor.
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About The Author Dr Hinchey
In addition to naturally treating patients with complex illness stemming from underlying tick-borne disease atTAO in Connecticut, Dr. Myriah Hinchey createdLymeCore Botanicals to provide quality clean and effective herbal formulas for Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections, and is highly active in sourcing, testing, and overseeing production of the herbal formulas she uses to treat her patients.
Dr. Hinchey also foundedLymeBytes, a multimedia company dedicated to educating patients and other practitioners about Lyme disease and tick-borne illness and focuses on bringing Patients, Practitioners and Resources together for healing Lyme disease.
What Is The Outlook For Someone With Lyme Disease
Most of the people who get Lyme disease and receive treatment early will be fine. Treatment can cure Lyme disease but you might still have some long-term effects. Untreated Lyme disease may contribute to other serious problems but its rarely fatal.
Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome
Even after proper treatment, some people may experience lingering fatigue, achiness or headaches. This is known as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome or PTLDS. The symptoms dont mean that you still have an infection. PTLDS probably wont respond to additional antibiotics. The majority of people in this group will have symptoms that resolve at some point over the next six months.
Chronic Lyme disease
Chronic Lyme disease is a term used by some for a condition in a person who had Lyme disease and the symptoms of PTLDS. Some people consider chronic Lyme disease to be the same as PTLDS. However, some people receive a chronic Lyme disease diagnosis without a Lyme disease diagnosis. Sometimes, extended treatment with antibiotics helps.
This term may be why some people think a Lyme disease infection can occur without being bitten by a tick. There isn’t enough proof that mosquitoes can transmit Lyme disease. Many researchers dislike using the term chronic Lyme disease.
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Natural Yard Sprays To Protect Your Home
You can also utilize natural sprays that are safe for honeybees and amphibians, as well as humans and pets, which can keep ticks at bay.
Spraying for ticks should be done in the early spring, summer, and late fall, and should be applied to the entire lawn, well past the perimeter and into the woods. Consider recycling paper towel tubes into tick tubes that help to eliminate ticks from rodents like the white footed mouse which is the main spreader of tiny nymph ticks.