How To Treat Lyme Disease Naturally

Lyme Disease Prevention: How To Minimise The Risk Of A Tick Bite

In the past, it was assumed that ticks climb trees and drop onto their victims from there. But this is probably not true. Rather, ticks linger in grass, shrubs, branches and undergrowth, waiting for a warm-blooded person to brush them off as they walk by.

So we come straight to the next myth the right clothing. Because even with the right clothes, you cant protect yourself 100% from ticks. And lets be honest: who wants to walk around in long trousers, wellies and a long-sleeved shirt at all times in summer?

If you dont want to resort to chemical products and the associated side effects to ward off ticks, we have an effective and natural tip that is also free of side effects: coconut oil.

Setting The Stage For Chronic Inflammation

Though the immune system plays a key role in protecting cells of the body from microbe invasion, the health of cells is also a major player. When cells become chronically stressed, they are more susceptible to being invaded by intracellular bacteria and other microbes. There are five primary categories of factors that weaken cells and set the stage for the chronic inflammation associated with Lyme disease.

#1. Poor diet

When cells arent fed properly, they cant function properly. Processed foods sourced from grains, beans, and grain-fed meat are overloaded with raw carbohydrates and refined fats that disrupt cellular functions. On the other hand, theyre deficient in the nutrients that cells need to function properly. Poorly nourished cells cant properly defend themselves against microbes.

#2. A toxic environment

In the modern world, chronic exposure to low levels of toxic substances and free radicals in food, water, and air is hard to avoid. The list includes man-made toxins associated with petroleum products, free-radicals in processed food, and natural toxins such as mold. In addition, the acid and free radicals associated with inflammation are highly toxic to cells. Toxic substances disrupt cellular processes, damage internal working parts of the cells, and weaken cell membranes. Weakened cells are more vulnerable to microbe invasion.

#3. Chronic stress

#4. Physical stress

#5. Microbes

Patients Turning To Herbal Remedies

Because patients are currently turning to herbal remedies to fill the treatment gaps left by antibiotics, this research is a critical step in helping clinicians, as well as patients, understand which ones may offer the most potential benefit.

According to this study, carried out by Prof. Ying Zhangs group at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the seven herbal medicines that have the ability to kill B. burgdorferi in test tubes are:

• Cryptolepis sanguinolenta
• Uncaria tomentosa
• Cistus incanus
• Scutellaria baicalensis

It is important to note that each of these products have the potential to produce significant side effects in patients, and should be taken only under advisement of a clinician knowledgeable of their capabilities and toxicities.

Of these products, the Cryptolepis sanguinolenta extract caused complete eradication, while doxycycline and cefuroxime and other active herbs did not. This extract has been used for the treatment of malaria as well as the tick-borne infection Babesia, a malaria-like parasite.

This study is believed to be the first time this extract has been documented to have a potential impact on B. burgdorferi, and additional laboratory and clincial studies should be conducted to investigate the potential role Cryptolepis sanguinolenta could play in the treatment of Lyme disease.

Read Also: Lyme Literate Doctors In Tennessee

How To Use A Natural Approach To Beat Lyme Disease

• Suzanne Monroe

Home / Wellness / How to Use a Natural Approach to Beat Lyme Disease

Aching joints, overwhelming fatigue, and sometimes realizing youve forgotten something important. If these symptoms sound familiar, then you or a loved one may be suffering from Lyme Disease. This illness can be a debilitating problem to navigate and often leaves sufferers with more questions than answers. If you or someone you know has contracted this disease, you know how overwhelming it can be. There are standard medical treatments for Lyme Disease, but there are also natural approaches, and well explore both methods below.

Alternative Treatments For Lyme Disease Include:

• Taking antibacterial supplements and foods, such as garlic, bentonite clay, and activated charcoal
• Healing the gut and adding in prebiotic and probiotic supplements
• Improving and strengthening the immune system through proper diet and lifestyle
• Avoiding body-harming foods, such as sugar and processed foods
• Increasing intake of complex nutrients found in whole fruits, veggies, and other whole foods
• Taking in superfoods such as bone broth for its gut-healing and immune-boosting properties

The key point with Lyme Disease is that no one person has the exact same symptoms as another disease sufferer. Some walk around with the disease and no symptoms, whereas others will struggle with the symptoms for years and years.

Your best bet is to immediately eat a super clean diet, increase your quality sleep, decrease your stress, up your intake of superfoods and gut-healing foods, and focus entirely on making your body strong enough to fight off the bacteria.

Recommended Reading: Lyme Disease Stages In Humans

What You Need To Know

Lyme disease is transmitted to humans by the bite of a deer tick infected with the spiral-shaped bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and is one of the fastest growing infectious diseases today. The Center for Disease Control reports approximately 10,000 new cases per year, but due to the high incidence of undiagnosed and unreported cases, the number of those infected is likely much higher. A large percentage of those infected with the Lyme bacteria are co-infected with other pathogenic organisms, also transmitted by ticks and contributing to the symptom picture we call Lyme disease.

Contrary to popular opinion, Lyme disease is not only an issue for those living on the East Coast. Lyme disease is prevalent across the United States and throughout the world. According to the Minnesota Department of Healths website, from 1996 to 2012, over 17,000 cases of tick-borne diseases were reported in Minnesota, the majority of which were Lyme disease. Statistics indicate that the incidence of reported cases in the upper Midwest, including Minnesota and Wisconsin, is second only to that of the Northeastern states.

Currently, there is no testing available that can exclude the diagnosis of Lyme disease. Therefore, the diagnosis is often a clinical one, making it extremely important to obtain a thorough health history, assessing for risk of tick exposure, as well as a thorough clinical evaluation, including physical examination and supportive lab work.

Lyme Disease Treatments Near Me

When youre diagnosed with Lyme disease in its early stage, Dr. Kotsanis starts your treatment with antibiotics that can clear the infection. This usually cures most people quickly. However, when Lyme disease isnt diagnosed early, it can require up to a month of oral antibodies and, in severe cases, even IV antibiotics.

Some Lyme disease treatments offered at Kotsanis Institute include:

• Insulin potentiation therapy: A special form of antibiotics is given to at-risk patients.

• IV therapy: A Glutathione or Myers Cocktail helps more severe cases of Lyme disease.

• Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy: This is used to help manage pain and to recharge a patients cells to restore their health.

• Therapeutic apheresis: Its a blood filtration that extracts the infection or bacteria from Lyme-infected cells found in your blood.

• Ultraviolet blood irradiation therapy: This oxidative therapy is given intravenously, and can absorb viruses and bacteria in the blood.

You May Like: What Are The Symptoms Of Lyme Disease In A Person

What Is The Treatment For Lyme Disease

The first-line standard of care treatment for adults with Lyme disease is doxycycline, a tetracycline antibiotic. Other antibiotics that have activity against borrelia include the penicillin-like antibiotic, amoxicillin, and the second generation cephalosporin, Ceftin. The mainstay of treatment is with oral antibiotics, but intravenous antibiotics are sometimes indicated for more difficult to treat cases of neurologic-Lyme disease, such as meningitis, and cases of late Lyme arthritis.

Lyme Disease Natural Treatment Safety

If you decide to explore natural treatments for Lyme disease, talk to your doctor about the risks beforehand. Natural treatments, just like traditional treatments, can still be toxic or dangerous. But in combination with medical treatment, a complementary approach might improve health.

For example, a product called bismacine contains an injectable form of bismuth. This is a type of metal thats a common ingredient in some digestive aids. But bismacine contains a higher dose of bismuth thats injectable. Injecting a high dose of bismuth can cause bismuth poisoning, which can lead to heart and kidney failure.

Other natural treatments may interact with other medications or supplements you take. Your doctor can help you confirm whether any medications you currently take will interact with treatment youre interested in trying.

Don’t Miss: Where To Buy Lyme Vaccine For Dogs

The Next Big Weapon Against The Lyme Was To Heal My Gut

I was slowly getting better, month after month. The next big weapon was to heal my gut. I had to do a complete overhaul of what I was eating along with nourishing my gut with probiotics and cultured foods. Probiotics are live bacteria and yeast for your gut. They help boost your immune response and stop the growth of harmful bacteria while balancing the friendly bacteria you dont want to get rid of. They also have effective anti-inflammatory properties for gut, heart, and mental health.

Now I had been eating Paleo, but I was still consuming a lot of fruits and natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup. I was consuming a lot of sugar and starches that turned into sugar. I was feeding the disease. Sugar feeds all diseases. I went on a strict Keto diet to starve the Lyme and candida out. I ate healthy fats , fish, and tons of non-starchy veggies. I began to eat fermented cultured foodsfoods containing live probioticsto help heal and nourish my gut. I started to feel alive again.

How Do I Remove A Tick

You should know how to remove a tick just in case one lands on you or a friend. To be safe, remove the tick as soon as possible.

If you find a tick:

• Use tweezers to grasp the tick firmly at its head or mouth, next to your skin.
• Pull firmly and steadily on the tick until it lets go of the skin. If part of the tick stays in your skin, don’t worry. It will eventually come out. But call your doctor if you notice any irritation in the area or symptoms of Lyme disease.
• Swab the bite site with alcohol.

Note: Don’t use petroleum jelly or a lit match to kill a tick. They won’t get the tick off your skin quickly enough, and may just cause it to burrow deeper into your skin.

You May Like: Lyme Disease Specialists In Massachusetts

What Is Lyme Disease

Lyme disease, funnily enough, has nothing to do with limes, its called that because it was first known as Lyme arthritis, named after the town where it was first reported, Old Lyme, in Connecticut, United States and due to the arthritic symptoms it caused.

Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bacteria, borrelia burgdorferi, which are transmitted from a tick or insect bite. Its only recently been found that insects, other than ticks, like mosquitoes, spiders and possibly fleas, can spread Lyme disease or cause similar infections.

Lyme disease symptoms can start with flu-like symptoms, headaches, muscle and joint pain. Over time, however, the symptoms continue to get worse, and turn into a long-terminflammatory response similar to that of an autoimmune condition.

According to Dr. Axe

Its important to understand that although Lyme disease originates from a tick bite, symptoms arise due to an inflammatory process. Two people who are both bitten by the same tick carrying the bacteria that causes Lyme disease can respond very differently. Thats why preventing and treating Lyme disease symptoms by maintaining healthy immune regulation is key.

Furthermore, not everyone who is bitten by an insect carrying the Lyme bacteria will contract Lyme. If the immune system is strong enough, it will be able to fight it off before it gets a real hold on the body.

Bitinginsects ticksmosquitoesspiders fleas borrelia burgdorferi

Get A Blue Light Filter Appand Glasses

I used to use the Twilight app to block blue light. But I recently learned that you can go into your phones settings and set the blue light filter. I love this because I set it and it works automatically every day. This is available for both Android and iPhone.

You can also purchase blue light-filtering glasses if you work on a laptop computer. Or you can set your computers blue light filter settings. I work from a Chromebook and set my blue light filter to turn on from sunset to sunrise, the same as my Android phone.

You May Like: What Tick Has Lyme Disease

Avoid Processed Junk Food Sugar And Gluten

Our bodies arent designed to handle all any of the chemicals in processed food. And, because Lyme is an inflammatory condition its best to avoid sugar and gluten. Many people also find it helpful to avoid dairy.

I thought my diet was pretty healthy before. But once I cut out most of the processed foods it really helped reduce the inflammation and body pain I was having.

Now, if I eat packaged foods, gluten, or a sugary dessert, I feel it in my body. Or as I sometimes say, I pay for it later. I end up regretting it because my joints hurt.

But its always a good reminder to me of how much healing real food provides for our bodies. And its great motivation to maintain a healthy diet full of real food, avoiding the junk.

Related: 20 Proven Reasons Why Refined Sugar Is Bad For Your Health

Summary 21 Lyme Disease Natural Treatment Options

Lyme is a complex disease that involves a long list of symptoms that can become debilitating if its not treated right away.

In addition to antibiotics traditionally used to treat Lyme, practicing holistic, natural strategies can help the body heal and grow stronger over time. I hope this post gave you many strategies to help you fight Lyme disease naturally.

Do you know someone with Lyme or other tick-borne diseases? What strategies do you use to fight Lyme Disease naturally?

Don’t Miss: What Medication Is Used For Lyme Disease

Treat Lyme Disease Naturally

Every year, about 100,000 people are affected by Lyme disease in Germany alone. The number of people affected is probably even higher, as the many symptoms of Lyme disease are not even attributed to the disease during an examination. But what is Lyme disease anyway? Wikipedia writes about it:

Lyme disease is a general term for various infectious diseases caused by bacteria of the genus Borrelia from the group of spirochetes.

The common name Lyme borreliosis goes back to the American towns of Lyme and Old-Lyme in the state of Connecticut. It was here, in 1974/1975, that a link was first established between joint diseases in children and the tick bites.

Deal With Your Emotions

Managing emotional stress in your life is important. Ive discovered journaling helps with this. You might also want to start a blog and write about your experiences. Writing can be therapeutic!

Or you might find that talking things out with a friend helps process the range of emotions youre feeling.

Recently I learned about the Emotional Freedom Technique or tapping. The benefits of EFT are impressive. It has ties to Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture and may help lower cortisol levels.

When I first checked it out I thought it was kinda strange. But it works amazingly well and now I do it all the time.

Read Also: Arthritis Caused By Lyme Disease

Stevia Shown To Kill Borrelia Burgdorferi:

Recent studies have revealed evidence that whole leaf stevia extract may be effective at killing the spirochetes Borrelia Burgdorferi, the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease . The study showed that exposing the bacteria to stevia leaf extract eliminated Lyme disease, even when the bacteria was in its dormant form.

While more studies are still needed before stevia leaf extract becomes a prescribed natural cure for Lyme disease, that doesnt mean it isnt worth trying at home along with some of the many other natural remedies discussed. It is important to know that pure stevia leaf extract is different from powdered stevia in the supermarket. You can however purchase pure stevia leaf extract in supplement form.

Oxygen And Reactive Oxygen Species

Oxygen therapy was marketed to patients for treatment of Lyme disease primarily in 3 forms: hyperbaric oxygen, ozone, and hydrogen peroxide. Hyperbaric oxygen is administered using hyperbaric oxygen chambers and was promoted as having salutary effects on the immune response to B. burgdorferi infection . Alternatively, some practices promoted using chemically reactive oxygen species, including ozone therapy and/or intravenous infusion of hydrogen peroxide. Ozone can be generated from atmospheric oxygen and administered in several forms. These include intravenous administration of an ozonated solution, ingestion of ozonated water, ozonation and reinfusion of blood, administration of ozonated oils, and rectal or vaginal insufflation with gaseous ozone .

Read Also: Oil Change East Lyme Ct

How To Naturally Treat Lyme Disease

The first time I encountered Lymes disease was after my youngest sister, Emma, contracted it from what we believed to be a spider bite. Its transferable from any biting insectreally, mosquitoes, ticks, spiders etc. but its more often contracted through tick bites.

It really upset me to see my sister soill. Lymes disease is not widely recognised in the medical community, particularly in Australia, as its extremely difficult to diagnose . The main form of treatment prescribed by medical professionals are antibiotics. This can help for a short period of time, however, the Lyme are quite clever, and will remain dormant in tissue and cells in the body until the antibioticshave run their course, passed out of the system, then come out and wreak havoc again.

This means that all the antibiotics may do is kill essential immune-boosting bacteria, while basically leaving the Lyme bacteria which are the main targets for the antibiotics unaffected

For this reason, Lymes disease is extremely difficult to treat. To top it off, Emma was also diagnosed with Rickettsia and Mycoplasma, other bacteria commonly transmitted through insect bites, and often found paired with Lyme bacteria.

Ill share some of the natural treatments shes used to help improve her Lyme .