Mitchell L Hoggard Pharm
Chico, California
A pharmacist by training, Mitch Hoggard pioneered the field of home infusion therapy and was the founder and president of an international home infusion company. As the president of a hyperbaric treatment center, Mr. Hoggard has published research on treatment of stroke, Crohns disease and Parkinsons disease. He turned his attention to tick-borne illnesses when his children became infected with Lyme disease. Mr. Hoggard is a frequent lecturer to physicians and patients on the subject of antibiotic therapy for Lyme. While leading companies in several other industries, Mr. Hoggard continues to devote much time to research, education, and treatment of Lyme disease.
Feeling Sick With Symptoms
Your doctor is the person who can tell for sure if you have Lyme disease, but here are two common signs:
The rash may be big between the size of a quarter and 10 inches across. This rash spreads out over time and is called erythema migrans , or migrating red rash. Later, the rash also can appear somewhere else on your body, far from the tick bite.
It’s important to go to the doctor right away if you or your parent think you might have Lyme disease. Someone who waits too long or doesn’t realize he or she was bitten by a tick might start to feel even worse. In some cases, a person’s face muscles might stop working properly. That means the person wouldn’t be able to smile on that side or close that eye. This is called Bell’s palsy, or facial nerve paralysis . Other people might develop swelling or pain in their knee or another joint a few months after the tick bite.
Sometimes, people don’t have any signs that they are sick with Lyme disease.
Treatment Starts With Accurate Diagnosis
The only way to get the proper treatment for your tick-borne disease is to get the right diagnosis in the first place and one of the best ways to do that is, if possible, to see a physician whos experienced with tick-borne diseases. Accurate diagnosis also requires high quality testing at a reputable lab. Learn more about why doctors and patients trust the tests offered by IGeneX.
You May Like: How To Detect Lyme Disease
Call Ahead And Ask Questions
Even if you find a doctor who specializes in treating tick-borne diseases, you will want to ask some questions before making an appointment and committing your time and money. A few basic questions to consider asking upfront include the following:
- What is your experience in treating patients with tick-borne diseases?
- How do you diagnose diseases? Do you use any specific labs or lab tests to confirm diagnosis?
- Do you test for coinfections?
- Do you use traditional antibiotics and/or herbals?
- Do you have any patient success stories you can share?
- Do you strictly adhere to CDC test interpretation criteria or are you open to alternative criteria?
If youd like to find a LLMD and want to know more about how to vet them, read the Tick Talk blog, What Makes a Doctor Lyme Literate?
With Additional Support From The Sdla Team:
Sharon Wampler, PhDSharon is a founder of the San Diego Lyme Alliance. With an extensive background as a research scientist and a certified Kundalini yoga instructor, her work brings to light the wisdom from both Eastern and Western traditions.
Mark is a mindfulness coach based in San Diego, California. He and his wife both have an intimate relationship with Lyme Disease, including the role a partner plays as a caregiver. You can read more of their story here. Mark has been featured on NBC7, Insight Timer, and Elephant Journal. You can learn more at .
Don’t Miss: Lyme Disease Specialist Long Island New York
Be Prepared For Your Doctor Visit
You can improve your chances of having an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment by providing your doctor with as much information as you can from the very start. The following checklist can be a good reminder of what to bring and discuss with your physician at your first visit:
- Have the tick tested and/or identified:If you were able to remove or find the tick that bit you, seal it in a glass or plastic container and consider sending it to IGeneX for testing. Additionally, photograph the tick and/or have the species identified ahead of time if possible. Knowing what kind of tick bit you and, in particular, whether it has tested positive for a tick-borne disease can be extremely helpful for your doctors diagnostic process. If the tick is still being tested when you see your doctor, you still may be able to start treatment based on the severity of your symptoms.
- Note possible exposure: Write down the places and dates that you believe you were exposed to ticksand the possible date and time of day when the engorged tick attached and fell off or was removed.
- Track your symptoms: Keep a running log of all symptoms youve noticed since the tick bite, even if youre no longer experiencing them. Be sure to include the days/times when symptoms appeared . For additional help, you can use IGeneXs Symptom Checker.
- Take pictures: Take pictures of any rashes or blisters that you may have noticed at the site of the tick bite or elsewhere on your body.
When Should I Call My Doctor
If you think you may be at risk for Lyme disease or a tick has bitten you, contact your doctor. Although conditions other than Lyme disease can cause similar symptoms, its always a good idea to discuss them with your doctor. That way you can get further evaluation and treatment if necessary, before the disease progresses. This is especially true if you develop a red-ringed rash, prolonged flu-like symptoms, joint pain or a swollen joint, or facial paralysis.
Read Also: Ozone Therapy For Chronic Lyme
Dorothy Kupcha Leland Vice
Davis, California
Dorothy Kupcha Leland has a professional background in journalism, politics and book publishing. After her daughter became seriously disabled by Lyme disease in 2005, Dorothy became active with LymeDisease.org. She writes the Touched by Lyme blog, coordinates LDos social media, and spearheads LymeDisease.orgs public education efforts. She has a special interest in how Lyme disease affects the whole familynot just the person with the illness. She is co-author of the book When Your Child Has Lyme Disease: A Parents Survival Guide.
How To Approach Your Non
For various reasons, you may choose to consult with a doctor who doesnt specialize in Lyme disease or other tick-borne diseases.
If so, be sure to be as proactive as possible in providing information that could help in diagnosing your disease, and always feel free to share resources that you find in your own research to prompt discussions about any aspect of your diagnosis or treatment, including more advanced testing options.
If your doctor does not believe Lyme disease exists, reach out to another doctor for a second opinion.
Want To Find A Blood Draw Site? Use Our Tool Here.
Don’t Miss: Best Infrared Sauna For Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease San Diego
LIVV Wellness Lounge is a preeminent treatment center for Lyme disease in San Diego with state-of-the-art amenities, a compassionate and friendly staff team, and a wide range of naturopathic treatment services. We use treatments like ozone therapy, glutathione therapy, high-dose vitamin C, Alpha-lipoic acid therapy, NAD+ IV therapy, and other wellness programs to address and treat Lyme disease.
What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is one of the infectious diseases transmitted by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi to humans through tick bites. The tick must be present on your skin for at least 36 hours for the infection to occur.
Individuals who spend time in wooded areas are more likely to get the disorder. Those who visit wooded places with domesticated animals are also at a higher risk of getting Lyme disease. We are a leading San Diego Lyme disease treatment facility with a highly experienced team of naturopathic doctors and innovative therapies. If you fall in any of these risk categories, we recommend extra caution and seeing a specialist in case of showing any symptoms.
Symptoms of Lyme disease
Lyme disease symptoms can vary from one person to another and usually appear in stages. However, these stages can overlap, with symptoms generally occurring within a month after getting infected. Some of them include:
The Earlier In The Course Of Tick Borne Disease That The Treatment Is Started The Better For The Patient And The Worse For The Microbes
Early detection, however, can be difficult. Lyme IS the most prevalent tick borne disease in the states and it is increasing in incidence year to year. Yet the Center for Disease Control estimates only 10% of the cases of Lyme disease are reported annually. This is because only 50% to 68% of patients have a clear bulls-eye rash. Only 26% ever see the tick that gives them Lyme disease. Most people do not know that a flu in the late spring, summer or early fall can be a sign of Lyme disease. Most doctors do not know that Lyme exists anywhere but the northeast part of the United States. So early treatment is a challenge. I try during tick season in Northern California to have short appointments to check out a tick bite or erythema migrans rash, in order to effect early treatment.
Read Also: What’s The Cure For Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease & Dental Health
The mouth, according to many dentists, is a portal to the rest of the body. This is due to the fact that the mouth might reveal early symptoms of illness that general doctors may miss during a first examination.
Lyme disease infection can result in a variety of symptoms, all of which might take months or years to manifest after the original infection. Further problems may be prevented for individuals who seek treatment early, although this isn’t the case in every instance. This is since the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, Borrelia, can camp out in the body’s tissues and go dormant until resuming its attack on the body.
Those who have Lyme disease understand how difficult the disease’s symptoms may be.
Arthritis, cognitive difficulties such as concentration, memory, and focus issues, lack of control of face muscles, and persisting tiredness are all signs of late-stage Lyme disease. Can Lyme illness, on the other hand, cause tooth problems?
Do Your Research And Get Referrals
You can learn a lot just by researching doctors and reading patient reviews online. You can also connect with other patients through local and online support groups for various tick-borne diseases. Asking other patients to recommend or share their own experiences with different doctors can be particularly helpful when youre trying to locate and learn about physicians who specialize in various tick-borne illnesses.
The following sites can connect you to online support-group forums or help you identify different tick-borne support groups in the United States:
Recommended Reading: Lyme Disease Blood Test Cost
Barbara Barsocchini Mba Board Secretary
Malibu, California
Barbara Barsocchini serves on Californias Lyme Disease Advisory Committee, is a trustee of the Los Angeles County West Vector Control District and is the official Lyme disease spokesperson for the city of Malibu. Over the past 15 years, she has organized educational conferences for Lyme patients throughout California, and provided support and information to Lyme patients through a variety of channels.
News: Why You Should Care About Ilads Conference Even If You’re Not A Doctor
This years ILADS conference will be in San Diego, October 18-20.
One of the most significant events in the Lyme community is the annual convention of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, . Its where top researchers and clinicians come together to present state-of-art knowledge about treating tick-borne diseases. Its a way for both experienced practitioners and those new to treating Lyme and coinfections to learn and network. If you are a patient who has been treated by a Lyme-literate medical professional, you have benefited from the results of past ILADS conferences. If you are still being treated, you will benefit from the upcoming ones as well.
This years event will be held in San Diego, the third week of October. Heres some of whats in store:
Thursday, October 17. Pre-conference special session on Lyme Basics. Targets medical professionals who are new to the treatment of tick-borne diseases, and those who want a refresher course on the basics of diagnosis and treatment. It will also serve as a primer for physician assistants and nurse practitioners who work in the offices of Lyme literate physicians.
Saturday, October 19, first annual Gala Award Dinner. Join some of the worlds leading Lyme disease researchers and practitioners in this charity event for ILADEF.
Also Check: Natural Protocol For Lyme Disease
What Is Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is the number one vector borne spreading epidemic worldwide. Lyme disease occurs when a person is bitten by an infected tick. Lyme patients suffer from the tremendous physical and emotional pain associated with this disease. In addition, due to the general lack of medical validation this type of illness, doctors and even their family members often believe they are crazy.
Lyme is actually caused by a weak immune system, damaged cellular function, uncontrolled bacterial infections throughout the body and other environmental triggers such as, mold and parasites
Lyme Disease Diagnosis And Treatment
We see cases of Lyme disease in San Diego everyday. Lyme disease is among the most frequently diagnosed zoonotic tick-borne diseases worldwide. The bacteria that causes lyme disease belongs to the genus Borrelia. There are at least 37 known species, of which 13 are Lyme related including the more recently discovered Borrelia mayonii. Borrelia burgdorferi is the predominant causative agent of Lyme disease in the United States.
Transmission is mainly mediated through the bite of Ixodes ticks. The blacklegged tick spreads the disease in the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and north-central United States. The western blacklegged dear tick spreads the disease on the Pacific Coast. The sheep tick spreads the disease throughout most of Europe. The taiga tick spreads disease in throughout most of Asia.
In North America, highly endemic areas are the northeastern and north-central United States, though cases have been reported in all states, but Hawaii. Transmission has not been documented in the tropics.
In contrast to common belief, Lyme disease is very common in California. This is a lyme disease map of deer ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi in different California counties.
Don’t Miss: Old Lyme Homes For Sale
Lorraine Johnson Jd Mba Chief Executive Officer Principal Investigator Mylymedata
Los Angeles, California
Lorraine Johnson, JD, MBA, is the Chief Executive Officer of LymeDisease.org and the principal investigator of its patient registry and research platform, MyLymeDatawhich has enrolled over 15,000 patients. She has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles on Lyme disease and patient-centered healthcare, including three big data patient-driven research studies on which she served as Principal Investigator.
She has co-authored two academic text book chapters on patient engagement, multi-stakeholder research projects, and patient registries. She has served on five federal advisory committees related to big data, patient centered research, and patient registries. She served as the Chair of the Patient Council for the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute and sat on both the Steering Committee and the Executive Committee of its big data project, PCORnet. She is currently advising NORC at the University of Chicago on a PCORI-funded project regarding patient registries.
She has served on and spoken before numerous other government-funded patient-centered projects, including the international Cochrane Collaboration, the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine, and Consumers United for Evidence Based Healthcare. She participated in the White House Precision Medicine Summit.
Is It Possible For Lyme Illness To Create Tooth Problems
The link between oral hygiene and Lyme disease isn’t well known. This might be because oral symptoms are rarely present at the start of the illness. However, there is a link, and Lyme illness can impair dental health in a variety of ways. Lyme disease can cause temporomandibular joint disorder, which is a disorder that affects oral health .
The temporomandibular joint, which links the mandible to the skull, is affected by TMJ diseases. Every individual has one joint on each side to guarantee that the jaw opens and closes properly. Whenever a patient has TMJ dysfunction, they may have complaints such as discomfort in the jaw area and muscles involved in jaw movement, as well as difficulties opening their mouth. Lyme disease can produce face discomfort that looks like or feels like a TMJ problem.
You May Like: What Are The Side Effects Of Lyme Disease In Humans
In General Tick Borne Disease Or Lyme Disease Should Be Treated With Antibiotics Usually These Antibiotics Should Be Pharmaceuticals Although Augmentation With Botanical Antibiotics Can Be Even More Effective Than Pharmaceutical Therapies Alone
Unfortunately in late Lyme, antibiotics alone are often not sufficient. Some patients are genetically or epigenetically predisposed to chronic Lyme disease. Often the underlying conditions must be addressed along with the infection.
Borrelia burgdorferi has been called the second great pretender, after syphilis. Like syphilis it is a spirochete , and the spirochete goes to the brain and spinal cord as fast as it can get there. In addition like syphilis it grows very slowly. Unlike syphilis it is relatively smart in the bacterial world, having the largest genome of any other bacteria. Borrelia burgdorferi is able to crawl inside of cells, thus avoiding immune detection, hide in the brain and spinal cord, where our immune system is careful not to cause too much inflammation. More recent data suggests it may, like many of its co infecting microbes be able to fool the immune system and manipulate the immune response so that the immune system thinks that there is not an infection. In 3 animal models dog, mouse and monkey, chronic persistent infectious borrelia infection has been proven after short course antibiotic. This provides evidence that the cure of chronic Lyme disease in many patients will take more than 1-3 months of antibiotics.
