Protect Your Pets And Yourself
As a veterinarian at the VCA Fox Chapel Animal Hospital, Amanda Resek was one of the first to see the coming tide of Lyme disease. It really hit the fan here in 2010. We saw a huge spike in Lyme then. Patient after patient would come in with fever, lack of appetite and joint pain. Most tested positive for Lyme, she says.
Whenever a physician or pediatrician walked in the door, she warned them to be on the lookout for Lyme in their human patients. Back then, Resek recalls, they werent yet seeing it but that would soon change.
Fortunately, Resek has noticed a decline in the rate of symptomatic patients over the past few years. She attributes this to more awareness and a more effective generation of tick-killing products. She highly recommends the Seresto collar or topical K9 Advantix for dogs . If we dont have our patients on adequate tick control, they are probably bringing ticks into the house, she says. Even if a pet only steps outside into a tiny backyard, they can get a tick, Resek says, as tick-carrying mice are everywhere.
Why You Might Need To See A Llmd:
- Your Lyme disease test results were negative, but you still have symptoms of Lyme disease.
- Youve been treated for Lyme disease in the past but still have symptoms, which could indicate chronic Lyme disease.
- Youve been treated or are being treated for common misdiagnoses of Lyme disease, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but your symptoms havent gone away.
- Your physician doesnt believe in Lyme disease, chronic Lyme disease, or Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome.
Even patients who dont fall into the above categories may simply feel safer in the hands of a LLMD who is familiar with the various ways Lyme and other tick-borne diseases present themselves.
How You Can Prevent Lyme Disease
While this past winter may have been frightful, researchers have found that even frigid temperatures wont make a sizable dent in the deer tick population. Knowing where, how and when Lyme disease is most often contracted can help you prevent it as these pesky, pint-sized carriers crawl out of their hiding places.
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Children With Lyme Disease
Children with Lyme disease have special issues. Since they cant always explain what feels wrong, they may just come across as cranky and irritable. They suffer when their bodies hurt, when their illness disrupts their sleep at night, when they struggle in school, when they dont even feel like playing. They may feel confused, lost and betrayed by parents and teachers who fail to recognize that they are sick and need help.
Mothers and fathers may not understand what the childs normal baseline is. Is this the terrible twos or the nine-year-old change or is something really wrong?
Because the symptoms of Lyme disease can be non-specific, vague and changeable, adults may not even realize these children are ill. They may suspect them of making things up to gain attention or to avoid school. Children with Lyme often have trouble in the classroom, because the disease can contribute to learning disabilities and behavioral problems.
Children are especially vulnerable to tick-borne diseases because they are physically low to the ground, where the ticks are. They play in leaves, roll on grass, cuddle with pets and otherwise increase their exposure to ticks.
LymeDisease.org is the publisher of The Lyme Times, a quarterly online magazine available to members. We have two issues that have a wealth of information about children and Lyme disease. Please click on the buttons below to view the Table of Contents of each issue.
What Kind Of Doctor Tests For Lyme Disease
In fact, any kind of doctor can test you for Lyme disease. However, that doesnt mean its a good idea to have your dermatologist or podiatrist order the diagnostic tests. Many people simply see their family physician or primary care doctor to get diagnosed and treated for Lyme.
There are also doctors who specialize in Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, called Lyme-literate doctors, who you may want to consult instead more on that a little later in this article.
Finally, there are other types of specialists you may or may not need to consult with depending on the duration and severity of your symptoms.
For example, many patients wonder if they need to see an infectious disease specialist.
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What To Bring With You
You will need to bring the following items:
- Your insurance card
- Previous medical records, if any.
- List of all your medications, including the dose and the times you take them. Alternatively, you may want to just bring them with you.
- A list of all your concerns so that you may discuss them with the scheduled physician.
Are Llmds Infectious Disease Specialists
No. While it is possible for a LLMD to be an infectious disease specialist, LLMDs can come from any field or background. Many LLMDs are general practitioners or family doctors, while others may specialize in a specific type of medicine, such as naturopathic medicine.
For more information on finding a LLMD, read IGeneXs blog How to Find Doctors Who Can Help with Your Tick-Borne Disease.
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Lyme Disease Is Your Worst Body Hacker
Lyme disease is debilitating and often misdiagnosed. The CDC estimates nearly 300,000 new cases annually, misrepresented due to lack of reporting or potentially misdiagnosed.
Also called borreliosis, Lyme disease is caused by the Borrelia Burgdorferi bacteria. It can proliferate to several areas in the body through the transmission to humans by a tick bite.
The disease can hide and suppress your natural immune system. It is one of the most difficult diseases to identify, as it mimics other illnesses.
Sadly, our home region of southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey are not spared from the threat of Lyme Disease.
Since it is especially prevalent in our area, understanding the symptoms of Lyme disease is the first step towards the ability to overcome any complications that may arise.
In the case of Lyme disease suspicions, it is not uncommon to potentially see patients with multiple problems in their body ranging in severity and degree, including:
- Neurological problems such as headaches, migraines, or lack of coordination
- Poor short term memory
- Speech difficulties
Typically these symptoms come and go, hitting patients with different strengths. The main issue with Lyme is that many of the symptoms mimic other conditions, making it difficult to pinpoint and identify by name.
What Is A Lyme
A LLMD is a physician whose experience with Lyme disease patients makes them familiar with the vast range of symptoms, co-infections, and complications associated with the disease at various stages. Because of this knowledge and expertise, many patients also find LLMDs more open-minded and understanding of their experiences, especially if theyre having a hard time getting an accurate diagnosis from another physician.
But how do you know if you need to see a LLMD? Below are some common reasons, any or all of which may apply to you.
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When To Call A Doctor
- A tick is attached to your body and you can’t remove the entire tick.
- You have a circular red rash that expands over the course of several days, especially if you know you were recently exposed to ticks. You may also have flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue, headache, stiff neck, fever, chills, or body aches.
- You feel very tired or have joint pain , irregular heartbeats, severe headache, or neck pain.
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding and you think you may have been exposed to ticks.
How Can I Find A Top
You can use Zocdoc to find Neurologists in Philadelphia, PA who are highly rated by other patients. These ratings are based on verified reviews submitted by real patients. Every time a patient completes an appointment booked on Zocdoc, theyre invited to review their experience. Each review must comply with Zocdocs guidelines.
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Lyme Arthritis In Children Can Present Throughout The Year
The studys objective was to evaluate the seasonality of pediatric Lyme disease in three endemic regions in the United States, writes Sundheim. Participants had been treated at 8 different medical centers throughout the Northeast and UpperMidwest. Of the 690 children with Lyme disease, 77 had a single EM lesion, 247 had early disseminated disease, and 366 had arthritis, wrote the authors. Children with early and early-disseminated Lyme disease
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What Are The Symptoms Of Lyme
In the acute stage, you may experience the following symptoms:
In the chronic stage, you may also experience:
Without treatment, Lyme disease can eventually cause a range of other symptoms. Among the most common are weakness or numbness in your limbs and neurological disorders.
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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.
Best Lyme Disease And Bannwarth Syndrome Doctors Inwest Chester Pa
We found 690doctors who treat Lyme Disease in West Chester.
Browse through a selection of 690 Doctors who treat Lyme Disease around West Chester, PA. Doctors who treat Lyme Disease in this region have an average rating of 4 stars. Below are some of the best options around West Chester. The providers below have at least 5 or more past patient ratings, so you can be confident that these providers have the experience that you are looking for.
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Pa Woman Says She Was Sickened By Risky Lyme Treatment
Ashley Pettis started to have trouble concentrating at the end of spring semester in 2013 at Lancaster Bible College, and soon began to feel sluggish and achy.
Ashley Pettis started to have trouble concentrating at the end of spring semester in 2013 at Lancaster Bible College, and soon began to feel sluggish and achy.
Exhausted by the end of the summer, she was found to have mononucleosis. But later, she still felt sick, and went that fall to Haverford Wellness Center in the Montgomery County town of Harleysville, seeking answers.
Clinicians there said she had late-stage Lyme disease, a chronic form of the tick-borne illness that is diagnosed in an estimated 300,000 Americans a year.
The treatment they administered was controversial: five months of heavy-duty oral and intravenous antibiotics costing tens of thousands of dollars that her insurance would not cover. In June 2014, suffering severe abdominal pain, she landed in the Grand View Hospital emergency room, where physicians removed her gallbladder and delivered a shocker:
Pettis did not have Lyme disease at all.
Now Pettis, 22, and her father are suing the Haverford Wellness Center and Domenick Braccia, the self-described Lyme literate physician who treated her there. They allege that Braccia was negligent and reckless, administering an unproven and harmful treatment.
One fact not in dispute: Medicine has a long way to go in figuring out the riddle of Lyme disease, and its diagnosis and treatment.
There Are1017doctors Who Treat Lyme Disease In Chester Find The Best For You:
- Rated 3.70 out of 5 stars, with 1999 Sproul Rd Ste 21Broomall, PA19008
- Rated 4.10 out of 5 stars, with 1068 W Baltimore PikeMedia, PA19063
- Rated 4.70 out of 5 stars, with 1401 Foulk Rd Ste 100BWilmington, DE19803
- Rated 4.60 out of 5 stars, with 525 W Chester Pike Ste 203Havertown, PA19083
- Rated 5.00 out of 5 stars, with 4000 Edgmont AveBrookhaven, PA19015
- Rated 4.40 out of 5 stars, with 2510 W Township Line RdHavertown, PA19083
- Rated 4.20 out of 5 stars, with 3475 West Chester Pike Ste 120Newtown Square, PA19073
- Rated 4.40 out of 5 stars, with 605 W STate StMedia, PA19063
- Rated 3.40 out of 5 stars, with 4000 Edgmont AveBrookhaven, PA19015
- Rated 3.00 out of 5 stars, with 201 Tomlin Station RdMullica Hill, NJ08062
- Rated 4.10 out of 5 stars, with 321 E Broad StGibbstown, NJ08027
- Rated 2.50 out of 5 stars, with 1088 W Baltimore Pike Ste 2205Media, PA19063
- Rated 4.70 out of 5 stars, with 145 Brinton Lake Rd Ste 201Glen Mills, PA19342
- Rated 5.00 out of 5 stars, with 301 W Chester Pike Ste 201Havertown, PA19083
- Rated 4.80 out of 5 stars, with 1786 Wilmington W Chester Pike Ste 202AGlen Mills, PA19342
- Rated 4.00 out of 5 stars, with 1 Bartol Ave Ste 103Ridley Park, PA19078
- Rated 4.50 out of 5 stars, with 1215 W Baltimore Pike Ste 13Media, PA19063
- Rated 4.60 out of 5 stars, with 1020 Baltimore Pike Ste 100Glen Mills, PA19342
- Rated 4.00 out of 5 stars, with 100 W Sproul Rd Ste 221Springfield, PA19064
- Rated 4.30 out of 5 stars, with 301 W Chester Pike Ste 204Havertown, PA19083
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The Different Types Of Doctors Who Can Test For Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is a tick-borne infectious disease caused by a group of spiral-shaped bacteria we now refer to as Lyme borreliae. This includes, but is not limited to, Borrelia burgdorferi. It is treatable with antibiotics, but in order to have the best chance at full recovery, its crucial to get your disease diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. That means finding the right doctor.
But what kind of doctor tests for Lyme disease? You may be wondering if you need to see a specific kind of physician to get the right test and treatment. The answer can depend on your particular situation.
What To Know About Seeing A Doctor And Getting Tested
Whatever kind of doctor you see, they will consider your medical history, your symptoms, and your Lyme disease test results when making a diagnosis. They should perform what is known as a differential diagnosis in order to rule out common misdiagnoses, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, ALS, MS, etc.
Many doctors rely on the two-tier system recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which consists of the following two blood tests:
- Western blot test
However, research shows that these tests are severely limited in accuracy and sensitivity. A LLMD may be able to help you get tested with newer and more accurate testing technology.
Lyme disease recovery starts with finding a doctor who has sufficient experience with Lyme as well as access to the right diagnostic testing. To learn more about what tests are available for Lyme disease today, including IGeneXs ImmunoBlot test, check out the blog The Best Test for Lyme Disease.
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What Is Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease today is not what it was 20 years ago, and there is a great deal of outdated information. Conventionally, doctors would be looking for a bulls-eye rash, flu-like symptoms, and a story related to being in the woods. If we checked all the boxes, the physician would diagnose Lyme Disease, possibly run a blood test, and treat it with necessary antibiotics.
However, Lyme and its diagnosis and treatment are very different now. Lyme is no longer confined to the Northeastern United States anymore. The organism that causes Lyme called Borrelia Burgdorferi has morphed over the years. In addition, there are hundreds of other tick-borne diseases from other bacteria, viruses, and fungi in the same tick. One bite can cause many infections. One can easily get Lyme without a rash or possibly with the smallest of rashes in a belly button or groin area, without ever seeing it. It is possible to have been infected without any memory of being bitten by a tick, or you may have knowledge of being bit but never developed a rash. In either case, Lyme disease can absolutely develop. This is typically because the infected tick is usually in a nymph stage, too small to detect. All of this makes diagnosis very challenging.
If you suspect Lyme, the sooner you get help, the easier it is to make a speedy recovery.
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:
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When You May Need To See A Specialist
Though a family physician or general practitioner should be able to order the diagnostic tests for Lyme disease, there are some situations in which you may need to see a specialist. For example, untreated or misdiagnosed Lyme can develop into chronic Lyme disease, which can then lead to complications such as arthritic or neurological symptoms. In these cases, patients may need to see the following types of specialists:
- Rheumatologist Chronic joint problems from Lyme disease may need the care of a physician who specializes in rheumatology.
- Neurologist Chronic Lyme can be associated with debilitating neurological symptoms that must be treated by a specialist.
- Infectious disease specialist Again, even though this isnt always necessary, it can be helpful if your symptoms dont go away or become more complex.
- Cardiologist In the event that you develop the rare but dangerous complication known as Lyme carditis, you may need to see a cardiologist and even be fitted with a temporary pacemaker.
However, its important to remember that seeing a specialist for symptoms related to Lyme disease without treating Lyme disease is costly and dangerous. In other words, a rheumatologist or neurologist will not be able to treat your Lyme if no diagnosis has been made. They can simply help treat symptoms that result from chronic or untreated Lyme.
To treat Lyme disease, you must get an accurate diagnosis and be prescribed antibiotics.