What Is Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is caused by 4 specific kinds of bacteria, but by far the largest vector for the bacteria is the deer or black-legged tick. While the signs and symptoms vary and appear in stages, there is often some overlap between stages.
People who have pets and reside in wooded areas where ticks live run a much greater chance of being bitten and infected with Lyme disease. The initial stage is a small red bump, quite like a mosquito bite that goes away on its own within a few days, but leaving behind a nasty memory of the experience in the form of a serious illness. In some cases, it may take up to a month for the signs to show from the bite, so just because a few days have passed does not mean you are out of the woods just yet.
Within three days to a month following an infected tick bite, an expanding red area begins to form that looks kind of similar to a bullseye. It keeps spreading over the next several days and can reach a foot in diameter. While it doesnt itch or hurt, it is noticeably red and will feel warm to the touch.
What Are The Symptoms Of Lyme Disease
The symptoms of Lyme disease typically show up 3-30 days after the bite, though the average is seven days.
Early symptoms in humans include a rash, fever and chills, headaches, and muscle or joint pain.
The rash, known as Erythema migrants, appears in about 70-80% of Lyme disease cases. The rash may be warm but usually does not itch or hurt, according to the CDC. It can expand with time, sometimes reaching up to 12 inches or more across.
This rash often looks like a bulls-eye but can also appear differently. According to MDHSS, the rash could also be solid red, multiple red oval-shaped spots, or a reddish-blue mark with an expanding and clearing ring.
If you think you have Lyme disease, go see a doctor because it is easier to treat early.
Untreated Lyme disease can present more symptoms as time passes. This includes severe headaches and neck pain or stiffness, facial drooping, rashes on other parts of the body, arthritis , heart palpitations, muscle pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, nerve pain, tingling or numbness in hands or feet, and brain or spinal cord inflammation.
According to Cornell University, Lyme disease in dogs can cause lameness, swollen lymph nodes, joint swelling, fatigue, and loss of appetite. However, not all dogs show symptoms.
Dogs can also experience serious kidney problems if they have the disease.
Infectious Disease Clinic At Taubman Center
The Division of Infectious Diseases provides outpatient consultation and/or continuing care for patients with infectious disease conditions, such as:
- Acquired or hereditary immunodeficiency syndromes
- AIDS and HIV infection
- Immunizations and overseas travel concerns
- Severe infections of any type
For all patients with bacterial or fungal infections, laboratory tests for evaluation of antibiotic and antifungal therapy are available, as are tests of inhibitory and bactericidal serum antimicrobial activity. Immunizations and advice for overseas travelers as well as routine immunizations also are provided through The Travel and Immunization Clinic.The HIV/AIDS Treatment Program offers both primary and specialized care to HIV-Positive individuals. We often test new drugs and treatments, and may select patients to participate in this research.
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Untreated Lyme Disease Can Be Severe Are Doctors In The Midwest Ready For A Growing Number Of Infections
Lyme disease is increasing in the Upper Midwest. The illness is caused by a bite from an infected black-legged tick.
But the disease can be hard to spot. If left untreated, it can spread to other parts of the body and cause arthritis and nervous system problems.
Are doctors prepared to diagnose and treat a rising number of Lyme infections?
Music: Mike Cavenaugh, Landsman Duets, Caslo
Transcript:
DAN WANSCHURA, HOST: Cindy Miner had this dream for her retirement. She would move near Lake Michigan. And train her 150 pound Newfoundland dog to rescue drowning swimmers.
CINDY MINER: With all the lakes and the drownings that are here I thought this would be something I could do to present to the Coast Guard rescue station in Traverse City.
WANSCHURA: But her dream was cut short when she developed extreme exhaustion. Some days she can hardly move. And she hasnt been able to train her dog Sunshine.
MINER: I cant walk him more than half a block without getting tired. And hes rearing to go.
WANSCHURA: Doctors have offered her few answers. That was until she got the diagnosis that finally made some sense. The culprit was a tiny bug.
Youre listening to Points North, a show about the land, water and inhabitants of the Upper Great Lakes. Im Dan Wanschura.
Cindy is 74 and lives in a pine filled subdivision outside Traverse City, Michigan. Reporter Taylor Wizner met her there.
MINER: I get to where I cant do my paperwork. I cant keep the house clean.
Wear those long pants folks.
Best Lyme Disease And Bannwarth Syndrome Doctors Ingrand Rapids Mi
We found 1232doctors who treat Lyme Disease in Grand Rapids.
Doctors who treat Lyme Disease in this region have an average rating of 4 stars. Below are some of the best options around Grand Rapids. The providers below have at least 1 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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Ilads Michael Ledtke: Disciplined For Negligence And Incompetence
Michael Ledtke, MD is a doctor in Saginaw, MI and a member of the pseudoscience group ILADS. In 2009, he pleaded no contest to serious charges of negligence and incompetence with regard to his treatment of a 36 year old woman known as J.R..
The Michigan Medical Board found that Ledtke prescribed J.R. medications in such a combination and dosage as to have potential lethal effects. The Board laid out the charges against Ledtke in a 2008 Administrative Complaint.
Is Lyme Disease In Michigan
It doesnt matter if you are in Michigan or any other part of the world. These pesky little ticks have migrated almost all over the world. And whats sad is because it mimics over 300 other diseases, research is at its infancy when many have suffered through the ages thinking it was something else. And if Im correct by listening to my body and curing myself through simple means, its a shame we all dont know about how simple it can be, and quick you can heal.
Heres more info Iv found simple to get on top of Google, but please do visit my 15 minute read of how and what I did to cure myself. It just may help you or others you know suffering from Lyme Disease.
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Case Series: No Complications With Lyme Disease And Pregnancy
The rst conrmed case of LB in a pregnant woman was described in 1985 in a 28-year- old mother who was infected with LB in the first trimester and delivered her baby at 35 weeks, the authors explained, based on a paper by Schlesinger et al.² The mother developed symptoms consistent with LB post-delivery as documented by a positive immunouorescence assay for LB. Unfortunately, the child died of
How Is Lyme Disease Spread
Blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, can spread Lyme disease in their nymph and adult stages. Adults are found in the spring and fall, while nymphs are active in the summer.
Usually, a tick needs to be attached to a person or animal for about 36-48 hours for the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorfer, to spread.
According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, these ticks are found in both the Upper and Lower Peninsula in wooded and grassy areas.
Read: Mosquitoes and ticks expected to thrive this spring, summer
These ticks are usually about 1/8 of an inch long, have black legs, and a round black shield behind its head.
These “black-legged ticks”, Ixodes scapularis, also referred to as I. dammini, are found on a wide rage of hosts including mammals, birds and reptiles. Black-legged ticks, I. scapularis are known to transmit Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, to hum
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A Red State But Its Not Politics
This much is clear: Reports of Lyme disease are on the increase.
The state logged 262 suspected or confirmed cases of Lyme last year, compared to 103 suspected or confirmed cases in 2009, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
In Charlevoix recently, Dr. Joshua Meyerson turned his computer to the Lyme disease risk map created by the state health department.
Less than 20 years ago, just a few counties in the Upper Peninsula and the southwest corner of the state were at risk for Lyme disease. Now, a swath of bright red at risk counties 37 in all stretches through much of the Upper Peninsula, southward along the western side of the state, then eastward in the middle between Van Buren and Wayne counties.
There are different theories for the spread, including birds bringing ticks into the state from neighboring Wisconsin, said Meyerson, medical director of the Health Department of Northwest Michigan.
Its an increase he has noticed in his own experience.
In June, he was biking with friends in Washtenaw County through long grass. Showering afterward, he inspected carefully for ticks, rubbing down his arms and legs. Yet relaxing a few hours later, he reached down to scratch an itch on his leg, and there it was: a tick that had attached.
People will tell you It’s like my dog never had ticks, and now I go walk into the woods and he’s covered with them, Meyerson said.
Still, anecdotes and theories arent data, Meyerson said.
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.
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A Babesia Infection 3 Weeks After Treatment For Lyme Disease
I will discuss a 67-year-old woman with a Babesia infection 3 weeks after treatment for Lyme disease. Could this delay explain why some patients remain ill or relapse. By Dr. Daniel Cameron Hoversten and her colleague first discussed this case in the British Medical Journal Case Reports in 2018. One would expect that tick-borne infections would all occur at the same time. One would be wrong, as this case illustrates. A
Request Your Consultation Today
If you or someone you know is suffering from any of the aforementioned symptoms, and have been unsuccessful in finding effective treatment or lasting relief, Dr. Heyman treats patients at his integrative medicine practice: the Virginia Center for Health and Wellness in Aldie, Virginia. For an appointment with Dr. Heyman, please call & phone , or contact us online today.
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The Lyme Disease Wars
Research shows such concerns are widespread in the medical community.
Both the CDC and the Infectious Diseases Society of America warn that high doses of antibiotics have not proven effective in fighting Lyme and worse can lead to potentially life-threatening problems such as a condition caused by a bacterium, Clostridium difficile, that may result in diarrhea or something more serious, such as a life-threatening inflammation of the colon.
The debate extends beyond treatment. Chronic Lyme disease is itself controversial and is rejected by many in the scientific community.
In most cases when Lyme disease is diagnosed, it can be quickly and effectively treated with oral antibiotics. In some instances, symptoms triggered by Lyme disease fatigue and pain, for example can carry on for months or years, even after treatment, a condition known as Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome .
In contrast, Chronic Lyme Disease is often used to describe people with similar and long-standing symptoms but who can show no clinical or diagnostic evidence of a Lyme infection. Without a positive result from the CDCs recommended test, the cause of their symptoms can remain in doubt.
This bill is too loosely worded, said Nielsen of the MLDA. It allows patients to be taken advantage of with no oversight or consequences for doing so. And it doesn’t protect patients.
I was told I was psychosomatic. I was told that it was anything and everything. I couldnt be helped.
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Treating Lyme With Lime
Lyme disease is spread by deer ticks and is caused by a spirochete bacteria name Borrelia burgdorferi. When the bacteria reach the bloodstream and are spread throughout the body, it can cause signs and symptoms ranging from mild to severe.
Pathophysiology
Deer ticks are the vector insect of this kind of disease. B. burgdorferi lives in the saliva of the tick and when the tick bit a person, the bacteria is introduced inside the body. B. burgdorferi will then travel the bloodstream and infect different body parts such as the nervous, integumentary, and musculoskeletal system.
Its most noticeable symptom is the rash that it creates, which is an immune response of the body to the invading foreign bacteria. The rash is developed by the time the deer tick bit a person. The tick’s saliva is a perfect nourishing substance for the bacteria. The tick’s saliva itself contains chemical that can disrupt or damage the local immune system. When the skin’s immune system is compromised, it can serve as a breeding ground for the bacteria. From the site of the bite, the spirochete bacteria will then asexually reproduce and will spread outwardly. This is the main reason that lyme disease rash is circular in appearance. In some unknown reason, the neutrophils, which are the body’s antigen for invading bacteria, do not respond promptly to the site or failed to take action.
Early Stage
Circular rash has 5 to 6 inches diameter “Bull’s eye” rash
Signs of inflammation may or may not be present
How Is Lyme Disease Treated
Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics.
When caught early, oral antibiotics are used, typically for 2-4 weeks. If caught later or the disease involved your central nervous system, intravenous antibiotics are used for 2-4 weeks.
Symptoms of IV-treated Lyme disease may last for some time beyond treatment.
Like humans, dogs are also treated with antibiotics.
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Risk Factors For Catching Lyme Disease
Risk factors of catching Lyme disease go up for people who spend large amounts of time outdoors in heavily wooded areas and do so without wearing protective clothing. Ticks love exposed skin it is a beacon to an all-they-can-eat buffet.
If you find a tick, remove it properly by burning it off. Make certain to get the head out, and as long as it is attended to promptly, the chances of developing Lyme disease are much smaller.
Treatment for Lyme disease and other infections includes Precision Medicine.
Cure For Lyme Disease
The dramatic increase in the number of cases of Lyme disease has caused a lot of panic in the medical community. Traditionally, it is treated with round after round of antibiotics. Some people never fully recover and the disease can be fatal.
Humans get Lyme disease most commonly from tics, but also from mosquitoes, fleas and mites. People suffering from it may initially experience fever, headache, and depression, developing a bull’s eye-shaped rash. If a physician identifies this rash as Lyme disease, then treatment is immediately administered. The sooner antibiotics are given, the better your chances.
But, the treatment with antibiotics is very controversial. Rounds of antibiotics often need to be repeated, sometimes multiple times, and the symptoms could never go away or get worse. Some people have suffered endless damaging side effects of prolonged antibiotic treatments and still have long-term debilitating symptoms thought to be caused by Lyme disease. Long-term symptoms include arthritis, joint pain, heart problems and autoimmunity.
Talk with your doctor about treatment with vitamins and supplements. When you buy vitamins, make sure that your doctor and pharmacist know all medications that you are taking to avoid interactions.
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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.