Saturday, March 23, 2024

Neurological Damage From Lyme Disease

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Understanding Symptoms Of Neurological Lyme

Neuroborreliosis with Lyme disease. Dr. Kyle sees these symptoms in 60% of Chronic Lyme Patients:

Lyme neuroborreliosis is thought to occur in about 15% of Lyme disease cases but a definite percentage is impossible to pin down. Everyone with Lyme disease experiences some neurological symptoms, but a specific composit of symptoms that constitute neurological Lyme is not well defined. Making matters worse, the Centers for Disease Control , does not recognize LNB as a separate entity, and it doesnt acknowledge the existence of a chronic form of Lyme disease.

The most common initial symptom is neurogenic pain that starts in the back and radiates down the legs. With that comes weakness, numbness, and tingling in the lower extremities.

Another common presenting symptom of LNB is facial nerve palsy , which is characterized by temporary paralysis on one side of the face. Some people also experience sound sensitivity and discomfort in the ear on the paralyzed side, and if youre unable to close that eye, dry eye can occur. Most people recover fully from Bells palsy, with improvement in the first few weeks and continuing for three to six months, but a minority of people have symptoms for life.

Symptoms of LNB are thought to occur from infiltration of white blood cells immune cells like lymphocytes and plasmocytes into the white matter of the brain and the spinal cord, otherwise known as the central nervous system . This is associated with an increase in inflammatory immune messengers, called cytokines, in cerebrospinal fluid.

What Are The Dietary Regulations For Neuropathy

While neuropathy cannot directly be affected by your diet, neuropathys underlying conditions will benefit from a healthy diet. If you have diabetes, then you must consume a diet that is specifically tailored for the same. You can consult with a dietician to formulate the right type of diet for you.

Frequently asked questions about neuropathy

Is walking good for neuropathy?Walking can help manage the pain caused by neuropathy by increasing your muscle strength and reducing your blood sugar levels.

How long does it take for neuropathy to go away?The symptoms of neuropathy can take several months to disappear. However, many people do not recover fully from the nerve damage and can only manage the symptoms.

Can you stop the progression of neuropathy?Unfortunately, neuropathy cannot be reversed or stopped unless you get an early diagnosis. Even then, it is essential to address the underlying cause of the condition to halt it completely.

What Is The Prognosis For People Suffering From Neurological Lyme Disease

Neurological Lyme Disease treatment can be difficult to manage because of the different body systems affected, but it is not impossible. People do recover without lasting effects.

Treatmentneeds to address the weakened immune system as well as the effect on cellular function. Environmental factors also play a part.

It is essential to have a personal Neurological Lyme Disease treatment plan as the manifestation of the disease varies so much across patients, the symptoms have different stages and different body systems are affected.

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Treatment For Neurological Lyme Disease

After defining the problem, she moves on to solutions. The next section deals with pharmaceutical approaches to Lyme disease in the brain, including an explanation of the blood-brain barrier and what drugs can effectively penetrate it. She discusses medications that reduce inflammation, as well as those to stabilize neurological function, balance mood and help people think more clearly.

Section 3 discusses natural approaches to Lyme disease in the brain: antimicrobials, such as Cats Claw and teasel root anti-inflammatories, such as curcumin and stephania root antioxidants, such as glutathione neurotransmitter support and essential oils such as peppermint and frankincense.

Section 4 deals with nutrition. Readers of her earlier book, The Lyme Diet, will find familiar themes: avoid gluten, dairy, sugar, caffeine, alcohol and additives such as MSG.

Ducharme explains about therapies to help the brain, including neurofeedback, Brainwave Entrainment, and hyperbaric oxygen. She covers sleep and exercise. She reviews different kinds of psychotherapy for patients with Lyme brain.

The 3 Obstacles To Neurological Lyme Disease Treatment

LYME SCI: Nerve damage shown in patients with chronic Lyme symptoms

Chronic Lyme disease is often associated with neurological symptoms that are both debilitating and increasingly difficult to treat. At Envita we understand Lyme disease better than anyone and we are familiar with the struggle patients experiencing neurological Lyme symptoms face. There are three major areas of conflict that patients with neurological Lyme symptoms battle.

Envita Medical Centers doesnât make any guarantee of outcomes. Results are not typical and will vary from person to person and should not be expected.

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Table 1 Neurologic Disorders In Lyme Disease And Their Pathophysiology Grouped By Pathophysiologic Mechanism

Peripheral nerve

Not nervous system infection

Toxic/metabolic encephalopathy

Diagnosis requires combining clinical observations with laboratory data. Clinical diagnostic criteria used by the Centers for Disease Control are useful but somewhat restrictive, being designed for surveillance purposes. These require either a physician-diagnosed erythema migrans, measuring at least 5 cm in diameter, or laboratory evidence of infection with B burgdorferi , or disproportionate antibody elevation in CSF) in combination with either acute onset of otherwise unexplained heart block a relapsing large joint oligoarthritis or mononuclear cell meningitis, cranial neuritis, radiculoneuritis, or encephalomyelitis. The last should be confirmed by demonstration of production of anti-B burgdorferi antibody in the CSF. In general clinical practice, acceptance of the diagnosis is reasonable if a patient has an epidemiologically plausible exposure, has had either an erythema migrans or a positive serology , and has a clinical disorder within the realm of those reported to occur in this infection . The common causes of false-positive serology must be excluded. In patients with positive serologies and atypical disorders, or with negative serologies and typical syndromes, the diagnosis is possible but must be entertained with caution.

Neurological Complications Of Lyme Disease

The NINDS supports research on Lyme disease. Current areas of interest include improving diagnostic tests and developing more effective treatments. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases , and the National Center for Research Resources , all parts of the National Institutes of Health , also support research on Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is caused by a bacterial organism that is transmitted to humans via the bite of an infected tick. Most people with Lyme disease develop a characteristic skin rash around the area of the bite. The rash may feel hot to the touch, and vary in size, shape, and color, but it will often have a “bull’s eye” appearance . However, there are those who will not develop the rash, which can make Lyme disease hard to diagnose because its symptoms and signs mimic those of many other diseases.

Anywhere from 7 to 14 days following an infected tick’s bite, the first stage of Lyme disease may begin with flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, fatigue, muscle aches, and joint pain.

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Who Is At Risk For Complications Of Lyme Disease

People who do not know they have been infected. So its important to check for deer ticks after outdoor activities, especially in the northeast or midwest parts of the country.

Ticks sometimes bite in such inconspicuous places as the hairline or back. Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics at any stage of illness to eradicate the bacterial infection. However, some people might still be at risk for lingering neurological complications if the bacteria has traveled to the tissue of the central nervous system.

Treatment For The Neurological Complications Of Lyme Disease

Lyme disease or neurological functional disorder

Review question

Are antibiotics effective for the treatment of Lyme disease affecting the nervous system?

Background

In humans, a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi causes Lyme disease. People become infected when bitten by ticks carrying the bacterium. The person may experience symptoms in the joints, skin, muscles, and nervous system , the brain, and the spinal cord). Without antibiotic treatment, neurological Lyme disease either may resolve or cause long-term problems. Neurological Lyme disease differs between Europe and the United States, probably because of differences in B. burgdorferi. Limited information exists about which antibiotics are better for the treatment of neurological Lyme disease.

Study characteristics

Key results and quality of the evidence

The seven studies were too different for their results to be combined, so we analyzed them individually.

None of the studies provided clear evidence that one antibiotic was better than another. One study failed to find evidence that a second and longer treatment with an oral antibiotic offered any extra benefit following initial intravenous treatment with ceftriaxone. As none of the other studies used a dummy treatment , the extra benefit offered by antibiotic treatment over recovery that occurs naturally is unknown. In general, the treatment was tolerated well, although the quality of adverse event reporting in most studies appeared to be low.

The evidence is current to October 2016.

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Pots Constipation And Lyme Disease

POTS stands for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome which means the heart rate will increase when someone changes position, from laying or sitting to standing. POTS is very common in late-stage Lyme disease since the autonomic nervous system does not maintain tone in blood vessels causing a drop in blood pressure. When the blood pressure drops, the heart rate has to increase to stabilize blood pressure. Mast cell activation syndrome is another common cause of POTS and MCAS is frequently seen as a consequence of Lyme disease.

Another common symptom associated with autonomic nervous system dysfunction is constipation. Termed gastroparesis, constipation can happen when the nerve that signals intestinal muscular contraction become damaged by the bacteria and the resulting immune response.

Types Of Nerve Damage

Peripheral nerves can become damaged through two important mechanisms of injury and they include:

  • Physical traumaâ direct and high-velocity injuries such as those sustained through gunshots, knife stabbings, crush injuries, motor vehicle accidents, and sports injuries can result in the nerves becoming physically severed.
  • Medical conditionsâ illnesses such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, shingles, HIV, hepatitis C, an underactive thyroid, those that result in poor blood flow in the arms and legs, and bone marrow disorders, as well as exposure to heavy metals such as lead and any other disorders that result in a vitamin B1, B6, or B12 deficiency can lead to reduced nutrient and oxygen supply to the nerves causing them to become damaged and dysfunctional.

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Treating What You Dont Know

The other big question is how to treat something with a cause that cant be identified.

Antibiotics are sometimes prescribed on the theory that B. burgdorferi might still be hiding out in the body somewhere. However, although there have been anecdotal short-term successes, Marques said no studies have shown sustained benefits from antibiotics to people with chronic Lyme disease or those with post-Lyme disease syndrome.

The majority of people who contract Lyme and are treated for it with a course of antibiotics do get better with time.

But those who dont 10 to 20 percent, according to Marques review of the research fall into the post-Lyme disease syndrome category.

Those people continue to experience persistent or intermittent symptoms a year after completing the antibiotics therapy.

Children appear less likely to develop long-term symptoms as are those who dont delay antibiotics or have less severe cases of Lyme in the first place.

In cases of chronic Lyme, people who test negative for the disease despite symptoms could be infected with another tick-borne illness or have an autoimmune disorder or other problem.

How to treat these long-term symptoms is still a mystery.

For now, Marques and her team are working on identifying biomarkers and other ways to find out definitively whether Lyme disease is to blame for the symptoms.

That additional research is becoming more critical.

Researchers have predicted higher tick numbers in some parts of the country this summer.

What Makes Yale Medicine’s Approach To Lyme Disease Unique

Lyme Disease Specialist Louisville Kentucky

The discovery of Lyme disease is actually credited to two Yale physicians, who identified it after a rash of illnesses cropped up during the summer of 1975. That year, two mothers living in Old Lyme, Conn., refused to accept the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis among the children living in their town.

The mothers reached out to the Connecticut State Department of Health and the Yale School of Medicine for help, starting a study that would ultimately uncover the bacterial infection transmitted by ticks. Today, doctors in Yale Medicines neurology department provide care for patients who have infections that affect the nervous system.

Thanks to a powerful partnership with research programs at Yale Medicine, patients benefit from the most recent advantages in treatment.

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Key Points For Healthcare Providers

  • In patients with facial palsy who are unable to close one or both eyes, eye drops or an eye patch may be needed to prevent dry eyes.
  • Neurologic symptoms do not necessarily indicate central nervous system infection in a patient with Lyme disease.
  • Two-step serologic testing for Lyme disease is the recommended diagnostic test for neurologic Lyme disease.
  • Cerebral spinal fluid analysis is not necessary to diagnose Lyme meningitis, but can help exclude other causes of illness, such as bacterial meningitis.
  • Consider Lyme radiculoneuritis in patients who report severe limb or truncal radicular pain without preceding trauma who live in or who have traveled to Lyme-endemic areas.
  • Neurological Lyme Disease Treatment What You Need To Know

    According to the research:

    around 15% of people with untreated Lyme Disease will need Neurological Lyme Disease treatment.

    Neurological Lyme Disease is one of the most debilitating forms of the disease, with patients experiencing a marked decrease in their quality of life.

    It can also be extremely frightening for patients, who often have the misconception that the Neurological Lyme Disease symptoms they are experiencing will damage their nervous system permanently.

    Actually, its possible to have neurobiological symptoms without the nervous system being damaged.

    The aim of this article is to provide you with all the information you need to identify potential Neurological Lyme Disease symptoms and know what to expect from a Neurological Lyme Disease treatment plan.

    You can jump straight through to specific sections of this article from here:

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    Get Tested And Treated Early

    Studies acknowledge that up to 30% of patients go on to suffer further Lyme symptoms even after treatment, sometimes called Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome . One of the biggest risk factors for this condition is delayed treatment.

    Research is finally, if slowly, catching up to the reality that letting Lyme disease slip through the cracks of insufficient diagnostic testing causes real suffering for patients. IGeneX is at the forefront of solving this problem, offering more sensitive and accurate testing for Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases that can cause mental health problems when left untreated. Learn more today.

    How Peripheral Nerves Regenerate

    Understanding the Persistent Symptoms in Lyme Disease | Johns Hopkins Medicine

    When a peripheral nerve is injured, a rapid process begins where specific cells in the bloodstream flow into the damaged area and start to clean up and digest the injured nerve tissue. The benefit of this process is that it prevents unhealthy scar tissue from developing. This process is medically referred to as Wallerian degeneration.

    At the other damaged end of the nerve fibre, also known as the partner end, Wallerian degeneration occurs which helps the nerve to protect the channel within the trunk fibre. This helps the mentioned sprouts of the other end of the nerve to find their way to the partner end without being obstructed by scar tissue.

    The regrowth rate of the damaged nerve occurs at one to two millimetres per day at most. In real-life time, this can mean that it can take, for example, between six to nine months for a torn nerve to regenerate from a branch in the neck to the end of the arm.

    The most important causes of peripheral nerve damage by medical conditions include diabetes and a vitamin B12 deficiency, which is mainly caused by the excessive intake of alcohol.

    Patients who are diagnosed with these conditions need to take extra care in controlling their glucose levels with the correct measures and medications and those affected by a vitamin B12 deficiency should be advised to stop using alcohol and need to have this element replaced through adequate supplementation, respectively.

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    Can You Reverse Nerve Damage Caused By Lyme Disease

    Only one tick bite can cause a debilitating disorder named Lyme disease.

    Lyme affects the entire body and causes problems with your immune system and brain function. What is even more concerning is that the bacteria can lay dormant and still affect a patient long after being treated. This is the main reason why Lyme disease causes nerve damage.

    Can Nerve Damage Caused By Lyme Disease Be Reversed

    As mentioned above, it is very important to have Lyme disease diagnosed early on. If left untreated, it can cause peripheral neuropathy. Experts say that it might take several weeks or months for nerve damage symptoms to appear, which is why it can go undetected for quite some time.

    Luckily, Lyme disease patients can prevent and overcome this issue with a natural nerve pain relief supplement.

    NutriNerve was created to help the body recover from nerve damage by supplying all the necessary nutrients for nerve health.

    Usually, Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics. But these can cause significant vitamin depletion.

    As a result, the body experiences vitamin deficiencies, which can worsen the condition and lead to the early onset of nerve damage.

    This is why experts suggest a daily intake of NutriNerve.

    This natural formula can provide nerve pain relief, but it can do even more for your body!

    It is rich in Alpha Lipoic Acid, Gamma Linolenic Acid, Vitamin B1, B12, and D. This formula can offer relief from:

    • stabbing pain in the feet
    • numbness and burning sensations in the feet, hands, and lower legs
    • sensitivity to touch
    • chronic pain and cramps
    • loss of coordination and balance

    And studies show that NutriNerve encourages your body to heal on its own and promotes nerve health.

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