Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is one of the most difficult health conditions to identify and treat and is also among the most dangerous, because of the wide range of health problems it can cause, including heart disease. Although traditional health experts consider Lyme disease to be both uncommon and relatively new (it’s formally said to have first been discovered near Lyme, Connecticut in 1977), they are incorrect on both counts. In actuality, Lyme disease was first recognized in 1883, in the city of Breslau, Germany. Alternative health practitioners recognize that the spread of Lyme disease has become epidemic, but is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed because of how often its symptoms masquerade as other health problems. For this reason, many health experts now make reference to Lyme disease as the, “great imposter,” a term first used to describe syphilis, which likewise can be mistaken for a wide range of other health conditions. If left untreated, Lyme disease inevitably propagates into the joints and central nervous system, where it may cause a wide variety of severe health problems.

Although Lyme disease is recognized by traditional physicians as causing an allergic reaction known as erythema migraines (EM), which affects the skin in a “bull’s-horn” pattern, only 30-40% of adults with Lyme disease, and less than 10% of infected children, exhibit the rash. In many cases, particularly among African Americans or others with dark skin, the actual EM allergy may go unnoticed, due to its lightness, or it may be mistaken for a bruise. Additionally compounding the issue is the fact that, although the EM rash will usually manifest inside a few days of infection, in some cases it may not appear for months, by which time Lyme disease might have spread throughout the body.

The majority of people with Lyme disease, simply because they do not display the EM rash, typically are unaware that they have the illness. Rather, they, as well as their doctors, mistake it for other types of persistent, degenerative illness. Common diseases that lime disease is usually mistaken for include chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism and other thyroid gland problems, MS, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), as well as various types associated with environmental sickness. It is not uncommon for Lyme disease to lead to depressive disorders, and in some cases, extreme psychological dysfunction as well as hopelessness.

Extreme caution: Lyme disease, in order to be treated effectively, demands the attention of a professional healthcare practitioner who employs an integrative treatment protocol that combines the best of conventional medicine with natural remedies. A list of these types of Lyme disease experts, in addition to organizations dedicated to providing information about Lyme disease, can be found at the end of this article. If you suspect you suffer from Lyme illness, seek immediate medical treatment.

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms of Lyme disease occur over 3 stages: Localized disease, displayed early disease, and disseminated late stage. In the first, or localized disease stage, the only visible manifestation of Lyme disease, if at all, is the EM rash without any other signs and symptoms. In the disseminated early disease stage, the Lyme disease starts to spread through the body, but the main symptom is widespread irritation that is often accompanied by virus-like as symptoms. In the final, or disseminated disease phase, which usually occurs three months after an individual is first infected with Lyme disease, (can take longer to manifest, in some cases it hast taken 15+ years for symptoms to develop) the primary symptoms are organ damage and compromise of additional body systems. What follows is a more inclusive list of signs and symptoms for each of the three stages of Lyme disease:

Local Symptoms: The primary initial characteristic of Lyme disease is the EM rash, which if existing, will happen at the site of the tick or insect bite. Other symptoms at this stage range from minor aches and pains, headache, and fever.

Disseminated Early and Late Stage Symptoms: The signs of Lyme disease in both the first and late stages of dissemination can vary. They include chronic fatigue, headache, weakness, muscle pains, back pain, joint pain and inflammation (similar to joint disease), chills, fever, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, face paralysis, swollen lymph glands, enlarged spleen, profuse perspiration, irregular heartbeat, convulsions, vision problems, memory and knowledge problems, cranial and Bell’s palsy, impaired muscle control, stabbing pains in the extremities, diminished reflexes, brain and spinal cord infection, bladder and kidney difficulties, infertility, liver problems (such as, in some cases, liver disease), and skin disorders.

Lyme disease in these two stages can also result in mental health issues, including depressive disorders, mood swings, dementia, personality modifications, hallucinations, anxiety attacks, impulsive physical violence, verbal aggression, paranoia, schizophrenia, eating disorders, and suicide. Additionally, it may cause or even play a role within bipolar disorder (manic depression) and neurological illness.

When identified at an early stage, Lyme disease can be cured by oral antibiotics, such as doxycycline. When treatment is postponed, the results could be disastrous, because in its later stages, Lyme disease compromises the immune system making way for potential bacteria to take hold which can have a profound impact on a person overall health, according to Joseph T. Burrascano, Jr., M.D., of East Hampton, NY.

Causes

Lyme disease is caused by a microorganism known as Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), a type of spirochete (so called because of its slender, spiral form) that was first isolated and identified by Willy Burgdorfer, Ph.D., M.D. in 1982. Conventional wisdom maintains that Lyme is solely transmitted by ticks. This is false. In addition to ticks, Lyme disease may also be spread by a variety of other insects, such as fleas, mites, and mosquitoes, and through human to-human contact (including breastfeeding), and by blood transfusions. Unpasteurized goat or cow milk can also transmit Bb infection. It is important to realize that Lyme disease is not a simple infection, but instead a serious, complex illness that can often consist of other bacterial infections in addition to Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), especially the parasitic pathogens Babesia and Ehrlicha.

Diagnosing Lyme Disease

Accurately diagnosing Lyme disease is extremely difficult. Compounding this problem is the fact that both positive and negative tests do not necessarily mean exactly what one might expect. For example, it is entirely possible to test positive for Lyme disease and not have it, because at some point in the past, you may have come across Bb, leading to the creation of antibodies by your body in order to battle it. When the antibodies were able to do their job effectively (a possibility in people with healthy immune systems), the Bb would have been removed and the positive reading would simply end up reflecting the existence of Bb antibodies. Conversely, diagnostic testing tests for Lyme disease don’t invariably detect Bb, leading to negative test results although Lyme disease is actually present.

Traditional Testing Methods for Lyme Disease: The most common traditional testing techniques used to identify Lyme disease fall into two categories: Antibody and direct detection.

Antibody assessments include the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test, an automated and standardized process that uses enzymes to detect Bb antibodies, and the ELISA “catch test,” which uses two different methods to identify Bb antibodies, and is regarded as more sensitive than the available edition of the ELISA test.

Another antibody test is known as the Indirect Fluorescent Antibody (IFA) test, which was the original test used to identify Lyme illness, and is used by some labs despite its high-risk of error. In this test, fluorescent dye is put onto a slide containing blood mixed with a defunct Bb sample. The slide is then placed under the microscope below fluorescent or ultraviolet light. If a green color appears, it is regarded as a positive reading.

With both the ELISA and IFA tests, a positive reading usually results in a follow up mark test, which also carries a high risk of inaccuracy, given the fact that as many as 40% of people with Lyme disease never exhibit antibodies for Lyme. Other antibody tests, which also carry the risk of misdiagnosis, include the Borreliacidal antibody test (BAT), the immune complex test, the prevue test, and the C6 Lyme peptide test.

Direct recognition testing is a means of detecting Lyme disease based on culturing, discoloration, antigen assessments, and the Polymerase Chain Reaction test (PCR).

Optional Testing of Lyme Disease: An increasing number of physicians, particularly those in the field of alternative and holistic methods, are turning to two nontraditional testing methods although neither test has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The assessments were developed by Joanne Whitaker, MD, and Linda Mattman, Ph.D. Dr. Whitaker’s test is called the Rapid Identification of Bb (RIBb). It involves a using a purified neon antibody stain that is specific to Bb, making it capable of determining whether Bb exists within half an hour after the test is performed. Rapid test results are key to making a precise diagnosis in time to begin a proper treatment process before Lyme disease progresses throughout the body.

The test produced by Dr. Mattman is a culture test which also employs a fluorescent antibody discoloration technique. This enables health practitioners who use it to see live cultures under a fluorescent microscope. Based on Dr. Mattman’s assessment, when a person is ill, his/her antibodies become entangled in the body’s tissues, forming what is known as an immune complex that cannot be detected through conventional blood and antibody tests. For this reason conventional tests for Lyme disease frequently result in false negatives. Both RIBb as well as Mattman tests look for Bb directly, instead of antibodies into it, in much the same way that tuberculosis is diagnosed.

A third diagnostic test that is becoming increasingly popular in the United States originated from the Netherlands, where it was produced by internationally famous holistic physician C.T.M. Broekhuyse, M.D., founder and overseer of Vegsii Research. Dr. Broekhuyse has a keen interest in Lyme disease because he was infected with it many years ago, and did not become aware that he was until several years later, mostly due to the inadequate conventional tests for discovering it. Dr. Broekhuyse now devotes much of his time to helping other people recover from Lyme disease. By doing so, he has developed a blood test that tests not only for Bb, but also for Ehrlichia phagocytophila, and protozoa similar to the malaria organism known as Babesia microti, making it highly effective for identifying if Lyme disease is present. Dr. Broekhuyse’s test has become available to individuals in the United States via Vonner Health Services, a business dedicated to helping people cope with Lyme disease and a wide variety of other illnesses caused by bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections.

Electrodermal Screening (EDS): Another test often utilized by alternative physicians to identify Lyme disease is electrodermal screening. Electrodermal screening (EDS) is a noninvasive diagnostic method that tests the electrical output of specific points on the hands, face, or even feet which correlate to acupuncture meridian points at the beginning or end of energy meridians. The electrical signals produced from these points provide details about the health status of the body’s organs and tissues, and may also be used to detect the presence of poisons, energy and hormonal imbalances, and dangerous microorganisms. At the disposal of a highly skilled EDS practitioner, EDS can often detect proof of Lyme disease, even when additional sophisticated testing methods fall short. The reason is because both health and disease are first and foremost caused by balanced or imbalanced power.

The Lyme Disease Questionnaire: According to Joseph Burrascano, a leading professional in the treatment of Lyme illness, “Absolutely no currently available test, no matter the source or type, is conclusive in ruling out infection with the pathogens associated with Lyme disease, or whether these types of infections have the effect of the person’s symptoms. The entire clinical image must be taken into account, including searching for concurrent conditions and alternative diagnoses, and other causes of some of the presenting complaints.” To address these problems, Dr. Burrascano developed an in-depth listing of diagnostic requirements and an exhaustive symptom checklist to help patients and their physicians make a more accurate and proper diagnosis of Lyme illness. His Lyme disease questionnaire is made available by the Lyme Disease System, a nationwide clearing house for information about Lyme disease. If you feel you have Lyme disease, make sure the doctor treating you is fully aware of Dr. Burrascano’s questionnaire.

Preventing Lyme Illness

As with just about all serious ailments, the best way to cope with Lyme illness is to prevent it. The following guidelines, provided by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, can help you achieve this. Be sure to follow them between the between May and September which is when most cases of Lyme infection occur.

Avoid tick-infested areas.

When outdoors, wear light-colored clothing so ticks are clearly noticeable. Smooth clothing such as windbreakers are harder for ticks to latch on to, and are consequently preferable to clothing such as knits.

Wear long-sleeved shirts, trousers, and closed toe shoes with socks. Be sure to tuck pant legs into socks or even boots, and tuck shirts into trousers.

Apply bug repellent to pants, socks, shoes, and exposed skin.

Walk in the middle of nature trails to avoid overgrown grass and brush.

After being outdoors in tick-infested areas, wash, and dry clothing.

Inspect the body thoroughly and carefully remove any connected ticks. Additionally check domestic pets for ticks.

If you find a tick, tug gently but firmly near the head of the tick to releases its hold on the skin. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as you possibly can and pull straight away. To reduce the risk of infection, try not to crush the tick’s body or to handle it with bare fingers. Do not attempt to dislodge ticks using heat or chemicals, because this can cause them to inject more pathogens into your skin.

Swab the bite area thoroughly with a germ killing solution to prevent bacterial infection.

Additional Prevention Tips: To protect yourself from bites, also take the following measures:

Get rid of woodpiles, rock walls, and bird feeders, because these appeal to tick-carrying animals and may improve the risk of Lyme infection.

Property should be treated with Damminix, which consists of cardboard tubes that contains cotton balls which have been drizzled with insecticide. Wrap tubes around wooded areas and beneath shrubs. Mice, which are a key link in the distribution of Lyme disease, find the cotton and bring it back to their burrows to be used as nesting materials, with the result being a big decrease in the amount of ticks in the area, according to Dr. Burrascano.

After two years, the tick population may once again increase as other small creatures that do not gather cotton become tick hosts. Therefore, utilizing Damminix on its own is not enough. You should also make use of liquid or granular insecticides, such as permethrin, and sevin. In the event that liquid insecticides are used, utilize by clouding (not by coarse spraying) in a strip a few feet wide around the perimeter of the lawn and any areas adjacent to forests and underbrush. Also treat any decorative shrubs near the house that may serve as a living environment for small rodents. Contact a local company to apply these items is in late spring and early fall.

Tick repellents that contain permethrin, such as Permanone and Permakill, can also be dispersed directly on to clothing before you wear them (let dry completely before worn). Avoid having such products come in contact with the skin, however.

On returning home from outdoor activities, place your clothing in a clothing dryer for 10 minutes. This can kill any ticks that may be hidden inside your clothes.

Natural Cures

In the initial phase of Lyme disease, a four-week span of antibiotic remedy can often be sufficient to eradicate the Bb pathogen and stop it from spreading via your body. However, such a treatment can only work if it is began immediately following infection, something that many times is not possible, given how hard Lyme illness is to identify. Even when it’s possible, these natural cures should be used in conjunction with antibiotics in order to protect yourself against the side effects associated with such drugs, and to boost your recovery once the Bb pathogen is eliminated.

For cases of Lyme disease that escape early detection and have spread past the initial infection site to other areas of the body, a much more comprehensive plan for treatment is required. Alternative physicians concur that the primary treatment for Lyme illness is antibiotics. They caution, however, that the accepted standard antibiotic treatments are inadequate, both in the duration of antibiotic remedy (often four weeks is not enough) and the type of antibiotic employed. According to Dr. Joanne Whitaker, a former Lyme disease patient herself, the type of antibiotic used must be one that’s capable of penetrating the bloodstream barrier and specific to the cell wall of the organs that are influenced by Bb.

Other Lyme experts advise that there’s no sufficient conventional treatment model. Proper treatment must be tailored to the particular needs of every patient and devised based on the severity of signs and symptoms and the spread of Bb. In many cases, antibiotics administered intravenously are required, and often for much longer than the standard four weeks of antibiotic treatment recommended through conventional doctors. Each stage of a person’s treatment must also be correctly monitored so that the health care specialist can determine how to proceed next. Generally, the success or failure of the treatment program depends on numerous factors, such as when treatment begins, the strength and amount of Bb that has been disseminated in the body, the areas of the body by which infestation happens, and the potency of the antibiotic in comparison to the sensitivity of the strain of Bb that it is being treated.

While alternative physicians concur that antibiotic therapy should be the first step for Lyme disease, they do not depend on antibiotics alone. Natural cures employed by alternative physicians along with antibiotic therapy for Lyme disease include:

Diet: Wholesome eating is very important. Avoid any and all alcoholic beverages and sugar, including sugars replacements such as maple, agave or brown syrup, and all other forms of sweeteners with the exception of stevia sweetener or mesquite meal powder. (See glossary for descriptions.) Sugar, in all its forms, feed the bacteria associated with Lyme disease, and also plays a role in candidiasis, the co-factor infection that is often found in patients with Lyme disease.

Be sure to drink plenty of fresh, strained water during the day. Emphasize a diet of organic, whole foods, with plenty of fresh vegetables. Eat a wide variety of antioxidant rich foods, such as bell peppers, carrots, celery, and dark-green leafy vegetables such as kale, collards, mustard greens, cilantro, parsley, spinach, tomato plants, and yellow-colored squash. Select fruit very carefully and if you have Candidiasis, only eat green apples and an occasional grapefruit. You can eat seasonal fruit in moderation, and enjoy cherries, mangos, cantaloupe, plums, red-colored grapes, berries of all types, and fiber wealthy apples and pears.

Complex whole grains are recommended, as are almonds, yams, lentils, and squash, because of their ability to help balance internal pH amounts. Choose natural free-range meat, poultry and wild caught fish, and eat basic, organic yogurt to help provide your gastrointestinal tract with healthy intestinal tract flora. Organic egg yolks are good because they are rich in carotenoids, a class of antioxidants.

Avoid all commercial, prepared, fried, and non-organic food, as well as espresso, artificial sweeteners, chemical preservatives, food dyes, milk and dairy products (with the exception of organic, preferably raw, yogurt or kefir), wheat and wheat products, and refined carbohydrates. Do not consume saturated, trans-hydrogenated or partly-hydrogenated fats and oils. Instead choose virgin coconut butter/oil, extra virgin olive oil, high lignin flax seed oil, and unrefined hemp seed, walnut, and sunflower oils.

Additionally, undergo screening for potential food allergic reactions and respiratory problems and avoid individual foods to which you test positive. Think about a rotation diet plan or eradication diet in order to further reduce the likelihood of food allergies.

Nutrition and diet are key players in the healing and elimination of imbalance and disease. For a complete, nutrition loaded, whole foods diet plan, read the Organic Cures Recovery Food Plan. Also, for those plagued with Lyme disease, a raw meals diet could be extremely advantageous; for others, uncooked food might not be the best choice. Each individual responds differently based on their individual chemistry and the depth of the situation being cured. To learn more, find out about the Raw Food Diet. Numerous books are available to give you a better overview of how eating raw and live foods might be the perfect healing route. (See the recommended books section.) You can print out these full articles for easy research.

Dr. Broekhuyse’s Target Load up: One of the most promising natural remedies with regard to Lyme disease is a combination herbal treatment developed by Dr. C.J. Broekhuyse, founding medical director of Vesgii Research in the Netherlands, known as the Target Load Up. This approach involves consuming a series of proprietary formulas, developed by Dr. Broekhuyse, over a three phase time period that usually lasts between 16 -20 weeks. The Target Load up has had positive results for a large number of European patients with Lyme disease, and it is now available to individuals in the U.S. and Canada via Vonner Wellness Services. The prospective Pack works by unburdening and de-stressing the internal atmosphere against undesirable toxins and microorganisms, including the bacteria known to trigger Lyme disease. In the process, it also balances the immune system and replenishes wholesome gastrointestinal flora, as it targets and removes Bb along with other Lyme bacteria, as well as many other unhealthy microorganisms. In the vast majority of cases, patients report complete recovery from their symptoms after only one span of all three phases of the remedy protocol.

Herbal treatments: Other herbal treatments that can help speed recovery through Lyme illness include astragalus, gingko biloba, ginseng, as well as maitake and reishi mushrooms. Cordyceps, the Tibetan herb noted because of its high antioxidants and capability to increase endurance and overall energy, is also highly recommended. Another helpful herb is Laryx, which can boost immune function.

Lifestyle as well as Stress Reduction: It is essential that people with Lyme disease get lots of rest and minimize stress. Avoid overworking and personal interactions that can cause you to feel stressed. At the same time, try to exercise regularly throughout the week, at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes every session. One of the easiest and most enjoyable forms of exercise is quick walking. Not only does walking provide physical many benefits, it can also soothe daily stress and improve your mood.

To further improve your ability to manage stress, consider making relaxation exercises a daily part of your life. These include prayer, meditation, led imagery and visualization, and breathing exercises. Counseling and joining a support team can also be highly beneficial.

Nutritional Supplements: Useful nutrients for dealing with Lyme disease consist of vitamin A, beta-carotene, vitamin B1, biotin, inositol, B-complex nutritional vitamins, vitamin C, essential fatty acids (especially omega-three oils), calcium pantothenate, the mineral magnesium, and zinc, in addition to a regular multivitamin/multimineral supplement. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is also suggested due to its capability to improve stamina, energy levels, as well as resistance to an infection. (Avoid CoQ10 if you are using the medication atovaquone, also known as Mepron.) Other helpful nutrients include acidophilus, to counteract the side effects of antibiotics within the intestinal tract, the amino acid L-carnitine, and thymus gland extract.

Some alternative physicians believe that higher doses of vitamin C given intravenously can be very effective for treating Lyme illness. Such treatment must be given by a skilled, nutritionally-oriented physician.

Transfer Element: Transfer factors are tiny protein substances that are much smaller than antibodies. They act as messengers for the immune system’s production of white blood cells in response to attacks on the body by invading microorganisms, such as Bb. More to the point, transfer factors can actually teach the immune system to identify such bacteria, so that they can be dealt with better. In the case of Lyme disease, the recognition of Bb by the immune system is vitally important, if Bb isn’t recognized, it is able to spread more easily throughout the body, making its eradication immeasurably more difficult. Based on Dr. Joanne Whitaker, antigen-particular transfer element is the most effective type of treatment for dealing with chronic Lyme disease. Taken orally, it may quickly enhance the immune system’s ability to track and get rid of Bb.

Optional Professional Care

The following professional care treatments can also be helpful for treating Lyme disease: Acupuncture, Biofeedback Training, Bodywork (especially Bowen Treatment because of its capability to balance as well as restore proper function to the autonomic nervous system, thereby increasing the function of other systems of the body), Detoxification Therapy, Energy Medicine, Environment Medicine, Naturopathic Medicine, Orthomolecular Medicine, Oxygen Therapy (ozone therapy, intravenous hydrogen peroxide treatment, and ultraviolet blood irradiation), and traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).