Borrelia Burgdorferi is a stealth-like bacteria that causes Lyme disease. It can quickly move through the body, undetected, becoming a chronic infection. Because of the complex nature of this disease, it is important to get proper and early treatment for every tick-bite. Most people who contract Lyme disease never see a tick. Only 50% of Lyme infections will produce a rash and only 25% of those rashes are the classic bulls-eye.
disclaimer: I’m not a doctor and therefore cannot diagnose or treat your illness. The information I share here is from my own experience and from what I have researched. This content is for informational purposes only so please always seek the advice of a trained medical professional. I personally prefer those who treat using natural modalities.
The Struggle to Find Treatment
One of the blessings of having (had) Lyme disease is the privilege of meeting so many wonderful people. Unfortunately, they or their family members have Lyme disease.
While I grieve with those who have suffered so much and lost their health, I understand how serious Lyme and other tick-borne infections are. I understand the fear and the overwhelm of trying to get a diagnosis and the proper treatment. It is very confusing to know how to treat tick-borne illnesses because there is such a huge controversy. Even within the Lyme community, physicians do not follow the same protocol. In fact, there isn’t a one size fits all protocol to ensure complete healing.
[bctt tweet=”We’re often told that Lyme is not serious and that it can be quickly and easily treated but this is far from the truth. #lymedisease #lymewareness #treatthetick” username=”aboundinginhope”]
Arrogant and Harsh Doctors
I’ve experienced first-hand the devastating and mysterious symptoms brought on by tick-borne infections. As I engaged with doctors and specialist I experienced their arrogance. Some were defensive and others harsh. It was clear that the doctors I took my children to were completely ignorant about Lyme disease. It took me two years to get one of my children a correct diagnosis.
Many doctors will dismiss you when you try to have a discussion Lyme. It’s almost like they’re not allowed to discuss it or they’ll get in trouble. And if you want immediate treatment for a new infection, it’s almost impossible. Doctors who accept insurance will unlikely ever make a diagnosis for late-stage Lyme. They are bound by the guidelines of the CDC and refuse to recognize that chronic Lyme disease even exists.
In my experience, doctors and specialists have never been educated in the area of tick-borne disease. If you ask them about one of the many co-infections they may give you a blank stare and if they’re honest, they will tell you that they don’t know anything about them.
TAKE EVERY TICK BITE SERIOUSLY
There has been a steady rise in pathogenic infections transmitted by ticks and biting insects. Biting insects like flies, fleas, mosquitoes, and mites and arachnids like spiders, can also transmit Lyme and many of the same infections that ticks transmit. If you’ve been bitten the recommendation is to get proper treatment REGARDLESS of symptoms.
Standard Protocols
ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society) recently changed their treatment protocol recommendations to help prevent chronic illnesses from these vectors.
The typical course of action for a tick bite would be to wait for symptoms. If you weren’t sure how long the tick was attached you might only get one Doxycycline as a prophylactic. Please read Don’t Take This for Lyme Disease. Some doctors will give you 2 weeks of Doxycycline and others may give a prescription for 21 days.
Waiting to treat a tick bite can be detrimental to your health due to the nature of the bacterial and parasitic infections.
[bctt tweet=”Waiting to treat a tick bite can be detrimental to your health due to the nature of the bacterial and parasitic infections. #Lymedisease #lymeawareness #treatthebite” username=”aboundinginhope”]
Don’t Wait for Symptoms
Don’t ever wait for symptoms. Symptoms don’t always appear immediately. Even if symptoms don’t show up right away pathogens from the bite can still spread through your entire body leading to chronic infections.
ILADS GUIDELINES
ILADS recommends that every tick bite is treated with at least 21 days of Doxycycline. Children under the age of 8 cannot take Doxy because it can discolor their grown-up teeth so ask for an alternative.
Bites producing symptoms of any kind, such as a rash (less than 25% are bulls-eye), fever, swollen lymph nodes, or flu-like symptoms, should be treated with the recommended 6-8 weeks of Doxycycline. If you prefer not to use antibiotics please see the link in my printable Tick Treatment Guidelines.
Symptoms
Other early symptoms are chronic headaches, stiff neck, sleep disturbance, joint and muscle pain, problems with memory, concentration, depression, and lightheadedness.
The 2014 ILADS guidelines stated that a patient should not rely on diagnostic testing because it fails to detect up to 90% of cases and does not distinguish between acute, chronic, or resolved infections.
The CDC states that a Lyme infection must not rely upon testing but must be determined through a clinical evaluation. (The CDC has changed their website in the midst of all the Lyme advocacy and they have removed this previous statement 11/2017.)
ILADS guidelines state that Lyme disease can become persistent and recurrent even with antibiotic therapy so prompt and aggressive treatment is recommended by using a Lyme literate doctor (LLMD).
Please visit ILADS for the complete revised 2014 Lyme Treatment Guidelines.
The Problem with Antibiotics
Unfortunately, no one has been able to determine an optimal antibiotic dose or duration of therapy because each infection or combination of infections and each person is so unique. When determining treatment there are many considerations, such as how long it’s been since the patient was bitten, the presenting symptoms, and how the patient responds to antibiotic treatment.
What ILADS does know is that the standard protocol given by many doctors does not work. ILADS recommends longer treatment courses for acute (early) infections in order to prevent chronic or recurring infection.
Studies are now showing that Lyme disease can persist even after a 28-day course of Doxycycline.
It’s very important to work with a doctor who understands the complexities of tick-borne infections. If you are not able to get the treatment needed from your primary care physician or specialist, find a Lyme Literate MD or ND as soon as possible. Timing is very important.
[bctt tweet=”Studies show that Lyme disease can persist even after a 28-day course of Doxycycline. #lymedisease #persistantlyme #lymeawareness” username=”aboundinginhope”]
Objections to Long-term Antibiotic Use
Many people are completely against getting a longer course of antibiotics, they don’t believe that they would need antibiotics for each and every tick bite because they’ve had tick bites for years and never had a problem.
Many times, the same people call me months later after finding out that they now have a chronic infection or are experiencing a worsening of symptoms after a short course of treatment. This really breaks my heart because I know how devastating tick infections can be and that their suffering could have been avoided.
[bctt tweet=”The truth is, Lyme disease does not always cause symptoms. It is a stealth bacteria and can hide out until the immune system is compromised. #lymedisease #lymeawareness” username=”aboundinginhope”]
Treating Naturally
If you are not comfortable with antibiotics for early infection there are more natural options available offer through a naturopath, homeopathic, or holistic physician. Not all physicians are competent to treat tick-borne infections so do your homework.
I personally recommend this option because antibiotics do so much harm to the immune system. The devastation that can occur in the gut alone is not worth the risk. Almost every day I regret the decision to take high doses of antibiotics for the treatment of Lyme disease.
Most people I talk to are against spending money out of pocket to treat Lyme but it is necessary because natural doctors and even LLMDs do not take insurance. Those who are willing to treat these infections cannot take insurance. If they do they are bound to the rules that insurance places on them. They can only spend 10 minutes with you versus several hours, they do not have time to properly diagnose everything that is going on, they are also trained to match a prescription to a lab test.
In my opinion, it is far more cost effective to treat an initial tick-bite naturally then it is to recover from a chronic infection.
The Cure
The best cure is obviously prevention and education. While you may not have Lyme disease right now, this is the fastest growing epidemic in our country. Vector-borne diseases are thought to be spread by more than just ticks, making it an even greater problem and increase the risk.
[bctt tweet=”Lyme disease is the fastest growing epidemic in our country. #LymeDisease #LymeAware #LymeTesting #LymeTreatment” username=”aboundinginhope”]
New viruses and other infections are consistently being found around the world in ticks of all kinds. Even Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is making a huge comeback.
My biggest hope is that you won’t just close my blog and never think about this again, but that you will take this very seriously and get the education you need to protect yourself. Share these posts and help to spread awareness.
Lyme disease is called the great imitator because the symptoms it causes can imitate so many different illnesses like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s and even heart disease. Many people are sick and suffering and being treated for other more common diseases and are not getting better because tick-borne infections are the root cause.
Our Toxic World
Have you noticed that our culture is a very sick culture? I have never seen so many sick children! The sheer number of adults being diagnosed with autoimmune diseases is staggering. Children today are suffering from true food allergies, psychological disorders, learning impairments, autism, and so many other truly devastating illnesses.
It’s really no wonder. We are living in a toxic world. Our grocery stores are filled with genetically modified, sterilized, pesticide-ridden, and chemical-laden foods. Their shelves are filled with boxes, cans, and pouches of sugar filled, food colored non-foods.
We can’t resist, our culture believes the lie that it’s too expensive to eat well and to buy organic food. Most parents mistakenly believe that it would be too difficult to tell our children “no” to the foods that are destroying their health.
We are bombarded by electromagnetic fields from cell phones, computers, and smart tv’s. The air we breathe is filled with toxins and farmers are poisoning us with the toxic chemicals they use on our food supply. Our water is also filled with toxins, chemicals, chlorine, parasites, and prescription medications.
Making Better Choices
Our immune systems can no longer fight off the diseases that once were easily avoided or resolved naturally. Because of this, we are prime targets for every illness and disease that passes our way including tick-borne infections.
I can testify that eating organic and buying toxin-free products for my family is much less expensive than treating them for Lyme disease.
Protection from Lyme
Protect yourself and loved ones from tick-borne diseases by avoiding areas where ticks might be prevalent. At the same time understand that ticks are everywhere, including in the cities. Ticks are more prevalent in your backyard then they are deep in the woods where an untouched ecosystem can keep them in check. Small animals like squirrels, birds, and mice can drop ticks in your yard.
Don’t be afraid to enjoy your backyard or a healing walk through the woods. Be diligent to use repellent and check for ticks every time you spend time outdoors. Take the proper precautions to avoid wooded areas and tall grasses.
Put together your own tick first aid kit and always have it available.
If You Find a Tick
If you do find a tick, use proper removal techniques; use fine-tip tweezers, grab the tick as close to the head as possible and pull it straight up. If the tick is embedded, go to your doctor or to the emergency room and have them remove it to ensure they get the entire tick.
Print a copy of Tick Treatment Guidelines
Never, ever, ever smother the tick with anything! This will cause the tick to immediately inject its whole gut load of toxins into your body.
Test Your Tick
Save your tick and have it tested. There are a number of labs around the country who offer free tick testing. Testing a tick is much more accurate than getting yourself tested. Remember that timing is very important. The quicker you respond to a tick bite the more likely you are to prevent chronic infection.
Be Proactive
Take a proactive approach and learn as much as you can about tick-borne infections. The more you understand the better prepared you will be to protect yourself and your family from a life of debilitating symptoms.
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