I had a really interesting conversation with a doctor of nuclear medicine this evening. I won't put his name here for confidentiality reasons, but he did give me permission to share our conversation on my blog :)
He had emailed me a few weeks ago, hoping to interview me about Lyme Disease after fumbling upon my blog. I responded at first, just stating that I am by no means an expert, but would be happy to answer any questions I could or forward him to someone I know more qualified. I have to admit I was intimidated by the title "Nuclear Medicine". What could I possibly teach this man?
He started by giving me background on his education and reason of interest in Lyme Disease. He lives in Northern California where ticks have apparently become more prevalent in the last few decades. He told me that he had many patients cross his path who questioned Lyme Disease as the cause of their newly acquired psychiatric symptoms. He admitted that he knew little about Lyme Disease at the time and generally didn't go above and beyond to find a diagnosis for these patients because he figured they were just people in denial of having depression or anxiety disorders.
I have to admit I was a bit taken back by this confession. After having felt written off by so many doctors during my struggle to be diagnosed, it hit a soft spot. But I took a deep breath and I kept on my professional head.
He went on to tell me that about 2 years ago, his wife, who just turned 38 years old, started having "panic attacks, mood swings, crying spells, was often tired and went from being an outdoorsy type to a couch potato". She went to her doctor, who told her it sounded like depression and wrote her a prescription for Zoloft.
He said over the next few months new symptoms arrived but each time his wife went to the doctor they told her she needed to give the medicine time to work and that it was only anxiety. The doctor admitted that he began to wonder if his wife was in fact Bipolar or had a severe Anxiety Disorder cause her doctor had run many tests on her and they were all "normal" results.
It wasn't until his wife had a seizure that he asked for tests that many of us would never be able to get. Sure enough when the results came back - she was positive for Lyme Disease and because it had gone misdiagnosed it was in the chronic phase already.
At this point, the doctor broke down in tears and said, "Even I failed my wife. I didn't believe her that something was physically wrong. Her own husband". It was then that I knew this conversation needed to be one of support and not focused solely on education.
Our conversation lasted just over an hour. We decided to continue the "interview" another night and I will post about our discussion once that occurs.
To the doctor this blog is referring to: forgive yourself for being uneducated about Lyme. You very likely saved your wife from a lifetime of misery with undiagnosed Lyme due to your pull in the medical field. See the positive of the lesson learned. Feel pride that you are another doctor that has opened his eyes to the need for education about Lyme Disease and other tick-borne infections! Pay it forward and educate other doctors who can in turn make a difference to many peoples lives. I look forward to talking soon :)
10/08/2010
Lyme Disease - A Three Stage Progressive Infection
I assume I'm pretty safe in guessing that most people are unaware that there are 3 stages of Lyme infection. The more you educate yourself about the symptoms of Lyme Disease, the earlier you could advocate for testing. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms that doctors don't have an explanation for or write off as stress or other diseases mentioned in an earlier post about misdiagnosis this information may be the key to a diagnosis. So read about the 3 stages and educate a friend about them :)
- a Bulls-Eye Rash (erythema migrans)
- Flu-like symptoms
- Fatigue
- Headache and neck stiffness
- Fever and/or chills
- swollen lymph nodes
Stage 1: Early Localized - day of bite up to 4 weeks
In this stage of lyme infection, many patients have no symptoms. Others may experience:- a Bulls-Eye Rash (erythema migrans)
- Flu-like symptoms
- Fatigue
- Headache and neck stiffness
- Fever and/or chills
- swollen lymph nodes
Stage 2: Early Disseminated - 4 weeks to 4 months
Stage 2, known as early disseminated, begins approximately 4 weeks after the initial bite by an infected tick. Many people have no symptoms prior to this stage, when more noticeable symptoms begin occuring. These symptoms may include:
- Significant fatigue
- Joint pain
- Skin rashes in several places on your body that develop as the infection spreads (not a Bulls Eye Rash)
- Heart palpitations/Irregular heart beat (in some cases severe heart problems have been reported)
- Pericarditis (inflammation of the lining of the heart)
- Dizziness or fainting
- Meningitis (swelling of the lining of the brain)
- Poor memory
- Difficult with concentration
- Swelling of the liver
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Bells Palsy (paralysis to one side of the face cause by paralysis to one of the facial nerves)
- Conjunctivitis
- Numbness, weakness or pain in the arms or legs
- Vision changes due to damage to deep tissues in the inner eye
Stage 3: Late Persistent or Chronic
Sadly, the majority of people now being diagnosed with Lyme Disease are in the third stage and are often experiencing heart, neurological and joint symptoms. Symptoms at this stage are vast! It would take me weeks to try and list them all. Below is a very incomplete list of commonly reported complications of chronic lyme infection:
- Swelling and pain in the joints (often knees)
- Chronic Lyme Arthritis, which causes recurring episodes of swelling, redness, and fluid buildup in one or more joints that last up to 6 months at a time
- Severe fatigue (often diagnosed as Fibromyalgia, Mononucleosis or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
- Light sensitivity
- Optic nerve atrophy and eye swelling
- Numbness or tingling in the hands, feet or back
- Neurological changes, including problems with memory, mood, or sleep and sometimes problems speaking or retrieving words
- Anxiety or depression
- Dementia
- Psychotic episodes or episodes of confusion
- Paralysis
- Dysphagia (Swallowing/Feeding Disorders)
- Loss of motor control (Dyspraxia)
Top Mis-diagnoses:
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Parkinson's Disease
- Alzheimer's
- Lou Gehrig's Disease /Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Chronic Fatique Syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Lupus
- Scleroderma
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- Autism
- ADHD
- Irregular Heart Rythm, Angina, Heart Failure
- Eye Inflammatory Reactions
- Panic Attacks / Anxiety Disorders
- Depression
- Schizophrenia and/or Psychotic Episodes
- Obssessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Bell's palsy (Facial Paralysis)
- Blood Coagulation
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Meningitis
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Athritis
- Asymmetrical Hearing Loss
- Deafness (sometimes sudden)
- Tinitus (ringing in the ears)
- Brain Tumor or Aneurysm
- Cortical Blindness
- Photophobia (Light Sensitivity)
- Dementia
- Demylinating Disorders
- Miscarriage or Fetal Death
- Migraines / Severe Headaches
- Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
- Hypothyroidism
- Horner's Syndrome
- Influenza (in earlier stages)
- Vertigo (Dizziness)
- Tourette's Syndrome
- Syphilis
- Transient Ischemic Attack
- Stroke
- Transient left ventricular dysfunction
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Epilepsy (Seizure Disorders)
- Pericarditis
- Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
(Please note that is a VERY small list of the many diseases/disorders Lyme can mimic! Please do your research!)
Many people have emailed asking what they can do to help. Here's what you can do.....educate two friends about the stages and symptoms of Lyme Disease. Tell them to education two friends and ask those friends to educate two more friends. Let's start the cycle of education and bring attention to a disease millions are silently suffering from at this very moment and don't even know it!
9/17/2010
Photos of Bulls-Eye Rash ~ Lyme Disease
How many of you can tell me which pictures are of a Bulls-Eye Rash caused by Lyme Borealis?
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
If you said "All of the Above" you are correct! Even what we consider an easy to identify rash can demonstrate in many ways.
A, B, C and E are often not identified as a "Bulls Eye Rash" by physicians and written off as a spider bite, infected bug bite or fungal infection. Take the time to look on the web and educate yourself so you can identify a Bulls Eye Rash when you see one. You could change someones fate for the better if you do!
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
If you said "All of the Above" you are correct! Even what we consider an easy to identify rash can demonstrate in many ways.
A, B, C and E are often not identified as a "Bulls Eye Rash" by physicians and written off as a spider bite, infected bug bite or fungal infection. Take the time to look on the web and educate yourself so you can identify a Bulls Eye Rash when you see one. You could change someones fate for the better if you do!
9/15/2010
Lyme Disease and Children - Could This Be a Child You Know?
If nothing else about this blog catches your interest, I would have to think this post will at least touch your heart. The topic – Lyme Disease and its impact on children.
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease among children in the United States; the incidence of Lyme disease is believed to be higher among children than adults. As an adult we can explain our symptoms fairly well, but a child doesn't have much of a history of wellness prior to becoming ill. How are they supposed to know what “normal” is? What normal tiredness feels like?
A small lucky few, children and adults, are diagnosed with Lyme Disease early, generally by the bulls-eye rash. When this rash is present, many physicians are open to prescribing a month of antibiotics. It's when the rash is not seen that Lyme is overlooked.
Research varies but a safe estimate of the percentage of people who actually demonstrate with a bull-eye rash is somewhere around 15-30%. That leaves us with a huge percentage of people who doctors are turning a blind eye to. People who may also carry a co-infection (which is not treated with the same antibiotics as Lyme nor does it cause a bulls-eye rash) and the children who have carried Lyme for years, and in some cases, since birth. What's happening to them? Unfortunately, for many physicians, no rash means no treatment! Don't doctors read research articles anymore??
Most physicians admit that Lyme can be hard to diagnose in children. They report that symptoms are often vague or seen as a learning disability or developmental delay and therefore didn't “red flag” them to test for Lyme or co-infections. To me this is an excuse for lack of education – I'm not a doctor but I have educated myself enough to know that if any of the following symptoms exist, Lyme should at least be ruled out.
I'm going to focus this post more on the neurological impact than “typical symptoms” (such as joint pain or fatigue) since I feel the neurological symptoms are more frequently undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Please note that sometimes children and adults only demonstrate with one or two symptoms while others have multiple.
According to research, children are bitten by ticks more frequently around the head and neck, making them more vulnerable to brain, heart and central nervous system infections. They also are at risk for contracting Lyme in utero.
How many parents have I talked to that have assumed that their child was “delayed” , “learning disabled”, “has ADHD”, “is depressed”, “has anxiety” or “just doesn't try” only to find out years later that these symptoms were caused by Lyme. I'm sad to say WAY TOO MANY!
The resulting neurological symptoms of Lyme disease are often misdiagnosed. Below is a partial list:
difficulty with executive functioning (organization, higher-level thinking and concepts)
- noise and light sensitivity
- change in vision (acuity, tracking and light sensitivity
psychiatric problems – tantrums, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, etc
- In more severe cases, stroke, cerebral palsy-like symptoms, inability to speak or control motor movements such as walking, loss of speech and death have been reported.
9/11/2010
Immune Response to Lyme Sphirochetes and Diagnosis
You might be wondering why you need to know the difference between immune responses. Well.....due to the difference in the two antibodies, four separate tests are available to test for their presence. Therefore, a physician must specify whether or not a patient should have an IgM or IgG Western Blot, or an IgM or IgG ELISA test.
I'd say at least 80% of the people who I have talked to had no idea which of the four tests they were given to test them for Lyme Disease or another tick-borne infection. Needless to say, its essential to know which test was given – it can help in estimating the time of infection (Lyme vs. Chronic Lyme) or can explain a false negative.
"Lyme is an enigma. While the debate rages over proper diagnostic and treatment procedures, patients get sicker and some even die." - Pat Smith, LDA, NY Assembly Hearing Nov, 2001
"Because the symptoms can be so varied and are often so vague, borreliosis is typically not even considered for testing or treatment." - Charles Crist, MD
Immune Responses Explained
IgM - is a sign of a recently contracted infection.
The first antibody our body makes in response to a foreign invader is usually immunoglobulin type M (IgM). This large antibody takes 2-4 weeks to be made in quantities large enough to be detected. It is at its peak of production four weeks after exposure to an antigen or in this case Lyme Spirochetes. The IgM antibody only stays in circulation for about three months.
IgM is 6x larger than the IgG antibody. Due to its size, this immunoglobulin is not believed to cross the placenta. Since it is fairly difficult for it to enter the fetus from the mother, any newborn that starts to make IgM antibodies against Lyme disease should be considered actively infected, however, a fetus exposed to Lyme Spirochetes early in the pregnancy may never make an antibody response to the Lyme bacteria because the baby's immune system doesn't recognize it as foreign. This means that doctors need to take a closer look at Lyme when babies are born with associated symptoms with no known origin (we'll discuss signs in babies and children in another post).
IgG - is a sign of an active infection, a past exposure to or past infection by the organism.
The second antibody we make after the IgM is the IgG antibody. This antibody takes 4-8 weeks to form and can be non-detectable after 4-6 months; peaking at about six weeks. This antibody crosses the placenta, so an infected mother can pass this antibody to her unborn child.
This antibody attacks viruses, bacteria, yeast, toxins, and transplants.
Many insurance company refuse to pay for more than one test. For example, the Western Blot IgG and the Western Blot IgM are completely different. The people approving and denying insurance claims lack education about Lyme and the bodies immune response so they consider the tests the same and deny claims for reimbursement on more than one test. It's like saying you can only test for one type of cancer – so choose wisely!
How much longer will we accept the lack of education about Lyme Disease and its impacts on the lives of people around us? People are having to spend thousands to tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket because their insurance company won't reimburse for Lyme testing or treatment regimes past 3 weeks! Write to your local congressmen, insurance companies and support Lyme education and research!
I'd say at least 80% of the people who I have talked to had no idea which of the four tests they were given to test them for Lyme Disease or another tick-borne infection. Needless to say, its essential to know which test was given – it can help in estimating the time of infection (Lyme vs. Chronic Lyme) or can explain a false negative.
"Lyme is an enigma. While the debate rages over proper diagnostic and treatment procedures, patients get sicker and some even die." - Pat Smith, LDA, NY Assembly Hearing Nov, 2001
"Because the symptoms can be so varied and are often so vague, borreliosis is typically not even considered for testing or treatment." - Charles Crist, MD
Immune Responses Explained
IgM - is a sign of a recently contracted infection.
The first antibody our body makes in response to a foreign invader is usually immunoglobulin type M (IgM). This large antibody takes 2-4 weeks to be made in quantities large enough to be detected. It is at its peak of production four weeks after exposure to an antigen or in this case Lyme Spirochetes. The IgM antibody only stays in circulation for about three months.
IgM is 6x larger than the IgG antibody. Due to its size, this immunoglobulin is not believed to cross the placenta. Since it is fairly difficult for it to enter the fetus from the mother, any newborn that starts to make IgM antibodies against Lyme disease should be considered actively infected, however, a fetus exposed to Lyme Spirochetes early in the pregnancy may never make an antibody response to the Lyme bacteria because the baby's immune system doesn't recognize it as foreign. This means that doctors need to take a closer look at Lyme when babies are born with associated symptoms with no known origin (we'll discuss signs in babies and children in another post).
IgG - is a sign of an active infection, a past exposure to or past infection by the organism.
The second antibody we make after the IgM is the IgG antibody. This antibody takes 4-8 weeks to form and can be non-detectable after 4-6 months; peaking at about six weeks. This antibody crosses the placenta, so an infected mother can pass this antibody to her unborn child.
This antibody attacks viruses, bacteria, yeast, toxins, and transplants.
Many insurance company refuse to pay for more than one test. For example, the Western Blot IgG and the Western Blot IgM are completely different. The people approving and denying insurance claims lack education about Lyme and the bodies immune response so they consider the tests the same and deny claims for reimbursement on more than one test. It's like saying you can only test for one type of cancer – so choose wisely!
How much longer will we accept the lack of education about Lyme Disease and its impacts on the lives of people around us? People are having to spend thousands to tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket because their insurance company won't reimburse for Lyme testing or treatment regimes past 3 weeks! Write to your local congressmen, insurance companies and support Lyme education and research!
9/07/2010
Lyme Disease - Testing & Diagnosis - Lesson Learned
I wanted to start by thanking everyone who has sent me emails with questions and positive feedback about my blog! Can't believe its now being read in 5 countries!! Thanks for everyone's help in getting the word out! If we don't do it, no one will.......
A few people have emailed me asking why Lyme Disease is so difficult to diagnose. I wish there was an easy answer to this question but, as with all Lyme topics, lots of factors come into play.
Lyme is a tricky entity. It can mimic and/or cause hundreds of other diseases and symptoms vary greatly from person to person. It's also a "clinically diagnosed” disease - meaning blood-work should be looked at as a guideline but the diagnosis itself should be based on the symptoms the patient demonstrates with, even when a negative result is found!
Many doctors think in black and white terms - if the test is negative, you don't have it, right? Well, unfortunately in millions of cases the answer is "WRONG!".
We have to start thinking about who defines the black and white criteria......media, the Centers for Disease Control, pharmaceutical and laboratory companies. At this point, each laboratory has its own criteria for a positive and negative result. So you could have two completely different results from the same blood sample.
Let's break down some of obstacles in diagnosing Lyme Disease:
-The way in which Lyme tests are promoted (financially backed)
- Reliability not only depends on the test given but also on the criteria used by the laboratory processing the blood-work.
- The tests are primed to recognize laboratory strains of Bb (Borrelia burgdorferi - i.e. Lyme) rather than naturally occurring strands
- The Lyme spirochete can hide in the body and confuse the immune system into thinking its not there. So, no antibodies are produced, resulting in false negatives.
On top of that - Have we recognized all the strains and species of Borrelia that cause Lyme disease symptoms and are we incorporating them into our tests? The answer is no.
Lyme testing is still in its beginning phase and includes a huge margain of error. Let's look at the two main tests given:
1) Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
This is the first, and often only, test people are given by their doctor. At best its reported to be 50% reliable (why not just toss a coin?). In my opinion, it should be considered more of a screening tool and not diagnostic tool.
The ELISA panel tests for antibodies that your body makes to defend itself against the spirochetes that make up Lyme Disease. I'll discuss what spirochetes are in another blog, for now just think of them as microscopic corkscrew-shaped bacteria. Research has shown that after approximately 3 months, depending on the strength of your immune system prior to infection, the body naturally stops creating antibodies. What does this mean? It means that if you have been infected for more than 3 months - you will most likely test negative!
2) Western Blot
In as simple of terms as possible, the Western Blot makes a map of the different antibodies the immune system produces to certain bacteria. The map separates the antibodies by the weight of their respective antigens and are reported in units called kilo daltons or kDa.
For example, a Western Blot may report bands at 22, 23, 25, 31, 34, 39, and 41 kDa. Each of these bands represents an antibody response to a specific protein found on the spirochete. Some doctors and laboratories feel that unless you have multiple bands, you don't have Lyme or another tick-borne infection. This way of thinking makes no sense to me – particularly when research has shown that even one positive band responds to treatment. In one study, 88% of patients improved with treatment when only one band was present. How much more evidence is needed?
Now to complicate things even further, there are two version of each test.
- ELISA IgM
- ELISA IgG
- Western Blot IgM
- Western Blot IgG
I know this is a lot to take in at once so I feel its best to do it in installments. Until I got sick, I had no idea that any tests other than the ELISA existed or that the tests were far from accurate. I also trusted that doctors would be more educated than I was about Lyme Disease. Lesson Learned!
Next blog will explain the antibodies IgM and IgG.....
A few people have emailed me asking why Lyme Disease is so difficult to diagnose. I wish there was an easy answer to this question but, as with all Lyme topics, lots of factors come into play.
Lyme is a tricky entity. It can mimic and/or cause hundreds of other diseases and symptoms vary greatly from person to person. It's also a "clinically diagnosed” disease - meaning blood-work should be looked at as a guideline but the diagnosis itself should be based on the symptoms the patient demonstrates with, even when a negative result is found!
Many doctors think in black and white terms - if the test is negative, you don't have it, right? Well, unfortunately in millions of cases the answer is "WRONG!".
We have to start thinking about who defines the black and white criteria......media, the Centers for Disease Control, pharmaceutical and laboratory companies. At this point, each laboratory has its own criteria for a positive and negative result. So you could have two completely different results from the same blood sample.
Let's break down some of obstacles in diagnosing Lyme Disease:
-The way in which Lyme tests are promoted (financially backed)
- Reliability not only depends on the test given but also on the criteria used by the laboratory processing the blood-work.
- The tests are primed to recognize laboratory strains of Bb (Borrelia burgdorferi - i.e. Lyme) rather than naturally occurring strands
- The Lyme spirochete can hide in the body and confuse the immune system into thinking its not there. So, no antibodies are produced, resulting in false negatives.
On top of that - Have we recognized all the strains and species of Borrelia that cause Lyme disease symptoms and are we incorporating them into our tests? The answer is no.
Lyme testing is still in its beginning phase and includes a huge margain of error. Let's look at the two main tests given:
1) Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
This is the first, and often only, test people are given by their doctor. At best its reported to be 50% reliable (why not just toss a coin?). In my opinion, it should be considered more of a screening tool and not diagnostic tool.
The ELISA panel tests for antibodies that your body makes to defend itself against the spirochetes that make up Lyme Disease. I'll discuss what spirochetes are in another blog, for now just think of them as microscopic corkscrew-shaped bacteria. Research has shown that after approximately 3 months, depending on the strength of your immune system prior to infection, the body naturally stops creating antibodies. What does this mean? It means that if you have been infected for more than 3 months - you will most likely test negative!
2) Western Blot
In as simple of terms as possible, the Western Blot makes a map of the different antibodies the immune system produces to certain bacteria. The map separates the antibodies by the weight of their respective antigens and are reported in units called kilo daltons or kDa.
For example, a Western Blot may report bands at 22, 23, 25, 31, 34, 39, and 41 kDa. Each of these bands represents an antibody response to a specific protein found on the spirochete. Some doctors and laboratories feel that unless you have multiple bands, you don't have Lyme or another tick-borne infection. This way of thinking makes no sense to me – particularly when research has shown that even one positive band responds to treatment. In one study, 88% of patients improved with treatment when only one band was present. How much more evidence is needed?
Now to complicate things even further, there are two version of each test.
- ELISA IgM
- ELISA IgG
- Western Blot IgM
- Western Blot IgG
I know this is a lot to take in at once so I feel its best to do it in installments. Until I got sick, I had no idea that any tests other than the ELISA existed or that the tests were far from accurate. I also trusted that doctors would be more educated than I was about Lyme Disease. Lesson Learned!
Next blog will explain the antibodies IgM and IgG.....
9/04/2010
Advocate for recovery; don't accept band-aids........
Let's not be pessimists but realistic that the world runs on money and money skews knowledge. The pharmaceutical companies benefit more from “band-aid” medications which require continued use vs. medications that would actually get to the root of the problem and end with recovery. Pharmaceutical companies give great incentives to doctors and universities who in turn train new doctors to treat with their products. Doctors go to school to learn how to heal and unknowingly learn how to “heal” using medications made not to heal but to band-aid. It's a vicious cycle!
Think about it....we learn about most diseases through media. Whether it be the internet, television, newspapers or magazines everything we read is the opinion of someone else and the message is funded by a company looking to sell their product. Take research articles for example – a large part of the general population takes them at face value without finding out who conducted the study and whether they could benefit financially from the results. Our brains are trained that research is fact but when you dive deeper you realize research can also be biased.
Now don't get me wrong.....some of the resourcesavailable to us are full of factual information but the phrase “small print” isn't globally known for no reason. Look at the AIDS epidemic. How long did the government know about HIV/AIDS before the general public was made aware.
HIV and AIDS was first brought to light in the early 1980's. It's been almost 30 years and this subject still sparks fierce debate and arguments regarding its origin, treatment, cure and global impact. AIDS did not even acquire its name until 1982, although evidence of the disease dates back as far as the 1880's. Why did it take over 100 years for this disease to be labeled and many more years for it to be presented to the general public?
In 1985, AIDS was documented in China, making it found in every region of the world. Now I don't know about you but I think its our right as citizens to be warned about diseases more than 3 years before it becomes a world wide crisis; particularly when it had been kept quiet for 100 years.
Remember the statistics of Lyme Disease from my previous post....now imagine what those numbers will be 100 years from now (2110). (Don't forget those statistics don't account for other tick-borne illnesses!). It's a scary thought and something we have the power to change! Are we going to be like the previous generations and turn a blind eye.....or are we going to use our voices to educate and potentially save future generations from a Lyme Epidemic? Educate Yourself and Others!
Think about it....we learn about most diseases through media. Whether it be the internet, television, newspapers or magazines everything we read is the opinion of someone else and the message is funded by a company looking to sell their product. Take research articles for example – a large part of the general population takes them at face value without finding out who conducted the study and whether they could benefit financially from the results. Our brains are trained that research is fact but when you dive deeper you realize research can also be biased.
Now don't get me wrong.....some of the resourcesavailable to us are full of factual information but the phrase “small print” isn't globally known for no reason. Look at the AIDS epidemic. How long did the government know about HIV/AIDS before the general public was made aware.
HIV and AIDS was first brought to light in the early 1980's. It's been almost 30 years and this subject still sparks fierce debate and arguments regarding its origin, treatment, cure and global impact. AIDS did not even acquire its name until 1982, although evidence of the disease dates back as far as the 1880's. Why did it take over 100 years for this disease to be labeled and many more years for it to be presented to the general public?
In 1985, AIDS was documented in China, making it found in every region of the world. Now I don't know about you but I think its our right as citizens to be warned about diseases more than 3 years before it becomes a world wide crisis; particularly when it had been kept quiet for 100 years.
Remember the statistics of Lyme Disease from my previous post....now imagine what those numbers will be 100 years from now (2110). (Don't forget those statistics don't account for other tick-borne illnesses!). It's a scary thought and something we have the power to change! Are we going to be like the previous generations and turn a blind eye.....or are we going to use our voices to educate and potentially save future generations from a Lyme Epidemic? Educate Yourself and Others!
9/03/2010
Lyme Disease, Other Tick-Borne Diseases / Co-Infections - The Facts
How many of you knew (without being told by me personally) that not only do we have to educate ourselves about Lyme Disease but there are also other tick-borne diseases that are even less known but very prevalent!
Research has shown from the very beginning that ticks which carry the pathogen of Lyme disease also harbor an array of other organisms, some known to cause serious human disease, others not traced to human infection or still undiscovered or unexplored.
Below is a limited list of other known tick-borne disease:
If you learn nothing else from this post, learn that co-infections are often never diagnosed; even in patients who have been diagnosed with Lyme. They are generally only tested when a person advocates to be tested or under the guidance of a Lyme Specialist. Knowing whether a co-infection is present is essential for treatment.
Know anyone with Lyme (or misdiagnosed) who has been undergoing treatment and not getting better? I can almost guarantee a co-infection is the cause. Co-infections need to be treated first or treatment is likely to fail!
Any Questions? Email or Post a Comment...............Educate Yourself!
Research has shown from the very beginning that ticks which carry the pathogen of Lyme disease also harbor an array of other organisms, some known to cause serious human disease, others not traced to human infection or still undiscovered or unexplored.
Below is a limited list of other known tick-borne disease:
- Babesiosis
- Disease Process: Protozoa that invade, infect, and kill the red blood cells Symptoms: Fatigue, night sweats, fever, chills, weakness, weight loss, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, cough, shortness of breath, headache, neck and back stiffness, dark urine or blood in urine
- Bartonella
- Disease Process: Bartonella bacterium Symptoms: Fever, chills, headache and severe pain in the tibia, weight loss, sore throat, papular or angiomatous rash
- Ehrlichiosis (HGE and HME)
- Disease Process: Rickettsiae that infect the white blood cells Symptoms: Anemia, fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, rigors, gastrointestinal symptoms, anorexia, fatigue
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
- Disease Process: Rickettsia rickettsii parasite that invades the cells lining the heart and blood vessels Symptoms: High fever, severe headache (especially behind the eyes), maculopapular skin rash
- Colorado Tick Fever
- Explanation: Reovirus that lodges inside the cells Symptoms: High fever, chills, severe muscle aches, back pain, headache (especially behind the eyes), light sensitivities, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
- Relapsing Fever
- Disease Process: Borrelia hermsii spirochete Symptoms: High fever, sudden chills, eye inflammation, coughing, jaundice, petechial rash
- Tularemia
- Disease Process: Francisella tularensis bacterium Symptoms: Painful and swollen lymph nodes, fever, chills, fatigue
- Tick Paralysis
- Disease Process: A toxic reaction to saliva from female ticks Symptoms: Paralysis begins in legs and spreads throughout the body within hours * Recovery is rapid following the removal of the tick
- Mycoplasma
- Disease Process: A genus of small bacteria which lack cell walls. M. fermentans, M. pneumoniae, M. penetrans, M. hominis and M. genetalium Symptoms: Fatigue, headaches, muscle pain and soreness, nausea, gastrointestinal problems, joint pain and soreness, lymph node pain, cognitive problems, depression, breathing problems and other signs and symptoms
- Powassan Encephalitis
- Disease Process:: Flavivirus that invades and infects the brain Symptoms: Fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, light sensitivity, muscle weakness, seizures, paralysis, brain inflammation
If you learn nothing else from this post, learn that co-infections are often never diagnosed; even in patients who have been diagnosed with Lyme. They are generally only tested when a person advocates to be tested or under the guidance of a Lyme Specialist. Knowing whether a co-infection is present is essential for treatment.
Know anyone with Lyme (or misdiagnosed) who has been undergoing treatment and not getting better? I can almost guarantee a co-infection is the cause. Co-infections need to be treated first or treatment is likely to fail!
Any Questions? Email or Post a Comment...............Educate Yourself!
Works sited:
http://www.lymeinfo.net/coinfectionarticle.html
9/02/2010
Lyme - The REAL Statistics
What would you say if I told you there have been at least 4.05 million cases of Lyme Disease but only 404,000 have been documented through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)?
Or imagine I said in the past 8 months over 140,000 people have contracted Lyme Disease but only a tenth of them have been reported to the CDC. Some would say reporting doesn't matter but let's think of the snowball effect! Without reliable reporting of Lyme Disease cases, our society continues to believe its a problem that simply goes away with a few weeks of antibiotics. I also believed in this myth.....thats of course....until it happened to me!
Lyme Disease was rated one of the top 10 misdiagnosed diseases by Reader's Digest. First and foremost, we have to think of the people being affected by the lack of education to the general public and the medical profession. There are potentially millions of people misdiagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, Rhemuatoid Arthritis, Anxiety, Depression, Lupus, Hypothyroidism, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Celiac Disease, Aneurysm, Parkinson's Disease, Mononucleosis, Chronic Fatigue Sydrome, Candidiasis, multiple psychitrics and mood disorders and some reasearch even strongly suggests Autism.
Let's also think about the group of people who have no diagnosis. I was this person before being mislabeled with many of the above listed. I was told by doctors I was "stressed", "It's all in your head", "It's probably just anxiety......people get that with age", "You have a brain aneurysm", "I'm pretty certain its MS".
Now you would think the signs would have rang a few bells to the people in the medical profession, particularly since I actually told them I was convinced it was Lyme. I also informed them that my dog had just been diagnosed with Lyme. My symptoms had started with flu-like symptoms, stiff neck, a high fever followed by months and months of low grade fever. I had arthritic pain in my knees, hips and back, my short term memory was significantly impaired, I was experiencing panic attacks, had no appetite (literally couldnt even force myself to eat), my brain felt like it was tingling all the time. I had continuous ringing in my ears and I had severe light sensitivity (It's hard to believe but when Lyme became chronic the list of symptoms grew even larger.....that deserves a post all to itself).
I can sadly guarantee that almost every single person reading this blog knows at least one person with one of the above "labels". What if you knew that what was causing their suffering might actually be treatable and capable of recovery when treated by a Licensed Lyme Disease Specialist (email me for recommedations in your area)? Would you spend 10 minutes of your time suggesting they read about it? Educate Yourself!
Or imagine I said in the past 8 months over 140,000 people have contracted Lyme Disease but only a tenth of them have been reported to the CDC. Some would say reporting doesn't matter but let's think of the snowball effect! Without reliable reporting of Lyme Disease cases, our society continues to believe its a problem that simply goes away with a few weeks of antibiotics. I also believed in this myth.....thats of course....until it happened to me!
Lyme Disease was rated one of the top 10 misdiagnosed diseases by Reader's Digest. First and foremost, we have to think of the people being affected by the lack of education to the general public and the medical profession. There are potentially millions of people misdiagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, Rhemuatoid Arthritis, Anxiety, Depression, Lupus, Hypothyroidism, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Celiac Disease, Aneurysm, Parkinson's Disease, Mononucleosis, Chronic Fatigue Sydrome, Candidiasis, multiple psychitrics and mood disorders and some reasearch even strongly suggests Autism.
Let's also think about the group of people who have no diagnosis. I was this person before being mislabeled with many of the above listed. I was told by doctors I was "stressed", "It's all in your head", "It's probably just anxiety......people get that with age", "You have a brain aneurysm", "I'm pretty certain its MS".
Now you would think the signs would have rang a few bells to the people in the medical profession, particularly since I actually told them I was convinced it was Lyme. I also informed them that my dog had just been diagnosed with Lyme. My symptoms had started with flu-like symptoms, stiff neck, a high fever followed by months and months of low grade fever. I had arthritic pain in my knees, hips and back, my short term memory was significantly impaired, I was experiencing panic attacks, had no appetite (literally couldnt even force myself to eat), my brain felt like it was tingling all the time. I had continuous ringing in my ears and I had severe light sensitivity (It's hard to believe but when Lyme became chronic the list of symptoms grew even larger.....that deserves a post all to itself).
I can sadly guarantee that almost every single person reading this blog knows at least one person with one of the above "labels". What if you knew that what was causing their suffering might actually be treatable and capable of recovery when treated by a Licensed Lyme Disease Specialist (email me for recommedations in your area)? Would you spend 10 minutes of your time suggesting they read about it? Educate Yourself!
8/29/2010
Lyme and Back in its skeleton stage....
As you may have noticed my blog is only in its beginning stages. I felt it was more important to get it posted (even if incomplete) and get the information out there, then to worry about aesthetics. It's now our turn, the sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts and friends of the people suffering from LD or misdiagnosed with another disease to rally together and get the word out there. Lyme Disease is REALand its beginning to hit epidemic proportions. Educate Yourself!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)