Welcome to the World of Lyme Disease

If you have not worn DEET or the light-colored clothing to better detect foreign vectors. If you have not come indoors and placed your clothes immediately into the dryer on high heat for 20-30 minutes before washing them. Or if you have mowed the lawn, gone camping or fishing, or even have walked outside, you are at risk for a TBD or TBI. TBD stands for Tickborne Disease, TBI is Tickborne Illness, both mean the exact same thing. If you have been bitten by a tick, flea, or mosquito, you may have been infected with bB or what is better known as Lyme Disease. You may or may not recall the bite or seeing the tick, have the EM or bullseye rash, but you could still very well be infected. It is not uncommon. What do you do? First of all, don't panic!

The first line of defense is to recognize the symptoms and stages of this disease. The common early signs of Lyme Disease is fatigue and "flu-like" symptoms. We have all been "tired" and most of us have had the flu. However, if the flu persists longer than 10 days and the fatigue lingers, your next trip is to your physician for an Elisa (serum test). If you are fortunate, your physician may make a clinical diagnosis, but should begin antibiotic treatment immediately in either case. If left untreated, the disease may lead to the more severe stages II and III.

After the positive Elisa results are delivered to your physician, the next step is a Western blot (serum test). When this is returned with a positive result, antibiotic treatement will be extended, usually up to 28 days. After the initial treatment, your physician should reevaluate your symptoms and decide to discontinue or extend the treatment. Please note that neither of these tests are totally accurate. It is at this time, however, that you should discuss with your physician the pros and cons of continuing the treatement. Better tests are the PCR (MDL laboratory) or QRib (Bowen Laboratory).

If the disease has progressed to stage II (28-32 days from bite), your symptoms will most like include joint pain and swelling, headaches, and continued fatigue. Don't panic, this stage is manageable with antibiotics. The treatment is just extended for a much longer period.

Stage III may include neurological, cardiac,and other difficulties, including sleep apnea. Don't be surprised if your physician calls for assistance. He may ask you to see a neurologist, cardiologist or have your pulmonary functions evaluated. Insomnia, changes in dietary patterns, and weight loss/gain are also common symptoms at this stage. At this point, it is not uncommon to address the need for IV therapy. Again, please don't panic. One step at a time to address each issue is the key to bringing the disease back under control.

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