What Is Lyme disease? - Arizona Lyme disease Association

Defining Lyme Disease

Commonly associated with a bite from a deer tick, Lyme disease is a blood borne pathogen that can be passed directly between people or through other animals. Many who suffer from Lyme disease do not even remember being bitten by a tick, and less than one-quarter of those who are bitten have the telltale bull’s-eye rash around the area of the bite. Also, if the bite occurred on the back or an area not easily inspected, it may go undetected. It often isn’t even felt because the tick injects a numbing agent to lessen the feel of the bite. Ticks of all types, Mosquitoes, fleas, and mites are known to transmit Lyme. Also, blood, semen, and other bodily fluids may possibly allow person-to-person transfer based on spirochete history.

Currently, Lyme disease is the number-one vector-borne infection worldwide, making it a global epidemic. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) statistics are said to represent about 10% of the actual cases discovered. By International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) estimates only 1 in 40 has been properly diagnosed, and the ILADS training physicians estimate approximately 1.2 million new cases are occurring annually. Lyme Disease is in all 50 states and in more than 80 countries worldwide.

Unfortunately, many are suffering and don’t know why.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease

Symptoms of Lyme disease may include ongoing fatigue, pain, increased sensitivity to light and sound, difficulty remembering things or concentrating, fevers or sweats that come and go, sensitivity to chemicals (of all sorts), and depression or anxiety. Lyme disease almost always occurs with a co-infection, and the symptoms that present themselves are often due to the other bacterial, parasitic, or viral co-infection and less from the Lyme Disease. See the General Symptoms list below.

The real problem is that all of these symptoms can change on a weekly — or even daily — basis, making diagnosis challenging. Most physicians look only at what is presenting itself right now, and that can lead to a misdiagnosis. Some of the ailments Lyme disease can mirror include chronic fatigue syndrome, autism, fibromyalgia, arthritis, autoimmune disorders including lupus, irritable bowel syndrome or disease, depression, multiple sclerosis, chronic headaches, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and even hormonal issues. Worse are the people who don’t even go to the doctor because they think it’s all in their head — or fear the doctor will tell them as much. There is hope!

Diagnosing Lyme Disease

Since symptoms of Lyme disease can change daily, it’s vitally important to work with a Lyme Literate Doctor who knows exactly what to look for. Be forewarned that diagnosing Lyme disease can be a process and not immediate. Since the disease and its co-infections mirror so many other diagnoses, it can take time to understand your unique case and eliminate other issues before determining that you are, indeed, suffering with Lyme disease.

Conventional local blood tests are often inadequate for finding Lyme disease plus the common co-infections and fail to test many of the markers, so outside specialty labs are frequently needed. Unfortunately, since the disease presents in three different ways, plus it morphs and changes to prevent immune detection meaning a test can be performed one week that comes back negative, then it may come back positive weeks or months later.

How to Know if You May Have Lyme

Naturally, if you remember being exposed to a tick bite and have any of the mentioned symptoms, it’s a good idea to check in with your doctor. Also, if you have experienced chronic conditions that seem to keep changing categories, you may have Lyme disease. Too often, untrained physicians get frustrated by the changing nature of Lyme disease and think their patients are making it all up, which can lead to a prescription for psychotic drugs.

Treatments for Lyme Disease

Although a quick search online suggests that a two-week course of antibiotics is enough to be rid of Lyme disease, it’s unfortunately not so simple. Remember that the disease morphs and attacks the body in three ways, so all three must to be addressed simultaneously and with the right support in order to facilitate recovery. Biofilms that shield the Lyme, shifting co-infections, and built-in resistance to antimicrobials require a different strategy than used for common infections.

GENERAL LYME DISEASE SYMPTOM INFORMATION

Lyme Disease is a multi-systemic disease (MSIDS) caused by the bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), which normally is a bacterial spirochete (spiral) shape. This allows it to “corkscrew” itself into multiple areas of the body, producing a mixed and changing variety of symptoms in each person.

General Early Signs and Symptoms:

Erythema Chronicum Migrans (EM), also called the Bull’s Eye Rash, may be seen at the bite site. However a rash (of any kind) is only found in ~50% of patients, making initial diagnosis rare. The bite may have come from a mosquito, flea, or mite making identification even more challenging. Other Types of Rashes anywhere on the body may also occur (rash at other than bite site signals disseminated disease).

Fever and Flu like Symptoms/Illness.

General: unexplained fevers (off & on), chills, sweats, weight change (loss or gain), fatigue, tiredness, hair loss, swollen glands, sore throat, difficulty swallowing, swelling around the eyes.

Cardiac/Pulmonary: chest pain or rib soreness, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, pulse skips, heart block, heart murmur, or valve prolapse.

Gastrointestinal: nausea or vomiting, difficulty eating, change in bowel function, constipation, diarrhea, gastritis, abdominal cramping, irritable bladder, bladder dysfunction, or cystitis.

Musculoskeletal: joint/muscle pain in feet, swelling in toes or balls of feet, ankle pain, burning in feet, shin splints, joint pain and/or swelling, stiffness of the joints, neck or back, muscle pain or cramps that may migrate, neck creaks and cracks, neck stiffness, TMJ/Jaw Pain (Temporomandibular Joint)

Neurological: twitching of the face, eyelids, or other muscles, headache, tingling, numbness, burning or stabbing sensations, facial paralysis (Bell’s Palsy) dizziness, poor balance, increased motion sickness, light-headedness, wooziness, difficulty walking, tremor, confusion, difficulty in thinking or with concentration or reading, forgetfulness, poor short term memory, disorientation (getting lost, going to wrong place), difficulty with speech, double or blurry vision, eye pain, blindness, increased floaters, increased sensitivity to light or sound, buzzing or ringing in ears, ear pain, deafness, seizure activity, white matter lesions in brain, low blood pressure.

Neuropsychiatric: mood swings, violent outbursts, irritability, depression, disturbed sleep (too much or too little, early awakening), personality changes, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), paranoia, panic anxiety attack, hallucinations.

Reproductive: testicular pain or pelvic pain, menstrual irregularity, milk production (lactation), sexual dysfunction, loss of libido.

These medical conditions may in some cases be caused by or related to Lyme Disease and co-infections:

Abdominal pseudo-eventration
Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA)
Acute Acral Ischemia
Acute conduction disorders
Acute coronary syndrome
Acute exogenous psychosis
Acute meningitis
Acute myelo-meningo-radiculitis
Acute peripheral facial palsy
Acute perimyocarditis
Acute pyogenic arthritis
Acute reversible diffuse conduction system disease
Acute transitory auriculoventricular block
Acute transverse myelitis
Acute urinary retention
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
Algodystrophy
Allergic conditions
Allergic conjunctivitis
Alopecia
Alzheimer’s Disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS: Lou Gehrig’s Disease)
Amyotrophy
Anamnesis
Anetoderma
Anorexia nervosa
Antepartum fever
Anxiety
Arrhythmia
Arthralgia
Arthritis
Asymmetrical hearing loss
Atraumatic spontaneous hemarthrosis
Atrioventricular block
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
AUTISM (ASD)
Bannwarth’s Syndrome
Behcet’s disease
Bell’s Palsy
Benign cutaneous lymphocytoma
Benign lymphocytic infiltration (Jessner-Kanof)
Bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome
Bilateral facial nerve palsy
Bilateral follicular conjunctivitis
Bilateral keratitis
Bilateral papilloedema
Biphasic meningoencephalitis
Bipolar disorder
Brain tumor
Brown recluse spider bite
Brown-Sequard syndrome
Cardiac Disease
Cardiomegaly
Cardiomyopathy
Carditis
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Catatonic syndrome
Cauda equina syndrome
Central vestibular syndrome
Cerebellitis
Cerebral atrophy
Cerebro-vascular disease (CVD)
Cervical facet syndrome
Cheilitis granulomatosa
Chiasmal optic neuritis
Chorea
Choriocapillaritis
Chronic encephalomyelitis
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
Chronic muscle weakness
Chronic urticaria
Cerebellar ataxia
Cogan’s syndrome
Collagenosis
Complete flaccid paraplegia
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
Concomitant neuroretinitis
Conduction disorder
Conus medullaris syndrome
Coronary aneurysm
Cortical blindness
Coxitis
Cranial Neuritis
Cranial polyneuritis
Craniopharyngioma
Cutaneous B-cell lymphoma
Dementia
Demyelinating disorders
Depression
Dermatomyositis
Diaphragmatic paralysis
Diffuse fasciitis
Dilated cardiomyopathy
Diplopia
Discopathy
Disseminated choroiditis
Dorsal epiduritis
Encephalitis
Encephalomyelitis
Encephalopathy
Endogenous paranoid-hallucinatory syndrome
Eosinophilia
Eosinophilic fasciitis (Shulman syndrome)
Epilepsy
Epileptic crises
Episcleritis
Epstein Barr
Erythema chronicum migrans
Exanthema (local and generalized)
Extrapyramidal disorders
Facial diplegia
Fascicular tachycardia
Fatal adult respiratory distress syndrome
Fetal death
Fever
Fibromyalgia (FMS)
Fibrositis
Focal nodular myositis
Frontotemporal atrophy
Generalized motor neuron disease
Geniculate neuralgia
Giant cell arteritis
Gonarthritis
Granuloma annulare
Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS)
HLA-B27 negative sacroiliitis
Headaches (severe)
Hearing loss
Heart block
Hemiparesis
Hemophagocytic syndrome
Hepatic disorders
Hepatitis
Herniated discs
Holmes-Adie syndrome
Horner’s syndrome
Human necrotizing splenitis
Hydrocephalus
Hyperacusis
Hyperbilirubinemia
Hypothyroidism
Idiopathic atrophoderma of Pasini and Pierini
(IAPP)
Idiopathic facial paralysis
Infarction pain
Impaired brainstem response
Infantile sclero-atrophic lichen
Infectious Mononucleosis
Infiltrating lymphadenosis benigna cutis
Inflammatory cerebrospinal fluid syndrome
Influenza
Internuclear ophthalmoplegia
Interstitial granulomatous dermatitis
Intracerebral hemorrhage
Intracranial aneurysm
Intracranial hypertension
Intracranial mass lesions
Intrauterine growth retardation
Iritis
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD)
Isolated acute myocarditis
Isolated lymphadenopathy
Isolated neuritis of the sciatic nerve
Isolated oculomotor nerve paralysis
Isolated posterior cord syndrome
Jaundice
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA)
Keratitis
Keratoconus
Left sided sudden hemiparesis
Lichen sclerosus
Livedo racemosa
Lofgren’s syndrome
Lupus (SLE)
Lymphadenosis benigna cutis
Lymphocytoma cutis
Lymphoma
Lumboradicular syndrome
Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome
Memory impairment
Meningeal lymphoma
Meningitis
Meningoencephalomyelitis,
Meningoencephalomyeloradiculoneuritis
Meningoradiculitis
Migraines
Mono-arthritis
Monolateral chorioretinitis
Morgagni-Adams-Stokes syndrome (MAS)
Morning glory syndrome
Morphea
Motor neuron syndrome
Multiple mononeuropathy
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Myelopathy
Myofascial pain syndrome
Myositis
Neonatal respiratory distress
Neuromyotonia
Nodular panniculitis
Normal-pressure hydrocephalus (NPH)
Oculomotor paralysis
Oligoarthritis
Opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome
Nodular fasciitis
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Optic atrophy
Optic disk edema
Organic mood syndrome
Optic nerve lesion
Otoneurological disorders
Panuveitis
Papillitis
Paralysis of abdominal muscles
Paraneoplastic polyneuropathy
Paranoia
Parkinsonism
Parotitis
Pars plana vitrectopy
Parsonage and Turner syndrome
Peripheral facial palsy
Peripheral neuropathy
Peripheral vascular disorder
Pericarditis
Perimyocarditis
Persistent atrioventricular block
Pigment epitheliitis
Polymyalgia rheumatica
Polyneuritis cranialis
Polyneuropathy
Polysymptomatic autoimmune disorder
Porphyrinuria
Posterior scleritis
Primary lymphoma of the nervous system
Presenile dementia
Progressive cerebral infarction
Progressive facial hemiatrophy (Parry-Romberg
syndrome)
Progressive stroke
Progressive supranuclear paralysis
Prolonged pyrexia
Propriospinal myoclonus
Pseudo tumor Cerebrae
Pseudolymphoma
Pseudoneoplastic weight loss
Psychosomatic disorders
Radiculoneuritis
Ramsay Hunt syndrome (pleocytosis)
Raynaud’s syndrome
Recurrent paralysis
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD)
Reiter’s Syndrome
Respiratory failure
Restless legs syndrome (RLS)
Retinal pigment epithelium detachment
Retinal vasculitis
Reversible dementia
Rheumatic Fever
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Rhombencephalitis
Sacro-iliitis infection
SAPHO syndrome
Sarcoidosis
Schizophrenia
Schoenlein-Henoch purpura
Scleroderma
Secondary syphilis
Seizure disorders
Sensorineural hearing loss
Septal panniculitis
Septic arthritis
Seventh nerve paralysis
Sick sinus syndrome
Spontaneous brain hemorrhage
Stevens-Johnson syndrome
Stiff-man syndrome
Still’s disease
Stroke
Subacute Bacterial Endocarditis
Subacute multiple-site osteomyelitis
Subacute organic psychosyndrome
Subacute multiple-site osteomyelitis
Subacute presenile dementia
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Sudden deafness
Sudden hemiparesis
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Sudeck’s atrophy
Synovitis
Syphilis
Symmetric Polyarthritis
Temporal arteritis
Temporomandibular Joint syndrome (TMJ)
Thrombocytopenic purpura
Thyroiditis
Tourette’s syndrome
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
Transient left ventricular dysfunction
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Unilateral interstitial keratitis
Unilateral papillitis
Urticaria
Uveitis
Vasculitic neuropathy
Vasculitic mononeuritis multiplex
Vasculitis
Ventricular asystole
Vertigo
Vestibular neuronitis
Vitreous clouding

Adapted from mylymediseasetreatment.com/lyme-misdiagnosed-as-these/