Are mood swings a symptom of lyme disease? Answers.com ® Wiki Answers ® Categories Science Biology Microbiology Are mood swings a symptom of lyme disease? Flag Are mood swings a symptom of lyme disease? Answer by Monica Garrett Confidence votes 1.9KHomeschooling mom of two boys Yes. Lyme disease causes depression, which can cause mood swings. Additionally, the pain associated with Lyme is enough to cause patients to become irritable. Lyme disease is a systemic infection that can affect all systems of the human body. This disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by the spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi. Lyme Disease has many symptoms including fever, sweats, chills, flushing, weight changes, fatigue and tiredness, swollen glands, sore throat, pelvic pain, urinary problems, loss of libido, upset stomach, stiffness in the joints, back and neck, muscle pain, cramps, twitching, headaches, tingling, numbness, burning and stabbing sensations, facial paralysis known as Bell's Palsy, double vision, blurry vision and floaters, ringing in ears, increased motion sickness and vertigo, lightheadedness, wooziness, poor balance, difficulty walking, tremors, confusion, difficulty thinking, difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, poor short term memory, disorientation, difficulty writing and speaking, mood swings, irritability, depression, disturbed sleep, constipation, diarrhea, chest pain, shortness of breath, coughing, heart palpitations and more.5 people found this useful Was this answer useful? Yes Somewhat No Xpsmiley 84 Contributions Symptoms of lyme disease? One sign of Lyme disease is a round, red rash that spreads at the site of a tick bite. This rash can get very large. Flu-like symptoms are also very common. People in the e …Answers Publisher 49,340 Contributions What are the symptoms of Lyme disease? Lyme Disease has many symptoms including fever, sweats, chills, flushing, weight changes, fatigue and tiredness, swollen glands, sore throat, pelvic pain, urinary problems, lo …Lyme disease symptoms? In the case of Lyme disease, the agent is the pirochetal organism Borrelia burgdorferi . The primary disease vectors are ticks ( Ixodes scapularis or Ixodes dammim i in the …Monica Garrett Homeschooling mom of two boys What are the symptoms for lyme disease? Lyme Disease has many symptoms including fever, sweats, chills, flushing, weight changes, fatigue and tiredness, swollen glands, sore throat, pelvic pain, urinary problems, lo …Monica Garrett Homeschooling mom of two boys What are some symptoms of lyme disease? There are many possible symptoms of Lyme disease because it can affect every system of the human body. It usually starts with a bulls eye rash accompanied by fever and flu-lik …Kbecca 10 Contributions Are mood swings Diabetes symptoms? Absolutely. I believe that it mostly comes from aggrivation from having diabeties. I am diagnosed with this disease, and I only experience mood swings when my blood sugar coun …Gale Ency of Neuro Dis What are the early symptoms of Lyme disease? Early symptoms of Lyme disease include low-grade fever and erythema migrans, or EM, a red spot or patch on the skin that is found in about 75% of patients with Lyme disease Gale Ency of Neuro Dis What are the stages of Lyme disease symptoms? The symptoms of Lyme disease are typically divided into three stages: early localized, early disseminated, and late. Neurologic complications are most common in disseminated a …Gale Ency of Neuro Dis What are the symptoms of persistent Lyme disease?the most common symptoms were headache (36.4% of patients); memory problems (27.3%); insomnia (33.3%); problems with gait and coordination (36.4%); and impaired deep tendon re …Theises 762 Contributions Is vomiting a symptom of lyme disease? It is a common symptom of Lyme's disease. But is also a common symptom of many, many things. Gale Ency. of Medicine What can be symptoms of chronic Lyme disease? Fatigue, forgetfulness, confusion, mood swings, irritability, numbness. Neurologic problems, such as pain (unexplained and not triggered by an injury), Bell's palsy (facial pa …Gale Ency. of Medicine What diseases have similar symptoms to Lyme disease? Lyme disease may mimic other conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), multiple sclerosis (MS), and other diseases with many symptoms involving multiple body syste …Roeland Velde 144 Contributions Answered In Lyme Disease What are symptoms of lyme disease after you are affected by it? Flu-like. If you think you are affected with Lyme Disease, search your body for skin inflammations. If you find a "bulls-eye"looking spot of redish skin? Go to the doctor …Answers Publisher 49,340 Contributions Answered In Conditions and Diseases What can the symptoms of Lyme Disease be mistaken for? The symptoms of Lyme Disease that are commonly mistaken for something else, headache, fever, nausea, tiredness and a loss of appetite, have similarities to many other common d …Answers Publisher 49,340 Contributions Answered In Lyme Disease Which are the Lyme disease early symptoms? The early symptoms of lyme disaeses is having flu like symptoms with or without rash. Also there are somew symptoms like headache, stiff neck, fever, chills, muscle and joint p …Judy Olmsted 185,938 Contributions Retired college science professor. Member of Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society, ACS & AAAS. MS, MAT. Answered In Lyme Disease Is hoarseness a symptom of lyme disease? It could be but this can be caused by many other microbes as well. Answers Publisher 49,340 Contributions Answered In Symptoms What are the symptoms of chronic lyme disease? There are many chronic lyme diseases, which also means there are alot of symptoms. The most common sign is the bullseye rash pattern associated with Lyme disease, raised red b … 
What is Lyme disease? What is Lyme disease? Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bite of an infected tick. The tick is so small that you may not notice the tick or its bite. Many ticks do not carry Lyme disease. Even if a tick is infected, it may not transfer the disease to you. An infected tick that is attached for less than 36 hours is less likely to transmit infection. For these reasons, most tick bites do not cause Lyme disease. The disease often begins as a rash. If you don't get treatment, the infection can cause serious nerve or heart problems as well as a disabling type of arthritis (pain and swelling in one or more joints caused by inflammation). How does it occur? Bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi cause Lyme disease. The disease is spread to human beings by the bite of a tiny tick infected with the bacteria. These ticks are found in vegetation and on animals in woodlands, grasslands, and marshlands. Wild birds, mice, raccoons, and deer, as well as cats, dogs, horses, and cows, can carry the infected ticks. Ticks may climb on humans from leaf litter and low-lying vegetation in wooded, brushy, or grassy areas. Ticks cannot jump or fly. People usually become infected during the summer, when they are more likely to be exposed to ticks. Hikers, campers, hunters, and people living in wooded or rural areas have a higher risk for Lyme disease. This infection has been found on all continents except Antarctica. In the US the infection is more common in the northern states. What are the symptoms? Lyme disease is hard to diagnose because its symptoms can vary greatly from person to person. The first symptoms may not even be noticed. Untreated Lyme disease may progress through these 3 stages: Stage 1: In the first month after a bite by an infected tick, a skin rash, called a bull's-eye or target rash, occurs at the site of your bite. The rash begins as a large red spot that may be flat or bumpy. The area of the rash feels warm, but it is not painful or itchy. The rash slowly expands after several days, often in a circular pattern. The center usually clears, creating what is called a bull's-eye rash. Sometimes the rash may blister or scab in the center. The thigh, groin, and armpit are common sites for the rash, but it can appear anywhere. Although most infected people develop a rash, you may not have this symptom, or you may overlook it. You may feel like you have the flu, with such symptoms as:fatigue and extreme drowsinesspain or stiffness in muscles and jointsheadachechills and feverstiff neckjaw discomfort. Less common symptoms of early Lyme disease are:inflammation of the eye, making it redsore throatcoughin men, a swelling of the testicles. Even if you don't get treatment, the early symptoms usually improve or go away within several weeks. However, fatigue, drowsiness, and sometimes vague muscle or joint pain may last for months after the rash has gone. Stage 2: Several weeks to several months after the first symptoms appear, as many as 15% of infected people may develop problems with their nervous system. These problems may include: Meningitis, which is inflammation of the covering of the brain and spinal cord. Encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain. Cranial neuritis, which is inflammation of the cranial nerves. These nerves pass from the brain to other parts of the body through openings in the skull. Inflammation of these nerves can cause weakness or paralysis of one or both sides of the face (Bell's palsy). About 8% of infected people develop heart problems, such as carditis (inflammation of the heart) and problems with the rhythm of the heart. During this second stage, you may have pain in your joints, tendons, muscles, or bones, usually without joint swelling. These symptoms usually disappear within a few weeks. Stage 3: Within a few weeks to 2 years after the start of the infection, about 60% of people develop arthritis, with joint pain and swelling. The knee is the joint most often affected. In stage 3 you may have temporary bouts of arthritis or you may feel the arthritis all the time. You may have ongoing nervous system problems, but this is less likely. Symptoms of nervous system problems during stage 3 may include:numbness or tingling in your hands and feettrouble concentratingweakness in your arms or legsdepression. How is it diagnosed? Lyme disease can be hard to diagnose. Your health care provider will ask about your symptoms and medical history. He or she will examine you. You may have a blood test for Lyme disease. Or you and your provider may decide to start treatment without the test. How is it treated? Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics. Early treatment can help prevent possible complications. The choice of antibiotic may depend on such factors as the stage of the disease and whether your joints are inflamed. If you are in stages 2 or 3 of the disease, you may also need other treatments. This is especially true if you have infection or inflammation of the heart, central nervous system, or joints. Pregnant and nursing women: If you are pregnant and have Lyme disease, you may pass the disease to your baby. Although this happens rarely, you should call your health care provider right away if you are pregnant and have symptoms of Lyme disease. Also, if you are a nursing mother and are bitten by a tick and develop symptoms of infection, contact your provider for advice. How long will the effects last? While you have the disease the symptoms may occur in cycles lasting a week or so. In most cases the symptoms go away a few weeks or months after antibiotic treatment, but sometimes the symptoms last several years. For example, after treatment for stage 1 of the disease, you may have minor recurrences of headaches, muscle or joint pain, or fatigue, but eventually you should recover completely. If the disease is not diagnosed and treated, the symptoms can last for several years, but they will gradually lessen. Permanent problems caused by the disease depend on your situation. Meningitis, which can strike in stage 2, can be life threatening, but this is rare. How can I take care of myself? To help take care of yourself, follow the full course of treatment prescribed by your health care provider. You need to take all of your antibiotic therapy. Do not stop taking antibiotics because you start to feel better or your symptoms go away. If you have side effects from the antibiotic, call your provider about possibly getting a different prescription. What can be done to help prevent Lyme disease? To avoid getting Lyme disease, follow these measures: Be aware of the areas where ticks live. Do not walk, camp, or hunt in the woods of tick-infested areas without precautions. In areas of thick underbrush, try to stay near the center of trails. When you are outdoors, wear long-sleeved shirts tucked into your pants. Wear your pants tucked into your socks or boot tops if possible. A hat may help, too. Wearing light-colored clothing may make it easier to spot the small tick before it reaches your skin and bites. Use approved tick repellents on exposed skin and clothing. Don't use more than recommended in the repellent directions. Don't put repellent on open wounds or rashes. Wash the spray off your hands. Be careful with children because the repellents can make them ill. DEET is a very effective repellent, but adults should use preparations with no more than 35% DEET, and children should use repellents with no more than 10% DEET. DEET should be washed off your body when you go back indoors. Picaridin is another repellent recently made available in the US. It can be less irritating to the skin than DEET. Some products containing permethrin are recommended for use on clothing, shoes, bed nets, and camping gear. Do not put permethrin on your skin. Treat household pets for ticks and fleas. Check pets after they've been outdoors. Brush off clothing and pets before entering the house. After you have been outdoors, undress and check your body for ticks. They usually crawl around for several hours before biting. Check your clothes, too. Wash them right away to remove any ticks. Shower and shampoo after your outing. Inspect any gear you have carried outdoors. Remove an attached tick with tweezers by gripping the tick as close to your skin as possible and gently pulling it straight away from you until it releases its hold. Don't twist the tick as you pull, and don't squeeze its body. Thoroughly wash your hands and the bite area and apply an antiseptic such as rubbing alcohol. If you spend much time hiking, you may want to include a pair of tick tweezers in your first-aid kit. The tweezers are available at many sporting goods stores. If you do get bitten, see your health care provider. Also check for a rash and other symptoms for about 4 weeks after the bite.  Symptoms and Signs of Lyme Disease in Dogs Home | Dogs | Health | Lyme Disease | Symptoms and Signs Symptoms and Signs of Lyme Disease in Dogs Source: Pet Wave, Updated on July 16, 2015Definition Causes & Prevention Diagnosis and Tests Symptoms and Signs Treatment & Prognosis How Lyme Disease (Borreliosis) Affects Dogs Most dogs with Lyme disease never show signs of illness. When symptoms do occur, they usually involve limping and lameness, which are caused by pain around the dog’s joints. These signs may wax and wane, but they often come back and, if left untreated, progressively worsen with time. Symptoms of Lyme Disease (Borreliosis)Most owners never know that their dogs have been infected by Borrelia burgdorferi. In fact, only about 5% of infected dogs become noticeably ill. Dogs that do develop clinical Lyme disease usually show signs between 1 and 5 months after being bitten by an infected tick. Normally, symptoms show up in the spring, summer and fall, when the weather is warmer. The height of tick season in most parts of the United States is March through late September, tending to peak in July. However, deer ticks can survive and be active anywhere and any time that the temperature is above freezing. Dogs with symptomatic Lyme disease may show one or more of the following symptoms: Acute onset of lameness (the most common and characteristic observable symptom; polyarthritis; usually lasts only a few days but frequently recurs; may come and go; may be persistent; can become chronic)Shifting leg lameness (limping changes from leg to leg)Swollen joints (especially the hocks of the hind legs and the “wrists” [carpi] of the front legs)Warmness around joints Painful joints (especially when palpated/moved or manipulated manually)Reluctance to rise Reluctance to walk Exercise intolerance Stiff, stilted gait Arched back (when standing or walking)Fever (variable; usually low-grade but can be elevated)Enlarged lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy)Lack of appetite (inappetence; anorexia)Weight loss Depression Weakness Lethargy Kidney disease. Severe renal disease has been widely reported in dogs with Lyme disease; when this unique form of kidney damage occurs, it usually presents with progressive vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, weight loss, increased water intake (polydipsia), increased urine output (polyuria), swelling of the extremities (peripheral edema) and, unfortunately, death Cardiac (heart) abnormalities (uncommon; severe when present; usually sudden in onset; can be fatal)Neurological abnormalities (central nervous system consequences of Lyme disease are rare; seizures, facial paralysis and behavioral changes such as aggression have been attributed to Lyme disease in dogs)Vomiting Diarrhea Dogs at Increased Puppies and young dogs are more susceptible to Lyme disease than older animals, although dogs of any age can be affected. Dogs that are allowed to roam freely and primarily live outside, as well as those that are routinely involved in outdoor activities like hunting, have a heightened risk of developing Lyme disease, simply because their chances of coming into contact with infected ticks are greater than those of other dogs. This is especially true if they live in or travel to endemic areas, which are the mid-Atlantic to northeastern coastal states, the upper Midwest and the coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest. Infection is even more likely if the dog moves through dense, undisturbed vegetation in those areas. The risk of infection is especially high when the nymph and adult ticks are actively seeking animal hosts to feed on, which is most common in the hot months of late spring, summer and early fall. Certain breeds, including the Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, Shetland Sheepdog and Bernese Mountain Dog, develop a severe and frequently fatal form of Lyme disease that involves progressive damage to their kidneys. These breed associations suggest that there may be a genetic component to the cause of Lyme disease. However, the reason for these associations is unclear. Previous Next More About Lyme Disease Treatment & Prognosis Lyme Disease - Definition Causes & Prevention Health Disorders Bone, Joint & Muscle Brain, Spinal & Nerve Digestive Health Ear & Eye Disorders Heart & Blood Health Hormonal & Metabolic Immune Disorders Kidney & Urinary Tract Lung & Airway Mental Disorders Multiple Body System Reproductive Skin & Fur  . Kids Health / For Teens / Lyme Disease What's in this article? Listen You've probably heard of Lyme disease. It's the leading tick-borne disease in the United States, and is most common in the Northeast, the Pacific Northwest, and the northern midwestern states. What Is Lyme Disease? Lyme disease is caused by a type of bacteria found in small animals like mice and deer. Ixodes ticks (also called black-legged or deer ticks) that feed on these animals can then spread the bacteria to people through tick bites. Which of these infections do you worry about most? Staph infection Mono Lyme disease STDs Vote View Results You probably won't see it happening. Deer ticks are tiny, so it's very hard to see them. Immature ticks (called "nymphs") are about the size of a poppy seed. Adult ticks are about the size of a sesame seed. It's easy to overlook a tick bite. Many people who get Lyme disease don't remember being bitten. The good news is that most tick bites don't lead to Lyme disease. But it still helps to know the signs of Lyme disease. What Are the Signs of Lyme Disease? Lyme disease can affect different body systems, such as the nervous system, joints, skin, and heart. The symptoms of Lyme disease are often described as happening in three stages. Not everyone experiences all of these stages, though: A circular rash at the site of the tick bite, typically within 1–2 weeks of infection, often is the first sign of infection. Although it's considered typical of Lyme disease, many people never develop one. The rash sometimes has a characteristic "bull's-eye" appearance, with a central red spot surrounded by clear skin that is ringed by an expanding red rash. It also can appear as an expanding ring of solid redness. It's usually flat and painless, but sometimes can be warm to the touch, itchy, scaly, burning, or prickling. The rash may appear and feel very different from one person to the next, and it might be more difficult to see on people with darker skin tones, where it can look like a bruise. It gets bigger for a few days to weeks, and eventually disappears on its own. Along with the rash, a person may have flu-like symptoms such as fever, tiredness, headache, and muscle aches. Symptoms of the initial illness may go away on their own. But in some people, the infection can spread to other parts of the body. Symptoms of this stage of Lyme disease usually appear within several weeks after the tick bite, even in someone who didn't have the initial rash. The person may feel very tired and unwell, or may have more areas of rash that aren't at the site of the bite. Lyme disease can affect the heart. This can lead to an irregular heart rhythm, which can result in dizziness or heart palpitations. It can also spread to the nervous system, causing facial paralysis ( Bell's palsy ), or meningitis. The last stage of Lyme disease happens if the early stages were not found or treated. Symptoms of late Lyme disease can appear anytime from weeks to years after an infectious tick bite. In kids and teens, this is almost always in the form of arthritis, with swelling and tenderness, particularly in the knees or other large joints. Having such a wide range of symptoms can make Lyme disease hard for doctors to diagnose, although blood tests can look for signs of the body's reaction to Lyme disease. When Should I Call My Doctor? If you think you may be at risk for Lyme disease or a tick has bitten you, contact your doctor. Although conditions other than Lyme disease can cause similar symptoms, it's always a good idea to discuss them with your doctor. That way you can get further evaluation and treatment if necessary, before the disease gets worse. This is especially true if you develop a red-ringed rash, prolonged flu-like symptoms, joint pain or a swollen joint, or facial paralysis. How Is Lyme Disease Treated? Lyme disease is usually treated with a 2- to 4-week course of antibiotics. Cases of Lyme disease that are diagnosed quickly and treated with antibiotics almost always have a good outcome. A person should be feeling back to normal within several weeks after beginning treatment. Is Lyme Disease Contagious? Lyme disease is not contagious, so you can't catch it from another person. But you can get it more than once from ticks that live on deer, in the woods, or travel on your pets. So always be cautious, even if you've already had Lyme disease. Can Lyme Disease Be Prevented? There's no sure way to avoid getting Lyme disease. But you can minimize your risk. Be aware of ticks when you're in high-risk areas. If you work outdoors or spend time gardening, fishing, hunting, or camping, take precautions: Wear closed shoes or boots, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants. Tuck your pant legs into your shoes or boots to prevent ticks from crawling up your legs. Use an insect repellent containing 10% to 30% DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide). Wear light-colored clothing to help you see ticks more easily. Keep long hair pulled back or wear a hat for protection. Don't sit on the ground outside. Check yourself for ticks regularly — both indoors and outdoors. Wash your clothes and hair after leaving tick-infested areas. If you use an insect repellent containing DEET, always follow the recommendations on the product's label and don't overapply it. Place DEET on shirt collars and sleeves and pant cuffs, and only use it directly on exposed areas of skin. Be sure to wash it off when you go back indoors. No vaccine for Lyme disease is currently on the market in the United States. How Do I Remove a Tick? You should know how to remove a tick just in case one lands on you or a friend. First, don't panic. The risk of Lyme disease after a tick bite is very low. Also, it takes at least 24 to 48 hours for the tick to transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. To be safe, though, you'll want to remove the tick as soon as possible. That's why a daily tick check is a good idea for people who live in high-risk areas. If you find a tick: Call your doctor. He or she may want you to save the tick after removal so that the tick can later be identified as the type that may carry Lyme disease. You can put the tick in a closed container or a jar of alcohol to preserve it. Use tweezers to grasp the tick firmly at its head or mouth, next to your skin. Pull firmly and steadily on the tick until it lets go of the skin. If part of the tick stays in your skin, don't worry. It will eventually come out — although you should call your doctor if you notice any irritation in the area or symptoms of Lyme disease. Swab the bite site with alcohol. Note: Don't use petroleum jelly or a lit match to kill and remove a tick. These don't work and could make it burrow deeper into the skin. Tick bites don't usually hurt — and that can make it hard to find a bite early because pain usually helps call attention to problems. So be on the lookout for ticks and rashes, and call your doctor if you think a tick bit you. Reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MDDate reviewed: September 2015  Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Questions and Answers About Lyme Disease Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Questions and Answers About Lyme Disease Q. How do people get Lyme disease? A. By the bite of ticks infected with Lyme disease bacteria. (Deer tick) Q. What is the basic transmission cycle? A. Immature ticks become infected by feeding on small rodents, such as the white-footed mouse, and other mammals that are infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. In later stages, these ticks then transmit the Lyme disease bacterium to humans and other mammals during the feeding process. Lyme disease bacteria are maintained in the blood systems and tissues of small rodents. Q. Could you get Lyme disease from another person? A. No, Lyme disease bacteria are NOT transmitted from person-to-person. For example, you cannot get infected from touching or kissing a person who has Lyme disease, or from a health care worker who has treated someone with the disease, or by sexual contact. Q. What are the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease? A. Within days to weeks following a tick bite, 80% of patients will have a red, slowly expanding "bull's-eye" rash (called erythema migrans), accompanied by general tiredness, fever, headache, stiff neck, muscle aches, and joint pain. If untreated, weeks to months later some patients may develop arthritis, including intermittent episodes of swelling and pain in the large joints; neurologic abnormalities, such as aseptic meningitis, facial palsy, motor and sensory nerve inflammation (radiculoneuritis) and inflammation of the brain (encephalitis); and, rarely, cardiac problems, such as atrioventricular block, acute inflammation of the tissues surrounding the heart (myopericarditis) or enlarged heart (cardiomegaly). Q. What is the incubation period for Lyme disease? A. For the red "bull's-eye" rash (erythema migrans), usually 7 to 14 days following tick exposure. Some patients present with later manifestations without having had early signs of disease. Q. What is the mortality rate of Lyme disease? A. Lyme disease is rarely, if ever, fatal. Q. Can a person be reinfected with Lyme disease? A. Yes. Having had Lyme disease doesn't protect against reinfection. Some persons have had Lyme disease more than once after re-exposure to infective tick bites. This stresses the need for continued tick bite prevention activities such as wearing appropriate clothing when in tick-infested areas, daily tick checks, and quick removal of attached ticks. Q. How many cases of Lyme disease occur in the U. S.? A. Lyme disease is the leading cause of vector-borne infectious illness in the U. S. with about 15,000 cases reported annually, though the disease is greatly under reported. Based on reported cases, during the past ten years 90% of cases of Lyme disease occurred in ten states: More information can be found in the MMWR. Q. How is Lyme disease treated? A. According to treatment experts, antibiotic treatment for 3-4 weeks with doxycycline or amoxicillin is generally effective in early disease. Cefuroxime axetil or erythromycin can be used for persons allergic to penicillin or who cannot take tetracyclines. Later disease, particularly with objective neurologic manifestations, may require treatment with intravenous ceftriaxone or penicillin for 4 weeks or more, depending on disease severity. In later disease, treatment failures may occur and retreatment may be necessary. (The Medical Letter, Vol. 42 (Issue 1077), May 1, 2000) Q. Is the disease seasonal in its occurrence? A. Yes, Lyme disease is most common during the late spring and summer months in the U. S. (May through August) when nymphal ticks are most active and human populations are frequently outdoors and most exposed. Map: Reported cases of Lyme disease in the United States, 1999. Q. Where is Lyme disease most common? A. Click on the map at right that shows reported cases of Lyme disease in 1999 by patient's county of residence. Generally, most Lyme disease is endemic in the northeastern and upper Midwest states. (See "Lyme Disease-United States, 1999." MMWR. March 16, 2001;50:181-185.) Q. Who is at risk for getting Lyme disease? A. Persons in endemic areas who frequent sites where infected ticks are common, such as grassy or wooded locations favored by white-tailed deer in the northeastern and upper Midwest states, and along the northern Pacific coast of California. Q. Is there a vaccine against Lyme disease? A. As of February 25, 2002 the manufacturer announced that the LYMErix™ Lyme disease vaccine will no longer be commercially available. Q. Does the Lyme disease vaccine cause arthritis? Are individuals with certain HLA-DR4 genetic subtypes more susceptible to getting arthritis from the vaccine? A. An association between naturally acquired treatment-resistant Lyme disease arthritis, certain HLA-DR4 genetic subtypes, and high levels of antibody to Osp A of naturally acquired Borrelia burgdorferi has been described in the medical literature (1, 2, 3). Because of the relationship between Osp A antibodies and treatment-resistant arthritis from naturally acquired infection, CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has stated that the vaccine should not be given to persons with treatment-resistant Lyme arthritis (4). However, at this writing there is no scientific evidence that the currently licensed Lyme disease vaccine increases the recipient's risk of arthritis. To the contrary, there is good evidence that the risk of arthritis in vaccine recipients is not significantly different from the risk in individuals who have received placebo without Osp A (5). ACIP has not recommended screening of HLA type prior to vaccination. In the absence of evidence that the vaccine causes arthritis, screening for HLA-DR4 subtypes before vaccination would not seem to be a beneficial use of health resources. 1. Kalish RA, Leong JM, Steere AC. Association of treatment-resistant chronic Lyme arthritis with HLA-DR4 and antibody reactivity to Osp A and Osp B of Borrelia burgdorferi. Infect Immun 1993;61:2774-2779. 2. Akin E, Mc Hugh GL, Flavell RA, et al. The immunoglobulin (Ig G) antibody response to Osp A and Osp B correlates with severe and prolonged Lyme arthritis and the Ig G response to p35 correlates with mild and brief arthritis. Infect Immun 1999;173-181. 3. Gross DM, Forsthuber T, Tary-Lehmann M, et al. Identification of LFA-1 as a candidate autoantigen in treatment-resistant Lyme arthritis. Science 1998;281:703-706. 4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommendations for the Use of Lyme Disease Vaccine - Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. MMWR 1999;48:1-17. (Also available in PDF format [742 KB, 39 pages].) 5. Steere AC, Sikand VK, Meurice F, et al. Vaccination against Lyme disease with recombinant Borrelia burgdorferi outer-surface lipoprotein A with adjuvant. N Engl J Med 1998;339:209-216. See also: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Lyme Disease  Lyme Disease Directory Lyme Disease Directory Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by deer ticks infected with the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. Named after the town in Connecticut where the disease was first discovered, Lyme disease causes a peculiar rash and arthritis symptoms. Lyme disease has been reported in nearly all U. S. states, although most cases are concentrated in the coastal northeast, Mid-Atlantic States, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and northern California. In addition to causing arthritis, Lyme disease can also cause heart, brain, and nerve problems. Follow the links below to find Web MD's comprehensive coverage about how Lyme disease is contracted, what it looks like, how to treat it, and much more. Medical Reference Lyme Disease Early Symptoms The forecast for Lyme disease, plus the early symptoms, a photo of the bull's-eye rash, how it's treated, and, most importantly, how to prevent it. Treatments for Lyme Disease Lyme disease treatment depends on the stage of the disease but usually includes antibiotics. Learn more at Web MD. The Basics and Causes of Lyme Disease Read an overview of Lyme disease from the experts at Web MD. Symptoms of Lyme Disease Learn the symptoms of Lyme disease from the experts at Web MD. View All Features Treatments for Chronic Lyme Disease (PTLDS)Learn how chronic Lyme disease is diagnosed and what treatments can help. Lyme Disease Worries The illness is on the rise among children, but you can take the right precautions to keep your family tick-free. Summer Safety Tips Follow these safety and first-aid tips and avoid calling 911 later. Safer Bug Spray: Natural Bug Repellents Web MD discusses natural options for insect control and offers comparisons of natural repellents with popular chemical repellents such as DEET. View All Video Video: How to Spot Lyme Disease As temperatures rise and you begin to explore the great outdoors, keep an eye out for tick bites. Slideshows & Images Picture of Lyme Disease Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by the deer tick. Lyme disease was first recognized in 1975 after researchers investigated why unusually large numbers of children were being diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in Lyme, Connecticut, and two neighboring towns. This picture shows the characteristic bullseye rash caused by a tick bite. Slideshow: Lyme Disease: What You Need to Know About Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments Web MD's Lyme Disease Slideshow provides up-close pictures of Lyme disease rashes and the ticks that can carry the disease, along with information on symptoms at each stage of the disease, the diagnostic testing used, common treatments, and essential prevention measures. Picture of Tick Bites Ticks are small spiderlike animals (arachnids) that bite to fasten themselves onto the skin and feed on blood. Slideshow: What You Need to Know About Fleas and Ticks Are you battling fleas and ticks? Pictures show the warning signs of infestation and the best ways to get rid of fleas and ticks on your pet and in the home. View All Quizzes Quiz: The Truth About Fleas and Ticks Quiz: Are Fleas and Ticks Bugging Your Pet? Itching, scratching, licking; Your furry friend is irritated. Find out what you can do in this quiz. News Archive View All  Symptoms Symptoms Lyme disease symptoms can appear quickly or gradually over time, and they are incredibly varied and can wax and wane. The first physical signs of Lyme infection are often flu-like symptoms – sore throat, headaches, congestion, stiffness, etc. – so many people, including doctors, dismiss the symptoms as the flu or the common cold. During its nymph stage, a tick is only about the size of a period on a sentence. Many people are infected by nymph ticks, but don’t suspect Lyme disease because they don’t recall being bitten. In fact, 50% of people infected don’t remember being bitten and less than 50% of people will get any over-emphasized rash. Symptoms of Lyme disease ( Print Symptoms List)Head, Face, Neck Unexplained hair loss Headache, mild or severe, seizures Pressure in head, white matter lesions in brain (MRI)Twitching of facial or other muscles Facial paralysis (Bell’s Palsy, Horner’s syndrome)Tingling of nose, (tip of) tongue, cheek or facial flushing Stiff or painful neck Jaw pain or stiffness Dental problems10. Sore throat, clearing throat a lot, phlegm (flem), hoarseness, runny nose Eyes/Vision (click here too)Double or blurry vision Increased floating spots Pain in eyes, or swelling around eyes Oversensitivity to light Flashing lights, peripheral waves or phantom images in corner of eyes Ears/Hearing Decreased hearing in one or both ears, plugged ears Buzzing in ears Pain in ears, oversensitivity to sounds Ringing in one or both ears Digestive and Excretory Systems Diarrhea Constipation Irritable bladder (trouble starting, stopping) or interstitial cystitis Upset stomach (nausea or pain) or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)Musculoskeletal System Bone pain, joint pain or swelling, carpal tunnel syndrome Stiffness of joints, back, neck, tennis elbow Muscle pain or cramps, (Fibromyalgia)Respiratory and Circulatory Systems Shortness of breath, can’t get full/satisfying breath, cough Chest pain or rib soreness Night sweats or unexplained chills Heart palpitations or extra beats Endocarditis, heart blockage Neurologic System Tremors or unexplained shaking Burning or stabbing sensations in the body Fatigue, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, weakness, peripheral neuropathy or partial paralysis Pressure in the head Numbness in body, tingling, pinpricks Poor balance, dizziness, difficulty walking Increased motion sickness Light-headedness, wooziness Psychological Well-being Mood swings, irritability, bi-polar disorder Unusual depression Disorientation (getting or feeling lost)Feeling as if you are losing your mind Over-emotional reactions, crying easily Too much sleep, or insomnia Difficulty falling or staying asleep Narcolepsy, sleep apnea Panic attacks, anxiety Mental Capability Memory loss (short or long term)Confusion, difficulty thinking Difficulty with concentration or reading Going to the wrong place Speech difficulty (slurred or slow)Difficulty finding commonly used words Stammering speech Forgetting how to perform simple tasks Reproduction and Sexuality Loss of sex drive Sexual dysfunction Unexplained menstrual pain, irregularity Unexplained breast pain, discharge Testicular or pelvic pain General Well-being Phantom smells Unexplained weight gain or loss Extreme fatigue Swollen glands or lymph nodes Unexplained fevers (high or low grade)Continual infections (sinus, kidney, eye, etc. )Symptoms seem to change, come and go Pain migrates (moves) to different body parts Early on, experienced a “flu-like” illness, after which you have not since felt well Low body temperature Allergies or chemical sensitivities Increased effect from alcohol and possible worse hangover Rash images for Lyme and tick borne disease  ANXIETY Symptoms John Patrick Member • 7 years on site • 397 posts When i fist started having neuro lyme symptoms ,I noticed a increase in anxiety, ANXIETY like lyme disease can mimic many symptoms in our bodies. Many that are similar to lyme. This is a list of some of the symptoms of ANXIETY AND PANICJohn Anxiety & Panic Attacks Symptoms It is not important to try and understand the physiology of the human body but it is important to remember that each ofthe anxiety symptoms you experience can be explained. Do not dwell on what you are feeling, instead, project yourself into more useful subjects, do something constructive, exercise, learn a skill or craft and escape the body trap. The following list of anxiety symptoms includes the most common ones reported by actual anxiety sufferers. Whilst the list is fairly comprehensive, there may be symptoms that you experience that are not listed;this does not mean that you are more ill or suffering from something else, we are all biologically different in many ways and some people simply react differently during anxiety. Anxiety Symptoms Smothering sensations and Shortness of breath Racing heart, slow heart beat, palpitations Chest Pain Lump in throat & Difficulty swallowing Skin losing colour (blanching)Sweating Shaking or shivering (Visibly or internally)Neck & shoulder pain & numbness in face or head Rapid gastric emptying Indigestion, heartburn, constipation and diarrhea Symptoms of urinary tract infection Skin rashes Weakness in arms & tingling in the hands or feet Electric shock feeling anywhere in the body Dry mouth Insomnia Nightmares Fears of going mad or losing control Increased depression & suicidal feelings Aggression Symptoms like 'flu'Distorted vision Disturbedhearing Hormone problems Headaches & feelings of having a tight band around head Sore eyes Agoraphobia Hallucinations Creeping or pins and needles sensations in the skin Increased sensitivity to light, sound, touch, and smell Hyperactivity Dramatic increase in sexual feelings Pain in the face or jaw that resembles a toothache Derealisation and depersonalisation Smothering sensations and Shortness of breath These sensations are amongst the more distressing anxiety symptoms. Sometimes it feels as if your chest will not expand to accommodate the air your body needs, other times it feels as if someone is pushing a pillow into your face. The one thing to remember should you experience this is that it is only a sensation caused by exaggerated nerve impulses. These symptoms will not and cannot harm you; you will not stop breathing, pass out or suffocate. Racing heart, slow heart beat, palpitations Anxiety releases adrenaline into the blood stream making the heart race and feel as if it is missing beats, (palpitations). This is perfectly natural and will not and cannot harm you in any way. Later I will discuss methods you can use to help stop these feelings. A slow heart beat is also a common feature of anxiety, again it does not mean that your heart will stop beating, it may feel odd and alarming but again do not give it any credibility and it will go away. Chest Pain Caused by muscle tension, chest pains can make you feel very scared. The initial reaction of anyone with anxiety who gets pains in their chest is that they are dying of a heart attack. This is not true. Heart pain is very different to this pain and very often does not start in the chest. Deep breathing and relaxation exercises are a very effective way of diminishing these unpleasant symptoms. If you can get somebody to massage your upper back, shoulders and chest, it will help to relax tired and achy muscles. Lump in throat & Difficulty swallowing Globus Hystericus is the correct term for this symptom. It is caused by the muscles in the throat contracting due to anxiety or stress. Sometimes it feels like you cannot swallow anything and trying to makes it worse. This is another example of a symptom, which will improve if you give it no credibility. It is totally harmless and will not cause you to stop breathing, eating or drinking, it is just very unpleasant. Skin losing colour (blanching)As blood is diverted to the muscles during the 'fight or flight' response, the fine blood vessels in your skin that gives the skin that pink, healthy colour receive reduced blood flow and the skin loses some of its colour. It is not dangerous and will return to normal as the body starts to normalise after an attack. Some people with generalised anxiety can look a little pale most of the time, again this is quite normal and will return to normal. Sweating Sweating is a normal bodily reaction and is designed to reduce the body temperature. As the body heats up sweat is released onto it through sweat glands. As the sweat evaporates it takes heat with it, cooling the body. During periods of anxiety the body is preparing itself for either flight or fight and releases sweat to cool the impending exertions. As the anxiety subsides sweat levels return to normal. Shaking or shivering (Visibly or internally)We all shake or shiver when we are nervous or cold. Shaking is a normal reaction to fear and/or a drop in body temperature. Shaking occurs when the muscles spasmodically contract creating friction between muscles and other body tissues. This friction creates heat which raises body temperature. During anxiety it is quite normal to experience shaking or shivering. It will pass. Neck & shoulder pain & numbness in face or head The blood vessels and nerves, which supply the face and head, originate in the neck and shoulders. Many of these nerves and blood vessels are routed across the head to the face. When the body is under stress these areas of the body are usually the first to become tense. Facial numbness can be very disturbing but is usually nothing to worry about and is usually the result of this tension. Rapid gastric emptying This can be a very unpleasant side effect of both anxiety and tranquilliser use. This condition causes the sufferer to feel full very early on in a meal, sometimes making them feel as if they cannot breathe. Then soon after eating they can experience diarrhea and feel as if their whole digestive system is emptying very quickly indeed. Indigestion, heartburn, constipation and diarrhea During periods of anxiety the body diverts blood from various parts of the body to the muscle tissues in order to supply them with the oxygen needed by them during the flight or fight response. One of the main areas where blood is used most is around the digestive tract. Blood is sent there to absorb nutrients from the food we eat. As blood is diverted away from the stomach during anxiety, the digestion slows and the muscles around the stomach can become knotted. This can cause indigestion, heartburn and diarrhea or constipation. Sexual Dysfunction Impotency, or failure to achieve or maintain an erection, effects many men for many reasons, sometimes there is a physical reason for this but more often than not there is a psychological element. Symptoms of urinary tract infection Medication can have many and some times quite obscure side effects including the symptoms of a urinary tract infections. It is always advisable to get these things checked out by your doctor but even if you do have an infection it can be easily treated. Drinking plenty of water is always advisable to maintain good, general health but even more so when the body is under stress. Skin rashes Skin rashes, spots or dryness are all very common symptoms of anxiety and stress. It is quite common to get an eczema like rash around the nose, cheeks and forehead. They are nothing to worry about and usually disappear when you start to feel better. Weakness in arms & tingling in the hands or feet The flight or fight response is an intense reaction and causes many systems of the body to react. Circulation, blood oxygen and blood carbon dioxide levels change and muscle tension is altered in preparation for action. All of these bodily changes have a profound effect on bodily sensations, feeling week in the extremities, (arms, hands, legs or feet) is one of these sensations. Tingling is usually caused by the pooling of blood carbon dioxide in the limbs, shaking the hands, arms, legs and feet can help increase circulation to these areas. These symptoms are not harmful and will return to normal. Light exercise is very helpful in reversing these sensations. THEY DO NOT MEAN YOU ARE EXPERIENCING A STROKE OR ANY OTHER NEUROLOGICAL CONDITION!Electric shock feeling anywhere in the body The nervous system is a very complex network of electrically charged nerves which are found in every square centimeter of your body, around every organ, muscle and across your skin, the largest organ in the body. Abnormal nerve impulses due to anxiety can cause a vast array of strange sensations; although quite harmless these can be very disturbing. Dry mouth As fluids are diverted for use in other parts of the body during anxiety, the mouth becomes dry. Sip water or suck sweets to lubricate your mouth. In extreme cases your doctor can prescribe a liquid to do this but it is expensive. It cannot harm you and will go away after the anxiety subsides. Insomnia One of the more distressing effects of anxiety, insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or to remain asleep. It is important to regain regular sleep patterns as lack of sleep can lead to disturbing symptoms. Follow this link to The Linden Method cure for insomnia Nightmares Dreams and nightmares tend to mimic what is going on in our daily lives. If we are relaxed and contented we have pleasant dreams and usually do not remember them. If we are disturbed or confused our dreams are more likely to be too. Nightmares are unpleasant but harmless, the more you master good sleep and practice breathing and relaxation exercises the better your dreams will become. Fears of going mad or losing control We all have a fear of going mad or losing control but rest assured you are not going mad. Going mad is not a conscious act; those who are suffering from severe mental illness are unaware of their journey into it. You are not going mad. Confused nervous messages to the brain along tired nerves in a tired body do not constitute madness. Thoughts are an unconscious product of brain activity. If you are anxious, angry, sad or stressed your thoughts are affected, not only by mood, but also by your physical body chemistry. Blood oxygen levels can affect brain activity and the central nervous system, as can many other bodily chemicals like adrenaline, hormones and even vitamins. These un-pleasant thoughts, emotions and totally irrational fears are not harmful to yourself or others. Any thoughts of harming yourself or other people are perceived only. As you body becomes more relaxed and less anxious your thought processes will return to normal. Increased depression & suicidal feelings Depression is a word that is commonly misused to describe a variety of conditions. I hear many people in every day life who say, "I am depressed, I feel terrible, I am so fed up". This is, in most cases, not depression. Depression is a series of chemical imbalances that create a clinical illness that has strong links with anxiety disorders and can be a side effect of them. Anxiety has many features of depression and can mimic it quite strongly. When someone goes to the doctor complaining of feeling run down and fed up, it is all too easy to write a prescription for Prozac, Seroxat or another anti-depressant. I wonder how many people are on anti-depressants who just needed to reassess and restructure their lives. Aggression When you feel tired, ill, fed up and held back by your condition you are bound to feel angry. One of the main causes of true anger is actually sadness. Think back to a situation that has made you feel anger, if you dissect that event you might find that the true reason for feeling so angry was a feeling of sadness. Aggression is a normal reaction to fear also, the fight or flight response prepares us to either run or fight, sometimes to fight may seem to be the best response. Symptoms like 'flu'Influenza causes the body to release anti-bodies into the blood stream to attack the virus. This combination of anti-bodies and infection makes the body feel weak, sweaty and painful. Anxiety can have a similar effect, weakening the muscles, making you clammy and achy. Believe it or not the more you do physically the better this will become. Distorted vision In order to prepare the body for impending danger, adrenaline release causes many physical changes. During the anxiety response the body prepares the eyes to notice any slight movements; it does this by dilating the pupils allowing more light to enter. This is why anxious people become more sensitive to bright light and often wear sunglasses to minimize the eyestrain it causes. Disturbed hearing This is called tinitus and is usually experienced as whistling or screeching noises in either or both ears. Hormone problems Anxiety can affect various systems of the body, one of which is the endocrine system. This system is responsible for balancing the glands, which secrete hormones in the body. Although these glands secrete the hormones needed by the body, they do not control the levels of these chemicals, this is done by the brain. Disturbed messages in the brain and nervous system can cause slight irregularities in the secretion of these chemicals. When anxiety levels return to normal so will the hormone levels. There are few examples where these hormones cause serious problems and if they do your doctor can correct them. Women may find that their menstrual cycle is temporarily effected and men may find that they have mood swings whilst testosterone levels are affected. Headaches & feelings of having a tight band around head As discussed earlier, tension in the neck and shoulders can cause immense discomfort, migraine and numbness. The feeling of having a tight band around your head is caused by muscular tension in the sheath of muscles covering the skull. Restricted blood vessels and nerves within this tissue can cause very severe symptoms including pain in the eyes, face and teeth. Sore eyes Reduced lubrication in the eyes when body fluids are diverted elsewhere during anxiety causes the eyes to feel sore, dry and painful. Agoraphobia Agoraphobia is a natural response to anxiety and self-preservation. If we feel threatened we tend to retreat to somewhere safe, like a tortoise into its shell. In anxiety it is important to gain control of this response as soon as you feel it developing. Avoidance of situations is not an effective tool in the fight against agoraphobia. Hallucinations Mostly experienced by people in withdrawal, hallucinations can be very frightening indeed if you do not understand what they are and where they come from. Hallucinations are another example of transient symptoms. If you are in withdrawal they will pass, if you are not in withdrawal consult your doctor, as they may be a side effect of the drugs that you have been prescribed. Creeping or pins and needles sensations in The skin The nerve endings in your skin are alive with electrical impulses, these can feel like creeping sensations, pins and needles or tickling, they are the result of confused nerve impulses and cannot harm you. Increased sensitivity to light, sound, touch, and smell All of these sensitivities are to prepare your senses to see, smell, hear and feel more when in impending danger during the fight or flight response. All of these feeling are unusual but not dangerous, they are temporary and will return to normal as your anxiety levels reduce. Hyperactivity Hyperactivity is a way of describing a range of symptoms that cause you to feel as if you need to talk faster and do things faster. It can make you feel confused and irrational and can make you do things that you would not usually do. This is a common feature of anxiety and drug withdrawal and will pass in time. Dramatic increase in sexual feelings As the brain copes with disturbed and confused messages from all around the body, some of the mind's thought processes can become a little distorted or exaggerated. Sexual thoughts and emotions are typically very strong even when in good health, they are what drive the attraction mechanism when we meet people we find attractive and create the sexual feelings we feel for some people. Pain in the face or jaw that resembles a toothache The term 'face ache' comes from this feature of anxiety. Most of this symptom is caused by tension, not only in the face, neck and shoulders, which can refer pain to the jaw and teeth, but also in the jaw itself. Derealisation and Depersonalisation These are both symptoms, which affect the way you experience yourself. Derealisation is the sensation that you and everything around you is not real or dreamy, as if you are seeing everything through a fog or some kind of filter. It has been noticed that people experience both depersonalisation and derealisation during panic. It seems that some people dissociate first which then causes panic and derealisation. Post edited by: Bettyg, at: 05/13/2011 10:38 PMReply Bettyg VIP Member • 11 years on site • 45913 postsjohn, haven't had time to look at the complete post, but please list the link where you got all this helpful info; thx.also i have an ANXIETY ongoing link in TREATMENTS FORUM, this would be great to post there too after you show your link where you got the info. hugs look in stickies.bettyg Tara TVIP Member • 9 years on site • 4154 posts Ok after reading that I am even MORE convinced that there is a CAUSE for that condition OTHER than ourselves or getting worked up etc... What is it? Is it Lyme or co infections or other obtruse hidden or unknown pathogens invading our bodies unseen? I believe so. I don't think this is a condition... I think it is a symptom of something else. John Patrick Member • 7 years on site • 397 posts Thanks betty here is the linkhttp://www.npadnews.com/ anxiety-symptoms.asp Anxiety & Panic Attacks Symptoms It is not important to try and understand the physiology of the human body but it is important to remember that each of the anxiety symptoms you experience can be explained. Do not dwell on what you are feeling, instead, project yourself into more useful subjects, do something constructive, exercise, learn a skill or craft and escape the body trap. The following list of anxiety symptoms includes the most common ones reported by actual anxiety sufferers. Whilst the list is fairly comprehensive, there may be symptoms that you experience that are not listed; this does not mean that you are more ill or suffering from something else, we are all biologically different in many ways and some people simply react differently during anxiety. If you have any symptoms to add to this list, please email them to me with a description of the sensations you experience. Anxiety Symptoms•Smothering sensations and Shortness of breath•Racing heart, slow heart beat, palpitations•Chest Pain•Lump in throat & Difficulty swallowing•Skin losing colour (blanching)•Sweating•Shaking or shivering (Visibly or internally)•Neck & shoulder pain & numbness in face or head•Rapid gastric emptying•Indigestion, heartburn, constipation and diarrhea•Symptoms of urinary tract infection•Skin rashes•Weakness in arms & tingling in the hands or feet•Electric shock feeling anywhere in the body•Dry mouth•Insomnia•Nightmares•Fears of going mad or losing control•Increased depression & suicidal feelings•Aggression•Symptoms like 'flu'•Distorted vision•Disturbed hearing•Hormone problems•Headaches & feelings of having a tight band around head•Sore eyes•Agoraphobia•Hallucinations•Creeping or pins and needles sensations in the skin•Increased sensitivity to light, sound, touch, and smell•Hyperactivity•Dramatic increase in sexual feelings•Pain in the face or jaw that resembles a toothache•Derealisation and depersonalisation Smothering sensations and Shortness of breath These sensations are amongst the more distressing anxiety symptoms. Sometimes it feels as if your chest will not expand to accommodate the air your body needs, other times it feels as if someone is pushing a pillow into your face. The one thing to remember should you experience this is that it is only a sensation caused by exaggerated nerve impulses. These symptoms will not and cannot harm you; you will not stop breathing, pass out or suffocate. Racing heart, slow heart beat, palpitations Anxiety releases adrenaline into the blood stream making the heart race and feel as if it is missing beats, (palpitations). This is perfectly natural and will not and cannot harm you in any way. Later I will discuss methods you can use to help stop these feelings. A slow heart beat is also a common feature of anxiety, again it does not mean that your heart will stop beating, it may feel odd and alarming but again do not give it any credibility and it will go away. Chest Pain Caused by muscle tension, chest pains can make you feel very scared. The initial reaction of anyone with anxiety who gets pains in their chest is that they are dying of a heart attack. This is not true. Heart pain is very different to this pain and very often does not start in the chest. Deep breathing and relaxation exercises are a very effective way of diminishing these unpleasant symptoms. If you can get somebody to massage your upper back, shoulders and chest, it will help to relax tired and achy muscles. Lump in throat & Difficulty swallowing Globus Hystericus is the correct term for this symptom. It is caused by the muscles in the throat contracting due to anxiety or stress. Sometimes it feels like you cannot swallow anything and trying to makes it worse. This is another example of a symptom, which will improve if you give it no credibility. It is totally harmless and will not cause you to stop breathing, eating or drinking, it is just very unpleasant. Skin losing colour (blanching)As blood is diverted to the muscles during the 'fight or flight' response, the fine blood vessels in your skin that gives the skin that pink, healthy colour receive reduced blood flow and the skin loses some of its colour. It is not dangerous and will return to normal as the body starts to normalise after an attack. Some people with generalised anxiety can look a little pale most of the time, again this is quite normal and will return to normal. Sweating Sweating is a normal bodily reaction and is designed to reduce the body temperature. As the body heats up sweat is released onto it through sweat glands. As the sweat evaporates it takes heat with it, cooling the body. During periods of anxiety the body is preparing itself for either flight or fight and releases sweat to cool the impending exertions. As the anxiety subsides sweat levels return to normal. Shaking or shivering (Visibly or internally)We all shake or shiver when we are nervous or cold. Shaking is a normal reaction to fear and/or a drop in body temperature. Shaking occurs when the muscles spasmodically contract creating friction between muscles and other body tissues. This friction creates heat which raises body temperature. During anxiety it is quite normal to experience shaking or shivering. It will pass. Neck & shoulder pain & numbness in face or head The blood vessels and nerves, which supply the face and head, originate in the neck and shoulders. Many of these nerves and blood vessels are routed across the head to the face. When the body is under stress these areas of the body are usually the first to become tense. Facial numbness can be very disturbing but is usually nothing to worry about and is usually the result of this tension. Rapid gastric emptying This can be a very unpleasant side effect of both anxiety and tranquilliser use. This condition causes the sufferer to feel full very early on in a meal, sometimes making them feel as if they cannot breathe. Then soon after eating they can experience diarrhea and feel as if their whole digestive system is emptying very quickly indeed. Indigestion, heartburn, constipation and diarrhea During periods of anxiety the body diverts blood from various parts of the body to the muscle tissues in order to supply them with the oxygen needed by them during the flight or fight response. One of the main areas where blood is used most is around the digestive tract. Blood is sent there to absorb nutrients from the food we eat. As blood is diverted away from the stomach during anxiety, the digestion slows and the muscles around the stomach can become knotted. This can cause indigestion, heartburn and diarrhea or constipation. Sexual Dysfunction Impotency, or failure to achieve or maintain an erection, effects many men for many reasons, sometimes there is a physical reason for this but more often than not there is a psychological element. Symptoms of urinary tract infection Medication can have many and some times quite obscure side effects including the symptoms of a urinary tract infections. It is always advisable to get these things checked out by your doctor but even if you do have an infection it can be easily treated. Drinking plenty of water is always advisable to maintain good, general health but even more so when the body is under stress. Skin rashes Skin rashes, spots or dryness are all very common symptoms of anxiety and stress. It is quite common to get an eczema like rash around the nose, cheeks and forehead. They are nothing to worry about and usually disappear when you start to feel better. Weakness in arms & tingling in the hands or feet The flight or fight response is an intense reaction and causes many systems of the body to react. Circulation, blood oxygen and blood carbon dioxide levels change and muscle tension is altered in preparation for action. All of these bodily changes have a profound effect on bodily sensations, feeling week in the extremities, (arms, hands, legs or feet) is one of these sensations. Tingling is usually caused by the pooling of blood carbon dioxide in the limbs, shaking the hands, arms, legs and feet can help increase circulation to these areas. These symptoms are not harmful and will return to normal. Light exercise is very helpful in reversing these sensations. THEY DO NOT MEAN YOU ARE EXPERIENCING A STROKE OR ANY OTHER NEUROLOGICAL CONDITION!Electric shock feeling anywhere in the body The nervous system is a very complex network of electrically charged nerves which are found in every square centimeter of your body, around every organ, muscle and across your skin, the largest organ in the body. Abnormal nerve impulses due to anxiety can cause a vast array of strange sensations; although quite harmless these can be very disturbing. Dry mouth As fluids are diverted for use in other parts of the body during anxiety, the mouth becomes dry. Sip water or suck sweets to lubricate your mouth. In extreme cases your doctor can prescribe a liquid to do this but it is expensive. It cannot harm you and will go away after the anxiety subsides. Insomnia One of the more distressing effects of anxiety, insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or to remain asleep. It is important to regain regular sleep patterns as lack of sleep can lead to disturbing symptoms. Follow this link to The Linden Method cure for insomnia Nightmares Dreams and nightmares tend to mimic what is going on in our daily lives. If we are relaxed and contented we have pleasant dreams and usually do not remember them. If we are disturbed or confused our dreams are more likely to be too. Nightmares are unpleasant but harmless, the more you master good sleep and practice breathing and relaxation exercises the better your dreams will become. Fears of going mad or losing control We all have a fear of going mad or losing control but rest assured you are not going mad. Going mad is not a conscious act; those who are suffering from severe mental illness are unaware of their journey into it. You are not going mad. Confused nervous messages to the brain along tired nerves in a tired body do not constitute madness. Thoughts are an unconscious product of brain activity. If you are anxious, angry, sad or stressed your thoughts are affected, not only by mood, but also by your physical body chemistry. Blood oxygen levels can affect brain activity and the central nervous system, as can many other bodily chemicals like adrenaline, hormones and even vitamins. These un-pleasant thoughts, emotions and totally irrational fears are not harmful to yourself or others. Any thoughts of harming yourself or other people are perceived only. As you body becomes more relaxed and less anxious your thought processes will return to normal. Increased depression & suicidal feelings Depression is a word that is commonly misused to describe a variety of conditions. I hear many people in every day life who say, "I am depressed, I feel terrible, I am so fed up". This is, in most cases, not depression. Depression is a series of chemical imbalances that create a clinical illness that has strong links with anxiety disorders and can be a side effect of them. Anxiety has many features of depression and can mimic it quite strongly. When someone goes to the doctor complaining of feeling run down and fed up, it is all too easy to write a prescription for Prozac, Seroxat or another anti-depressant. I wonder how many people are on anti-depressants who just needed to reassess and restructure their lives. Aggression When you feel tired, ill, fed up and held back by your condition you are bound to feel angry. One of the main causes of true anger is actually sadness. Think back to a situation that has made you feel anger, if you dissect that event you might find that the true reason for feeling so angry was a feeling of sadness. Aggression is a normal reaction to fear also, the fight or flight response prepares us to either run or fight, sometimes to fight may seem to be the best response. Symptoms like 'flu'Influenza causes the body to release anti-bodies into the blood stream to attack the virus. This combination of anti-bodies and infection makes the body feel weak, sweaty and painful. Anxiety can have a similar effect, weakening the muscles, making you clammy and achy. Believe it or not the more you do physically the better this will become. Distorted vision In order to prepare the body for impending danger, adrenaline release causes many physical changes. During the anxiety response the body prepares the eyes to notice any slight movements; it does this by dilating the pupils allowing more light to enter. This is why anxious people become more sensitive to bright light and often wear sunglasses to minimize the eyestrain it causes. Disturbed hearing This is called tinitus and is usually experienced as whistling or screeching noises in either or both ears. Hormone problems Anxiety can affect various systems of the body, one of which is the endocrine system. This system is responsible for balancing the glands, which secrete hormones in the body. Although these glands secrete the hormones needed by the body, they do not control the levels of these chemicals, this is done by the brain. Disturbed messages in the brain and nervous system can cause slight irregularities in the secretion of these chemicals. When anxiety levels return to normal so will the hormone levels. There are few examples where these hormones cause serious problems and if they do your doctor can correct them. Women may find that their menstrual cycle is temporarily effected and men may find that they have mood swings whilst testosterone levels are affected. Headaches & feelings of having a tight band around head As discussed earlier, tension in the neck and shoulders can cause immense discomfort, migraine and numbness. The feeling of having a tight band around your head is caused by muscular tension in the sheath of muscles covering the skull. Restricted blood vessels and nerves within this tissue can cause very severe symptoms including pain in the eyes, face and teeth. Sore eyes Reduced lubrication in the eyes when body fluids are diverted elsewhere during anxiety causes the eyes to feel sore, dry and painful. Agoraphobia Agoraphobia is a natural response to anxiety and self-preservation. If we feel threatened we tend to retreat to somewhere safe, like a tortoise into its shell. In anxiety it is important to gain control of this response as soon as you feel it developing. Avoidance of situations is not an effective tool in the fight against agoraphobia. Hallucinations Mostly experienced by people in withdrawal, hallucinations can be very frightening indeed if you do not understand what they are and where they come from. Hallucinations are another example of transient symptoms. If you are in withdrawal they will pass, if you are not in withdrawal consult your doctor, as they may be a side effect of the drugs that you have been prescribed. Creeping or pins and needles sensations in The skin The nerve endings in your skin are alive with electrical impulses, these can feel like creeping sensations, pins and needles or tickling, they are the result of confused nerve impulses and cannot harm you. Increased sensitivity to light, sound, touch, and smell All of these sensitivities are to prepare your senses to see, smell, hear and feel more when in impending danger during the fight or flight response. All of these feeling are unusual but not dangerous, they are temporary and will return to normal as your anxiety levels reduce. Hyperactivity Hyperactivity is a way of describing a range of symptoms that cause you to feel as if you need to talk faster and do things faster. It can make you feel confused and irrational and can make you do things that you would not usually do. This is a common feature of anxiety and drug withdrawal and will pass in time. Dramatic increase in sexual feelings As the brain copes with disturbed and confused messages from all around the body, some of the mind's thought processes can become a little distorted or exaggerated. Sexual thoughts and emotions are typically very strong even when in good health, they are what drive the attraction mechanism when we meet people we find attractive and create the sexual feelings we feel for some people. Pain in the face or jaw that resembles a toothache The term 'face ache' comes from this feature of anxiety. Most of this symptom is caused by tension, not only in the face, neck and shoulders, which can refer pain to the jaw and teeth, but also in the jaw itself. Derealisation and Depersonalisation These are both symptoms, which affect the way you experience yourself. Derealisation is the sensation that you and everything around you is not real or dreamy, as if you are seeing everything through a fog or some kind of filter. It has been noticed that people experience both depersonalisation and derealisation during panic. It seems that some people dissociate first which then causes panic and derealisation. NPADNEWS. COM© 2011 National Panic / Anxiety Disorder News. All Rights Reserved.http://www.npadnews.com/ anxiety-symptoms.aspbetty added the above full link; great info!Post edited by: Bettyg, at: 05/13/2011 10:33 PMPost edited by: Bettyg, at: 05/13/2011 10:37 PMhistinkerbell Member • 9 years on site • 130 poststhis was very helpful thank youalexsis88Member • 7 years on site • 30 posts I have just about every single one of those symptoms and then some! I've even been woke out of sleep to my heart beating as fast as if I were running! !I've had to call the ambulance once but its happened to me several times! Very scary!And I have symptoms like this ALL day long even when I'm not anxious or anything. I could be happy and content and I still get them!neska Senior Member • 8 years on site • 2826 postsi know this is an old post but with this bartonella, boy now i know there is a definite difference between panic attacks and anxiety.not sure which is worse.jools182Member • 6 years on site • 153 postsneska, how does the bartonella affect you?what symptoms does it give? Bettyg VIP Member • 11 years on site • 45913 postshere's my ongoing anxiety articles/studies, etc.http://www.mdjunction.com/ forums/lyme-disease-support- forums/medicine-treatments/ 1745566-anxiety-articles- ongoing/limitstart/ 80#11013167neska Senior Member • 8 years on site • 2826 poststhanks bettyg, these articles are definitely correct. just the slightest out of norm will give me anxiety.it is now week#3 and it is getting less but i never thought i would ever see week#3 in the beginning. Reply Page 1 of 2 Next Members who viewed this page also read: Shaky feeling inside my head & Bodycalf and ankle pain and weird wet feeling on body Health Anxiety, Exercise and Not Trusting Your Body Anxiety Symptoms, Anxiety Attack Symptoms (Panic Alist of panick attack and anxiety symptoms...  Lyme Disease Symptoms & Causes to Watch Out For Conditions Conditions Lyme Disease Symptoms & Causes to Watch Out For Lyme Disease Symptoms & Causes to Watch Out For589 24 3147Lyme disease symptoms can mimic many other diseases, making a swift diagnosis difficult. That’s problematic, as rates of Lyme disease are on the rise. Today, Lyme disease is considered to be the most common tickborne infectious disease in the U. S. In 2013, federal health departments reported 27,203 confirmed cases and another 9,104 probable cases of Lyme disease in the U. S alone. (The real infection rate is believe to be much higher. )Experts believe that diagnosis is more common today due to growing infection rates and greater awareness and better diagnostic tools. ( 1) Most people know Lyme disease as an infection or autoimmune disease that is caused by deer ticks. That’s true, but there’s more to the story. Not all ticks are infected and not everyone who gets bitten by a tick carrying the bacteria that causes Lyme will react the same way. Research shows that tick infection rates vary from 0 to 70 percent even within the same region. Beyond that, patients experience a wide range of symptoms once infected. This means that individual responses play an important role in the prevention as well as the natural treatment of Lyme disease. Add to that the fact that the standard test available to screen for the disease miss up to 35 percent of cases and it’s easy to see why Lyme is such a complicated topic. What Is Lyme Disease? Lyme disease is a chronic condition caused when someone develops an immune reaction to a type of bacteria that’s passed through tick and possibly insect bites. Deer ticks (also called Ixodes ticks) and black-legged ticks carry something called spirochete, which is a corkscrew-shaped bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi — and these are the two types of insects that spread Lyme disease most often. ( 2)In February of 2016, however, the CDC, along with the Mayo Clinic and health officials across Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota, announced the discovery a new species of bacteria called Borrelia mayonii that also caused Lyme disease in people. Additionally, deer ticks also spread the related but more severe Powassan virus. It’s not just a tickborne disease, either, as experts suspect that certain spiders, fleas and mosquitoes could also potentially carry and spread the disease. ( 3)Once the tick or insect bites someone, it transmits the bacteria into the bloodstream. This usually causes a host of autoimmune-like symptoms within several months — including fatigue, fever, headaches and sometimes a rash. Early disseminated Lyme disease occurs when the bacteria that caused this condition spreads throughout the body, which can happen days, weeks or even months after the infected tick bites the individual. In fact, the real risk associated with Lyme disease is leaving it untreated for many years, which can cause complications that affect the vital organs, blood vessels and the entire immune system. The U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that untreated Lyme disease can lead to serious infections, degeneration of the joints and symptoms of arthritis. CDC also notes left untreated, Lyme can cause heart and blood vessel complications, nerve damage and various other problems of the endocrine and central nervous systems. ( 4a) In other words, Lyme symptoms go far beyond achy joints. Dr. Richard Ostfeld wrote a book in 2010 entitled “Lyme Disease: The Ecology of a Complex System,” which was the first book to challenge the idea that Lyme disease is closely linked to the abundance of deer. Rather, he uses Lyme disease as a model system for understanding many other emerging infectious diseases, such as West Nile virus, hantavirus disease and even SARS. ( 4b)Lyme Disease Symptoms The Lyme Disease Organization— a group created to support advocacy, research and education about the disease — conducted a survey looking at Lyme disease symptoms in more than 5,000 people with Lyme disease. The group found that 74 percent experienced at least one symptom they would consider to be “severe.” On average, three severe or very severe symptoms were present at any given time. ( 5)Symptoms of Lyme disease are somewhat different during the early stages of the disease compared to the later stages when it is considered “chronic.” Experts created a lengthy list of common symptoms that people can use as a helpful “ Lyme disease checklist ” if they suspect they might have been infected. The most common symptoms and signs of Lyme disease include: A characteristic “butterfly” skin rash that appears where the tick bite occured (called erythema migrans or EM rashes ). Many develop an EM rash shaped like a bull’s-eye that appears as a red ring around a clear area with a red center. This is considered characteristic of Lyme disease but often doesn’t always develop. In some cases, other rashes appear instead. Some even resemble a spider bite. A recent CDC report on Lyme disease found that about 70 percent of those infected show a visible rash, while other studies show the range to be between 30 to 80 percent. Flu-like symptoms, especially shortly after being infected. These include a fever, trouble sleeping, neck pain, fatigue, chills, sweats and muscle aches Poor sleep, chronic fatigue and lethargy Digestive issues including nausea and loss of appetite Achy joint and joint pain. The CDC found that about 30 percent of Lyme patients develop symptoms of arthritis ( 6)Long term, maybe people experience mood changes, including depression and anxiety Cognitive changes are also a long-term symptom and include forgetfulness, headaches, brain-fog, misplacing things and trouble concentrating. Lyme Disease Complications When Lyme isn’t treated early on (which happens far too often because Lyme disease symptoms mimic other conditions), or when it’s not properly managed, it can sometimes wind up causing permanent damage and complications. Like other infectious or autoimmune diseases, Lyme disease is capable of spreading to just about every part of the body. Physicians sometimes describe patients who have symptoms for 6 months or more even after receiving treatment for Lyme disease as having “ post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome ,” or (PTLDS). Other people call this “chronic Lyme disease” or post Lyme disease syndrome (PLDS). Some of these patients do not test positive for having an active infection, which leads some experts to question whether or not Lyme is truly the cause of their ongoing symptoms. Other experts believe that Lyme causes complications when the body starts attacking itself, a characteristic of an autoimmune disorder. ( 7)There is still some controversy over how to best treat Lyme disease patients who don’t get better after receiving initial treatment (usually antibiotics). The CDC states that “studies do not show patients who receive prolonged courses of antibiotics do better in the long run than patients treated with placebo”. ( 8)Still, many Lyme patients will tell you longer-term antibiotic treatment helped save their lives. Regardless, it’s important that patients with chronic Lyme include certain lifestyle changes as part of managing their symptoms. This includes things such as improving immunity, eating a nutrient-dense diet, staying active and limiting toxin exposure. What Causes Lyme Disease? Most people get Lyme disease from a tick bite, especially immature ticks (called nymphs) which are very tiny. In this stage, the tick is about the size of a poppy seed and hard to feel or see. These types of tick bites are usually painless unnoticeable, which unfortunately means that the tick can stay on the skin for hours (or even days!) without the person even realizing it. The longer a tick or insect stays attached to the skin, the more likely it will be to transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. This is why it’s crucial to check your skin after you’ve spent time in high risk areas. Interestingly, putting your clothing in the washer/dryer and getting a shower immediately after spending time outside can significantly lower your risk of getting Lyme disease. ( 9)Another way that people can become infected with the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria is by inheriting it from their mother . If pregnant women are infected, they are capable of passing on Lyme disease to their unborn children. It’s still debated whether other forms of physical contact can cause human-to-human transmission, such as sex or blood exposure. It’s possible that Lyme disease can be spread in these ways just like other serious infections/viruses are, such as hepatitis or HIV/AIDS. Still, little is known for certain as of now, and so far research doesn’t show it’s likely. ( 10)People living on the East Coast in American get Lyme disease more than those in the middle of the country or living on the West Coast, but this doesn’t mean they are the only ones at risk. According to the Lyme Disease Organization, Lyme disease has been transmitted all across the United States as well as in more than sixty other countries. In fact, Lyme disease has been found on every continent except Antarctica. People who spend a lot of time outdoors or who live in coastal areas are at the greatest risk due to the higher population of bacteria-carrying insects. On the East Coast, deer ticks are more likely to infect people, while on the West Coast black-legged ticks are more often to blame. Studies have found that residents of the coastal Northeast, Northwest California and the Great Lakes region are at the highest risk. ( 11)Each Person’s Reaction to Lyme Disease Is Different Although Lyme disease is transmitted through bites, it affects each person differently depending on the state of their current health and strength of their immune system. There are thousands of people living today who have been bitten by vectors capable of causing Lyme disease, yet they show no symptoms. To some extent, every person’s body is home to viruses, bad bacteria, fungus and cancer cells. So what’s really important is building a strong immune system to keep these invaders at bay. Someone may be more susceptible to experiencing severe symptoms of Lyme disease if they are experiencing: Weakened immunity Inhibited cellular function and protection Systemic bacterial infections (including tick co-infections)Environmental factors, including exposure to mold and parasites Facts & Numbers About Lyme Disease Up to 300,000 Americans are diagnosed with Lyme disease every year, according to research from the CDC. Lyme is often under-diagnosed and under-reported, so many experts believe the number of infected is actually much higher. Lyme disease affects 1.5 times more people than breast cancer does each year. It also affects six times as many people in the U. S. compared to the HIV/AIDS. Children, adults and older people can all get Lyme disease, but it affects people with lower immune function most, especially young children between the ages of 5 and 10. About 25 percent of patients with Lyme disease are children in this age group. People who spend a lot of time outdoors (especially in the woods) are most likely to get infected, including firefighters, park rangers and people who regularly camp or hunt. Studies show adults between the ages of 40 and 55 are diagnosed most often, especially males in this age range ( 12 ). Still, it’s important to note you can contract Lyme disease even in your own yard. June, July and August are the three months when Lyme disease is believed to be transmitted most due to more people spending time outdoors ( 13)75 percent of people with Lyme disease experience severe symptoms. On average, people experience three or more symptoms that are considered “severe”Tick bites that transmit Lyme disease can be very hard to catch; only about 25 percent of patients who develop Lyme disease recall getting bitten The risk of getting Lyme disease is often reflected in risk maps. However, only about 10 percent of reportable Lyme cases are currently captured in these maps. Lyme disease can cause long-term complications when untreated. Sixty to 70 percent of patients with chronic Lyme disease experience cognitive impairments, fatigue, muscle and joint pains, depression and trouble sleeping. Conventional Medicine vs. Natural Treatment for Lyme Disease How Is Lyme Disease Diagnosed? Lyme disease can be difficult to properly diagnose since many of its symptoms closely mimic other health problems and common autoimmune disorders, including thyroid disorders, fibromyalgia, depression, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, Lyme is called “The Great Imitator” for this reason. Doctors often rely on a blood test and/or the appearance of a skin rash to make a diagnoses of Lyme disease, which is why many cases are initially missed. Laboratory testing misses a large percentage of Lyme cases, so groups like the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society recommends other diagnostic and treatment guidelines. Conventional Medicine for Lyme Disease Doctors most often treat Lyme disease by giving patients antibiotics which are taken over the course of several weeks. Depending on someone’s symptoms, other medications like NSAIDs, corticosteroids and painkillers might be used to control pain and inflammation. The CDC reports that: “Patients treated with appropriate antibiotics in the early stages of Lyme disease usually recover rapidly and completely. Antibiotics commonly used for oral treatment include doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime axetil. Patients with certain neurological or cardiac forms of illness may require intravenous treatment with drugs such as ceftriaxone or penicillin.”Although these medications can help many people to overcome Lyme disease, these prescriptions don’t always work. Long-term antibiotic treatments for Lyme disease have reportedly helped many people recover, but they have also been associated with serious complications and don’t always seem to resolve symptoms better then placebo. That’s why I’m a strong supporter of focusing on completely improving your immune system when it comes to taking on Lyme disease. Side effects of common Lyme disease medications may include:digestive issues and appetite lossseizuresdangerous blood pressure dropschronic symptoms of mental fogginess, poor memorychronic fatiguebody numbness and paineven death in rare cases ( 14)Natural Treatment of Lyme Disease When it comes to managing Lyme disease, first and foremost prevention is very important. Steps you can take to to prevent getting Lyme disease include: Using a natural bug spray or insect repellent Performing daily tick checks. Ticks attach anywhere but particularly like spots like the back of your knee, around waistbands, under armpits or any other constricted place. Anytime after you have been in tick habitat you should thoroughly check your entire body and remove attached ticks immediately. Once attached, ticks do not wash off in the shower, the University of Rhode Island Tick Encounter Resource Center notes. ( 15)After spending time outside, particularly in areas with high grass, around wood piles or in the woods, throw your clothing into the washer/dryer immediately. (The dryer actually kills ticks by drying them out.) Getting out of your clothing quickly and performing a tick check is a great way to avoid tick attachment. Improving overall immune strength so that if you do get bit, you have the best chance of having a minimal reaction. Globally, experts are also trying to prevent Lyme disease infections from increasing by reducing tick habitats and coming up with more effective ways to stop the bacteria from spreading. This is especially important considering the fact that research shows ticks and mosquitoes can also transmit other harmful diseases besides Lyme disease. The Importance of Improving Immune Function As mentioned above, maintaining a strong immune system is critical for overcoming Lyme disease. Many symptoms of Lyme are caused by an immune response in the body, which means the state of your immune system determines how intense symptoms will be. Some of the ways you can naturally help to prevent and treat Lyme disease by improving your overall immunity and health include: Treating allergies or other illnesses that might be contributing to your symptoms: It’s possible that Lyme disease is not the only thing affecting your health. Tracking your symptoms: Get to know the things causing symptom flair-ups. These can include a lack of sleep, infections, stressful events and eating a poor diet. Eating an anti-inflammatory diet . Foods that can help keep inflammation down and boost immune function include fresh vegetables and fruits, bone broth, wild-caught fish and other “clean” sources of protein, probiotic foods and healthy fats like coconut oil, nuts, seeds and avocado. Taking supplements: Immune-boosting mushrooms including cordycep, reishi and maitake mushrooms have been proven to activate your immune response; vitamin D is important for immune health; omega-3 fish oils lower inflammation and adaptogen herbs can help you deal with stress. Getting plenty of rest: Lyme can contribute to fatigue and require that you get extra sleep, so balance activity with rest. Reducing emotional stress: Stress weakens the immune system and makes complications more likely. Reach out to family and friends for support and practice stress-relieving techniques regularly like deep breathing, meditation, journaling, reading and exercising. Final Thoughts on Lyme Disease Symptoms & Causes: Lyme disease is caused by an immune reaction following a certain type of tick or insect bite. Not every person reacts to Lyme disease the same way; each individual’s immune response determines how severe their symptoms are and how long they last. Lyme disease symptoms include fatigue, muscle aches, joint pains, digestive issues and skin rashes, among many other things. Lyme disease is often treated with antibiotics, however natural treatments and lifestyle changes such as eating an anti-inflammatory diet, limiting toxin exposure and boosting immunity can all greatly help and should be part of any treatment program. Read Next: 8 ‘You Won’t Believe It’ Natural Painkillers From the sound of it, you might think leaky gut only affects the digestive system, but in reality it can affect more. Because Leaky Gut is so common, and such an enigma, I’m offering a free webinar on all things leaky gut. Click here to learn more about the webinar. Previous Story - How to Get Rid of a Fever Next Story - Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms + 5 Natural Treatmentslyme disease lyme disease rash lymes disease symptoms of lyme disease what is lyme disease  Lyme Disease Lyme Disease By Larry M. Bush, MD, Affiliate Professor of Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University; Affiliate Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Miami-Miller School of Medicine Maria T. Perez, MD, Associate Pathologist, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Wellington Regional Medical Center, West Palm Beach Click here for Patient Education NOTE: This is the Professional Version. CONSUMERS: Click here for the Consumer Version Lyme disease is a tick-transmitted infection caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Early symptoms include an erythema migrans rash, which may be followed weeks to months later by neurologic, cardiac, or joint abnormalities. Diagnosis is primarily clinical in early-stage disease, but serologic testing can help diagnose cardiac, neurologic, and rheumatologic complications that occur later in the disease. Treatment is with antibiotics such as doxycycline or ceftriaxone. The family Spirochaetales is distinguished by the helical shape of the bacteria. They are too thin to be visualized using routine microscopy but can be viewed using darkfield microscopy. There are 3 genera: Treponema, Leptospira, and Borrelia. Overview of Lyme Disease Epidemiology Pathophysiology Symptoms and Signs Diagnosis Treatment Prevention Key Points In the US, > 90% of Lyme disease cases occur from Maine to Virginia and in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan; Ixodes scapularis (the deer tick) is the primary vector in these areas. In the US, the white-footed mouse is the primary animal reservoir for Borrelia burgdorferi and the preferred host for nymphal and larval forms of the deer tick; deer are hosts for adult ticks but do not carry Borrelia. Lyme disease has 3 stages: early localized, early disseminated, and late. Erythema migrans is the first and best clinical indicator; it occurs in ≥ 75% of patients. In endemic areas, few patients who have arthralgias, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, or other nonspecific symptoms but who have had no history of EM or other symptoms of early-localized or early-disseminated Lyme disease actually have Lyme disease. Diagnose clinically if typical rash is present; otherwise, do acute and convalescent serologic testing (ELISA confirmed by Western blot). Treat with oral or parenteral antibiotics depending on disease manifestations. Last full review/revision February 2017 by Larry M. Bush, MD; Maria T. Perez, MDResources In This Article Drugs Mentioned In This Article Spirochetes Bejel, Pinta, and Yaws Leptospirosis Lyme Disease Rat-Bite Fever Relapsing Fever NOTE: This is the Professional Version. CONSUMERS: Click here for the Consumer Version Leptospirosis Was This Page Helpful? Yes No Rat-Bite Fever  General Diseases: Lyme Disease Home Lyme Disease General Diseases: Lyme Disease Dog General Diseases and Symptoms Quick Links Lyme Disease Overview Lyme Disease Symptoms Low Energy Dog Lyme disease started to be widely spread in 1975 in the State of Connecticut. It is spread by ticks that attach themselves to a host and then spread the lyme bacteria. In a minority of cases the tick spreads a parasite. Both people and dogs can contract lyme tick. The disease cannot be spread between dogs and humans and can only be contracted when bitten by a deer tick. Canine Lyme Disease Symptoms are seen in states with large infected tick populations as indicated above. Source: Washington State University89% of the cases of lyme disease have been diagnosed in the Eastern United States, West to Chicago, Wisconsin and Mid-Atlantic states. Researchers aren't clear as to whether or not dogs that have had lyme disease can be re-infected. Ticks that are infected fall off deer and then attach themselves to your dog when she walks by. Many dogs that live in areas with a high incidence of lyme infections, test positive for the disease, but do not show any canine lyme disease symptoms (asymptomatic). In most cases treatment is not recommended for these dogs, unless the dog is a breed that tends to be more sensitive to the disease (see below) or after testing has a high level of protein in the urine. Protein could be a sign of other problems which can be triggered by the lyme such as kidney and joint problems. It is believed this is due to what is known as an auto-immune response, where the body incorrectly attacks itself, believing it is attacking a diseased cell vs. healthy cells. A recent Cornell University study showed that canine lyme disease symptoms in Beagle puppies that were exposed didn't appear until 2 to 5 months after they were exposed to the lyme bacteria. They showed lyme disease dog symptoms for 4 days which went away with no treatment needed. If left untreated, lyme disease can cause canine arthritis, kidney problems and heart muscle inflammation (myocarditis). Ticks need 24 hours on the host dog for your dog to be infected. Prompt removal of ticks will help to prevent your dog from getting the disease. See our guide to dog tick pictures if you know what the tick that attached itself to your dog looks like. The easiest way to differentiate between ticks is by the color of the legs and the shape and color of the back. Lyme disease is transmitted by a tick with black legs, while other diseases, such as rocky mountain fever, are spread by ticks with brown legs. The lonestar tick has a distinctive white dot on the back (spread ehrlichiosis and tularemia). Lyme Disease Symptoms in Dogs The most pronounced of the canine lyme disease symptoms is lameness in the legs. It will shift from one leg to the other (in humans you see a round rash with the tick in the center, this is not the case with dogs). Other symptoms include loss of appetite (anorexia), swelling in a leg that is near the tick bite, and lameness. In most cases symptoms are not severe. In rare cases the canine lyme disease symptoms could be more pronounced such as joint disease and kidney disease. Breeds that have an above average incidence of problems include Shelties and Retrievers (Golden, Labrador). Canine Lyme Disease Symptoms Dog Swollen Leg Joints Source: CDC, Levey How To Diagnosis of Canine Lyme Disease: A veterinarian will take a simple blood test (SNAP-3Dx, IDEXX) or ELISA test to determine if dog lyme disease exposure has taken place. A positive test result alone doesn't mean your dog has the illness. Other factors such as clinical symptoms such as arthritis are needed to confirm the diagnosis. If canine lyme disease is suspected, response to treatment will also contribute to making a final diagnosis. Treatment: Canine Lyme disease can be treated with a 1 month course of oral antibiotics (doxycycline). If your dog has a tick, then a topical cream is available to kill the tick before removal. A positive test result only means that your dog has been exposed to lyme, not that he or she actually has the disease. Also, it is possible to get a positive test that is not correct (a false positive). If your veterinarian suspects that this is the case, there are other tests that can be used to confirm the diagnosis (although these can also return a false positive result). There is also a homeopathic remedy available designed to provide added support after a tick bite. Pet Alive TF-Defense Formula is made specifically for the natural treatment of acute Lyme Disease or other Tick borne diseases in Pets. The manufacturer is a good source of information on natural approaches to restoring your dog's health. Removing a Tick from Your Dog To remove a tick pull the tick by the head with a pair of tweezers. Pull straight from the dog without twisting in one slow and steady motion. Do not pull from the body to avoid squeezing the tick and injecting more bacteria into your dog's body. Be sure to clean the area of the bite and treat with an antiseptic. For more information see our guide on removing ticks from dogs. Picture of How to Remove a Tick From a Dog Prevention: A vaccine is available to prevent lyme disease. Discuss with your veterinarian if you live in a high risk area. There are also products that help to keep ticks off your dog as described below: Type Brands to Consider Topical Frontline, FRONTLINE Plus and Advantix are easily applied along the back of your dog 1x per month. Provides repellent protection and kills existing ticks. Easily applied every 30 days. Collars Easy solution that lasts 3 months. Must be sure that collar fits well (should be able to slip 2 fingers under collar). Popular brands include Preventic, Bio Spot and Virbac. Shampoos Kills ticks while giving your dog a bath. Should be used with other products that repel ticks. Sprays Spray directly on your dog's coat. Kills ticks and protects for two months. FRONTLINE Spray Treatment is a popular choice. See our complete guide to dog tick products and other canine tick diseases. Previous Section Home Page Next Section Pictures of Ticks  Mast cells and Lyme Mast cells and Lyme Lyme can be thought of as a disease of inflammation. It has been established that small numbers of spirochetes can cause inflammation and symptoms referable to the infected organ. Usually when we talk about immune reactions to infection we are talking about innate immune responses and acquired immune responses. The innate immune system, innately recognizes foreign, unwanted antigens and attacks them with ready-made defenses which include killer T cells and complement fixation. The acquired immune responses process involves an elegant system which “reads” the antigens (histocompatibility molecules/ antigen presenting cells) leading to the production of specific antibodies which mark the antigen, with laser like precision, for destruction. This process involves chemical mediators: chemokines and cytokines, helper T cells, killer T cells, B cells, macrophages and a host of other blood cells which partake in this incredibly complex process. But alas, I have been missing something all along. Mast cells? We know that the related eosinophils, basophils along with mast cells cause allergic symptoms and participate in the killing worms and parasites. But they do much more. I recently met with a patient in my office. When I met this young woman several years ago she looked terrified. She had made the rounds, been to countless doctors who had been unable to help her. She was doubtful that I would be able to offer any help. She suffered with a complex multisystem disorder, as do many of my patients. She presented with evidence of Lyme and coinfections and was treated accordingly. She suffered with severe weakness and dizziness. Additional testing revealed she suffered with POTS syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. This disorder has been discussed elsewhere. This condition presents as an “autonomic neuropathy.” The cardiac manifestation are well known. This disorder can have protean other effects which include dysfunction of the gastrointestinal system. In her case she was intolerant of nearly all foods. She developed poor motility affecting her entire digestive tract. She experienced terrible pain and bloating with each meal. She struggle to maintain her weight and a marginally acceptable nutritional status. The most aggressive Lyme and POTS therapy failed to quell the severely dysfunctional gastrointestinal system. This went on for years. Each day brought indescribable misery. I was at a loss for what to do. But something remarkable happened the other day. With a broad smile she said she was tolerating and enjoying many foods, all because she had started a new medicine, ketotifen. This had been added for a suspected mast cell disorder. Mast cell activation disorder relates to a different kind of inflammation, one that can cause chronic, multisystem disease which remits and relapses displaying unpredictable and diverse symptoms. This disorder is discussed in detail by Dr. Afrin, a hematologist in 2013. His treatise was describing something that sounded like Lyme disease. This disorder presents as a “mystery diagnosis” which takes 10 years or more on average to diagnose. Patients are typically diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder rather than a physical one. These patients, like Lyme patients report bizarre symptoms and unusual constellations of symptoms. The author describes repetitious patterns which he learned to recognize over time. When we look at a CBC, the most commonly ordered routine test, we find that white blood cells are broken down into various types. We usually pay no attention no basophils which may be seen in 0-2% of circulating blood cells. Eosinophils, which we associate with allergies and parasitic diseases may draw our attention. Basophil and eosinophils are part of a category of blood cells are granulocytes. When these cells rupture histamine, heparin and many other immune-active, vasoactive and inflammatory substances are released into the blood stream. Mast cells are essentially stationary, tissue basophils found in all the tissues of our bodies to varying degrees. These cells may rupture inappropriately, in a wide range of tissues causing the diverse symptoms alluded to. These cells play an important role in our immune system when things are functioning properly. These cells participate in the killing of an array of pathogens, not just worms, as we may have thought. A published study suggests that Borrelia burgdorferi is a good activator of mast cells. It is probably unrelated, but tick bites have a unique property of attracting large numbers of mast cells. Histamine is the substance of greatest clinical importance. Ketotifen, the above mentioned drug, is both an antihistamine and a mast cell stabilizer. Mast cell stabilizers are sometimes used for the treatment of typical allergies. These agents stop mast cells from rupturing and releasing their toxic granules. Ketotifen, alluded to above, is not available in the U. S. but can be obtained via compounding pharmacies. Treatment of “mast cell activation disorder” can be challenging. What works for one patient may not work for another. Drugs which may be effective include antihistamines. There are two types of histamine receptors, H1 and H2. H1 is associated with typical seasonal allergies and H2 receptors stimulate the production as gastric acid. Common H1 blockers include Benadryl, Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec. Common H2 blockers include Zantac and Pepcid. One drug from each category is used in combination. Benzodiazepine sedatives like Xanax and Ativan are also used for mast cell stabilization. NSAIDS may be helpful. Cromolyn is the best known mast stabilizer and it is available in a number of forms including oral Gastrocrom. Ketotifen is a valuable agent. Numerous other treatments exist. Patients are not cured but their symptoms are managed. As with Lyme, laboratory tests for the disorder have limited value. Positive results are more likely to be found during a flare-up. The most common test ordered is a measurement of serum tryptase and histamine levels. In summary, mast cell activation disorder, MCAD and Lyme can appear identical and Lyme may be a cause of MCAD. Diagnosing and treating this disorder can be invaluable. Posted by Lyme report: Montgomery County, MD at 2:13 PM  How to Recognize Lyme Disease Symptoms Expert Reviewed How to Recognize Lyme Disease Symptoms Three Methods: Identifying Initial Symptoms of Lyme Disease Recognizing Long-Term Symptoms of Lyme Disease Knowing Important Lyme Disease Facts Community Q&AIf you’ve spent time outdoors in areas where ticks carrying Lyme disease are common (in particular the Northeastern part of the United States), [1] be on the lookout for any symptoms associated with Lyme disease. You may not know you’ve been bitten! Make sure you’re able to recognize the symptoms of Lyme disease as soon as they arise. Lyme disease is usually treatable with a course of antibiotics, so see your doctor for a professional diagnosis as soon as any symptoms arise. [2]  Lyme Disease Rash Lyme Disease Rash Lyme Disease Rash One symptom of Lyme disease is a red rash (called erythema migrans). The rash usually starts as a small red area and then expands over several days. The rash occurs at the site of the tick bite and usually gets bigger over time. Sometimes the rash clears in the center, so that it looks like a bull's- eye. Continue Reading Belowyou might like SLIDESHOWLyme Disease Slideshow Web MD's Lyme Disease Slideshow provides up-close pictures of Lyme disease rashes and the ticks that can carry the disease, along with information on symptoms at each stage of the disease, the diagnostic testing used, common treatments, and essential prevention measures. About half the people infected with Lyme disease develop the rash within 4 weeks. The rash usually isn't painful or itchy. It fades within 4 weeks, even without treatment for Lyme disease. Credits By Healthwise Staff Primary Medical Reviewer E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Specialist Medical Reviewer Christine Hahn, MD - Epidemiology Current as of May 22, 2015Web MD Medical Reference from Healthwise This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information. © 1995-2015 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.  Stages of Lyme Disease Stages of Lyme Disease Topic Overview Media Gallery (1 picture)Learn more about Lyme Disease Rash Lyme disease can go through several stages. It may cause different symptoms, depending on how long you have been infected and where in your body the infection has spread. Stage 1: Early localized Lyme disease (1 to 4 weeks)Early localized Lyme disease develops days to weeks after you become infected. You may have: An expanding, circular red rash (erythema migrans). Flu-like symptoms, with or without the rash. The symptoms include: Lack of energy. Headache and stiff neck. Fever and chills. Muscle and joint pain. Swollen lymph nodes. In some cases of Lyme disease, the person doesn't notice any symptoms during this stage. Stage 2: Early disseminated infection (1 to 4 months)If Lyme disease isn't found and treated while early symptoms are present, or if you don't have early symptoms that trigger the need for treatment, the infection may affect the skin, joints, nervous system, and heart within weeks to months after the initial infection. Symptoms may include: An expanding, circular rash at the site of the bite. More rashes may appear on other parts of your body as the infection spreads. Pain, weakness, or numbness in the arms or legs. Not being able to use the muscles of the face. Headaches or fainting that continues to happen. Poor memory and reduced ability to concentrate. Conjunctivitis (pinkeye) or sometimes damage to deep tissue in the eyes. Brief episodes of pain, redness, and swelling in one or more large joints-most often the knee. Joint problems are common. Occasional rapid heartbeats ( palpitations) or, in rare cases, serious heart problems. Late persistent Lyme disease If Lyme disease isn't promptly or effectively treated, damage to the joints, nerves, and brain may develop months or years after you become infected. It is the last and often the most serious stage of the disease. Symptoms at this stage may include: Arthritis that most often affects the knee. A small number of people eventually get 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. Numbness and tingling in the hands, feet, or back. Feeling very tired. Not being able to control the muscles of the face. Problems with memory, mood, or sleep, and sometimes problems speaking. Heart problems, which are rare but can occur months to even years after you are bitten by an infected tick. The most serious heart problems-such as inflammation of the structures surrounding the heart ( pericarditis )-usually resolve without any lifelong damage. Unfortunately, heart problems can be the first sign of Lyme disease in a small number of people who didn't have early symptoms. Stage 2 and stage 3 symptoms may be the first signs of Lyme disease in people who didn't have a rash or other symptoms of early infection. Top of Page Related Information Current as of: March 3, 2017Author: Healthwise Staff Medical Review: E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & Christine Hahn, MD - Epidemiology & W. David Colby IV, MSc, MD, FRCPC - Infectious Disease  Leg Pain and Lyme Leg Pain and Lyme Treato found 489 discussions about Lyme and Leg Pain on the web. Symptoms and conditions also mentioned with Leg Pain in patients' discussions Pain Tiredness Back Pain Cramping Numbness Headaches Swelling Weakness Insomnia Depression ... Lyme About Leg Pain242,703 discussions About Lyme479,188 discussions Lyme disease is a bacterial infection you get from the bite of an infected tick. The first symptom is usually a red rash, which may look like a bull's eye. But not all people with Lyme disease have a rash. As the infection spreads to other parts of the body, you may have Read more on Medline Plus.gov. See more about Leg Pain Lyme Discussions around the web Filter by Gender M FRole Patient Caregiver Age All Add topic We found 489 discussions Share your experience Mark as question Last night I was this website, The Treat Lyme Book. February 24, 2017 | healingwell.com" Last night I was this website, The Treat Lyme Book. I watched a video by Dr. MR who was calling into question the DNA Connexion test. ... The LLMD I'm seeing says without a doubt my issues are due to Lyme. So far I am handling the treatment ok other than increased leg pain that comes and goes. Probably way too early to... "Comment Helpful? Save She began the complaints of leg aches, foot and ankle pain,September 12, 2012 | latitudes.org" The only thing I have seen differenly with my daughter's herxing since ... Under normal conditions you would think your son couldn't possibly have gotten it since he is on so many antibiotics but then again, he has gotten strep before on antibiotics. ... I feel your pain.....we cut back on the lyme antibiotics to try to decrease the herx reaction two weeks ago but so far she is still going full force. "Comment Helpful? Save I am by no means bedridden but I am unable to work because ... January 25, 2004 | healthboards.com" Has it been proven that mosquitos, horseflies and chiggers can not carry lyme. I dont know what ... I am by no means bedridden but I am unable to work because of my woozyness/spaciness 24/7. I have dealt with the leg pain for several years. How can a person ... I think a shot of rocephen is like $25.00 but the magical rocephen used to treat lyme is in the $35,000.00 range. Sorry for sounding negitive.... "Comment Helpful? Save Actually someone posted on the freq dose chel group earlier ... May 11, 2005 | curezone.com" Actually someone posted on the freq dose chel group earlier talking about her leg pain induced by chelation side effects, and relieved by saunas. ...feel mighty sick after a suana - allegedly the Lyme spirochetes hate high heat! ...dose chelation board and adult chelation boards who are treating for both metal and Lyme at the same time... according to the alternative health world - they very related! "Comment Helpful? Save One of the things that has improved by treating the ... July 13, 2015 | healingwell.com" I am improving, I hate to get all excited because it seems as soon as I do I feel bad again, Lyme & Co have a way of tricking you. ... I am currently on IV Rocephin, will be done as far as I know on the 23rd. I stopped taking the LYme protocol because I was having some herxing I didn't like at all, I just on Friday decided to add in the Bart and Babs herb, Sida Acuta, I had purchased awhile ago and... "Comment Helpful? Save Have some pain in my legs, which is my primary ongoing ... March 9, 2014 | healingwell.com" Have some ... I'm taking Rifampin and Biaxin, but so far nothing has helped with the pain yet. I'm wondering, could this be a herx ? Does this mean my body is somehow capable of detoxing during the night but not during the day? I've been dx with lyme and bart, but seeing as how I've been on 4 different abx without any noticeable improvement yet, I'm starting to wonder if I'm basically just hosed : ( "Comment Helpful? Save There has been some minor leg pain but OCD is his ... February 14, 2015 | latitudes.org" He was positive for strep and mycoplasma but I think those are under control after various antibiotics. He recently tested positive for Lyme, which is something that, I have read, can get worse with steroids. We are just beginning ... There has been some minor leg pain but OCD is his main symptom. As you probably know, ... Which immune tests were done - how about Ig G subclasses and such? "Comment Helpful? Save I only get relief when asleep. I get alot of tingling pains ... December 29, 2017 | healingwell.com" Does Lyme / Bart cause tongue to tingle, mild but constant, plus jaw/chin feels like tremors or tingling all day, very fine but there! ... I only get relief when asleep. I get alot of tingling ... Does successful treatment resolve this please? Thanks for any feedback Also does the Lyme affect your digestion,as l feel either starving hungry, or totally not interested in eating,by turns "Comment Helpful? Save He had a triple bypass within two years, history of Lyme ... February 27, 2017 | healthcaremagic.com" Suggest treatment for persistent leg pain in an elderly person My brother in law is 64 and s started having pain in his hip and his legs then shoulders and arms and hands . It started one day in the hips and ... He had a triple bypass within two years, history of Lyme disease, history of a heavy smoker and drinker but now just choose tobacco. EKG recently and within... "Comment Helpful? Save Hi I have had lyme disease since 1991.| remedyspot.com" Hi I have had lyme disease since 1991. I was just recently dx November of 1999. I am having great difficulty with leg pain. I am presently on oxycontin 10 mg Bid and roxicet for break thru pain. Please respond and leyt me know if this... "Comment Helpful? Save1 2 3 Next  Early Lyme Disease Share Image courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control Early in the infection, Lyme disease may feel like the flu: fever, sore muscles, headache and fatigue. Some people may develop a highly distinctive rash, which may look like a bull’s-eye. However, many people with Lyme never knew they were bitten and never developed a rash. The CDC reports that rashes occur in 60-80% of cases. However, the true incidence of rash is unknown because no definitive studies on humans have been done. (It wouldn’t be ethical to infect people with Lyme just to see if they develop a rash.) In Lyme Disease.org’s survey of 3000 patients with chronic Lyme, 40% reported a rash. Most of the time the rash is an ordinary red area; however if it is a “bull’s-eye” shape with a darker edge, it is a definite sign of Lyme disease and needs immediate treatment. Unfortunately this distinctive rash occurs in less than 10% of those who contract Lyme disease. (Smith, 2002) When present, the Lyme rash is more likely to be diffuse. It starts a few days or even several weeks after the bite and then expands over a period of days or weeks to several inches across, perhaps with a central clearing. Untreated, it can last for weeks before fading, or it may fade and recur. The rash may have an irregular shape, blistering or a scabby appearance. Some rashes look like a bruise. Lyme rashes may resemble spider bites, ringworm, or cellulitis. Multiple, so-called “satellite” rashes may appear on different parts of the body. If you develop a rash, take a photo of it and see a doctor as soon as possible. Other symptoms of early Lyme disease may include a fever, headache, fatigue, or muscle aches. Unfortunately, diagnostic testing is unreliable in the early stages of infection, often giving false negatives. Treatment should not be delayed pending a positive test result if the suspicion of Lyme disease is high (exposure, tick bite, possible rash). Lyme Disease.org has developed a Lyme disease symptom checklist to help you document your and your children’s exposure to Lyme disease and common symptoms for your healthcare provider. You will receive a report that you can print out and take with you to your next doctor’s appointment. Check Your Symptoms« Previous Page Lyme Disease Symptoms Next Page » Chronic Lyme Disease  When Lyme Disease Symptoms Linger When Lyme Disease Symptoms Linger By Kathleen Doheny. Medically reviewed by Tom Iarocci, MD. May 7th 2016Lyme disease, caused by bacteria transmitted through the bite of infected ticks, can bring on a host of troublesome symptoms: fever, headache, fatigue and a red, circular skin rash. Once diagnosed, usually by noting symptoms and getting a blood test that detects antibodies to the bacteria, doctors typically prescribe antibiotics for two to four weeks. Left untreated, Lyme infection can be bad news for the joints, the heart and the nervous system. Most people feel better after finishing these antibiotics, but approximately 10 to 20 percent don't. This smaller percentile still reports symptoms weeks, months or even years later. Some patients report they are so disabled that they cannot work or do other normal, everyday activities. Experts are baffled, still trying to find out why symptoms persist in some and why other cases of Lyme disease linger in others. What is Post-treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome? While many call this problem ''chronic Lyme disease,'' a more accurate term is post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS), according to the CDC. PTLDS is a better term because it reflects the uncertainty about the cause of the lingering symptoms, according to John Halperin, MD, chair of neurosciences at Overlook Medical Center in Summit, N. J., and professor of neurology and medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, N. Y. Most experts believe the lingering symptoms are due to damage done to the body's tissues and immune system by the original infection. However, other experts say the symptoms are due to persistent and active infection. One thing experts agree on, however: The condition of lingering Lyme disease symptoms definitely exists. The main issue, Halperin explains, is that experts don't know why the symptoms persist in only some people, resulting in uncertainty about how to help. Clues About Lingering Symptoms of Lyme Disease Ongoing research has produced some clues: Depression most likely does not explain PTLDS. While a substantial number of those with Lyme disease have symptoms of depression, most do not. So, focusing on depression as an explanation for lingering Lyme symptoms is misguided, says Halperin. A person's ''resilience'' — the ability to respond to stressors that are both physical and psychological — does seem to predict how well and how quickly someone infected with Lyme disease will ''bounce back." In fact, in one study, the Lyme disease patients with the highest levels of resilience when first diagnosed were more likely to recover fully after the initial treatment. Experts say that how resilient you are depends on both learned behaviors and biological mechanisms. Resilience is a psychological characteristic of an individual, and it’s thought to be intertwined with how much “positive affect” (i.e., feeling upbeat and often expressing gratitude) a person has prior to suffering from the acute symptoms. Those who were lower in positive affect were more likely to develop persistent symptoms. Take the Next Steps For now, doctors caring for those with PTLDS may offer them the same treatment options as they do for patients with chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia, according to the CDC, as some symptoms are similar. Those treatments include individualizing the treatment plan and using as few drugs as possible. There are further suggestions to consider: Always consult your doctor after performing your own research online or elsewhere. On addition, check in with your doctor to ensure you are not suffering any ailments other than Lyme disease that may be causing your symptoms. Be aware that very lengthy, prolonged courses of antibiotics have not resulted in lasting benefits for patients and have been linked with complications. Most patients do tend to recover from PTLDS, although a full recuperation may take months. Focus on getting enough sleep and eating a healthy diet, then track your symptoms to see if you notice improvement. Halperin encourages patients to gradually increase their physical activity: "Try to reprogram yourself to get back to a more normal life.”For Caregivers If you suspect a loved one may have PTLDS, here are ways to help: Encourage the loved one to check in with a doctor to rule out other problems that might explain the symptoms, such as another medical condition or depression. Suggest eating a healthy diet, getting enough rest and regular exercise routine. Suggest seeking help from a counselor for more support.  Is Lyme disease serious? Peter De Lucia Health Education Lyme disease can be very serious if left untreated; there are several warning signs and symptoms to be aware of if you recently removed a tick from your body. In this video, public health specialist Peter De Lucia, MPA, explains what to look for. Honor Society of Nursing (STTI)Administration Lyme disease is serious. It can lead to permanent and significant problems. Left untreated, Lyme disease can lead to cardiac and nervous system problems. Thinking abilities such as memory and concentration may be affected. Furthermore, arthritis can develop, causing pain and swelling in the joints. Nerve damage and paralysis of the muscles in the face may also occur. Continue Learning about Lyme Disease Related to Lyme Disease Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs. Trending on Sharecare  How to Spot the Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs Dog Diseases & Disorders Dogs Dog Health & Wellness How to Spot the Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs The Signs, Diagnosis and Treatment By Lianne Mc Leod, DVMUpdated 04/04/17Share Pin Email Blood-engorged Deer Tick. Getty - Moment / Eric Lowenbach Related: Lyme Disease in Cats About Lyme Disease Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi and is spread by ticks. Ticks become infected with the bacteria by feeding on infected mice and other small animals. When an infected tick bites other animals, it can transmit the bacteria to these animals. Lyme disease is transmitted by the deer tick (blacklegged tick) and a small group of other closely related ticks. The deer tick is small and may bite animals and people without being detected. Lyme disease affects a variety of species, including dogs, cats, and people. Up to 95 percent of dogs infected with B. burgdorferi do not develop symptoms (people are much more likely to become ill with Lyme disease). There is no evidence that Lyme disease is spread by direct contact with infected animals. However, keep in mind that ticks can hitch a ride home on your pets and move on to the humans in the household. Risk Factors Dogs that spend a lot of time outdoors, especially in the woods, bush, or areas of tall grass are most commonly infected with Lyme disease. However, ticks can be carried into yards on other animals, and dogs can become infected anywhere ticks are found. Infections occur during tick season (usually spring through early fall), but the time between infection and the appearance of Lyme disease symptoms can be up to 2-5 months. Lyme disease is seen across the US and in many other parts of the world. In the US. Lyme disease is most common in the northeastern US, along the Pacific coast, and in the midwest. Signs of Lyme Disease When clinical signs do develop, they may be transient or recurrent, and can include: Fever. Decreased appetite. Swollen, painful joints (dogs may be reluctant to move). Lameness — limping which may be mild at first, then worsen, and may also shift from one leg to another. Lethargy. Swollen lymph nodes. Some dogs with Lyme disease may develop kidney disease. Signs of kidney disease may include depression, vomiting, loss of appetite, and increased thirst and urination (sometimes a lack of urination will develop). Dogs who develop kidney disease can become very ill and may not respond to treatment. Neurological disease (behavioral changes, seizures) and heart complications, which are sometimes seen in humans, are rare in dogs. Diagnosis of Lyme Disease The diagnosis of Lyme disease must be based on a combination of factors, including history (tick exposure), clinical signs, finding antibodies to B. burgdorferi bacteria, and a quick response to treatment with antibiotics. A positive antibody test is not enough to make a diagnosis on its own, because not all dogs that are exposed to B. burgdorferi get sick, and antibodies can persist in the blood for a long time after exposure. Other diagnostic testing, such as blood and urine tests, x-rays, and sampling of joint fluid, may be done to check for signs of kidney disease and to rule out other conditions with similar signs and symptoms. Treating Lyme Disease Treatment with antibiotics usually produces a rapid improvement in symptoms (antibiotics will be continued for a few weeks). Treatment may not completely clear the bacteria, but produces a state where no symptoms are present (similar to the condition in dogs that don't have symptoms from infection). Kidney disease may develop some time after the initial infection, so is it a good idea to regularly check for excess protein in the urine of dogs that have had Lyme disease. Catching the kidney disease early in its course offers the best prognosis. If kidney disease is present, a longer course of antibiotics along with additional medications to treat the kidney disease is usually necessary. Preventing Lyme Disease Tick Control Tick control is extremely important for the prevention of Lyme disease (and many other diseases that can be transmitted by ticks). Check your dog daily for ticks and remove them as soon as possible, since ticks must feed for at least 12 hours (possibly 24-48 hours) before transmitting the bacteria causing Lyme disease. This is especially important in peak tick season and after your dog spends time in the bush or tall grass (consider avoiding these areas in tick season). Products that prevent ticks such as monthly parasite preventatives (e.g., Frontline®, Revolution®) or tick collars (e.g., Preventic®) can be used; be sure to follow your veterinarian 's advice when using these products. Keep grass and brush trimmed in your yard, and in areas where ticks are a serious problem, you can also consider treating your yard for ticks. Vaccines for Lyme Disease Vaccination against Lyme disease is a controversial topic and is something that should be discussed in depth with your veterinarian. Many specialists do not recommend routine vaccination because so few dogs actually develop symptoms of lyme disease, and when Lyme disease does occur in dogs, it is usually readily treated. Additionally, because the arthritis and kidney problems associated with Lyme disease are at least partly related to the immune response to the bacteria (rather than the bacteria itself), there is concern that vaccination may contribute to problems. Vaccination is also not 100 percent effective, and it's only helpful in dogs that have not already been exposed to B. burgdorferi. However, vaccination before exposure can help prevent dogs from getting Lyme disease and also prevent them from becoming a carrier of the the bacteria. Where vaccines are used, it is usually recommended to start vaccinating dogs as young puppies (e.g. at around 12 weeks, with a booster 2-4 weeks later). The vaccine does not provide long lasting immunity, so annual re-vaccination (ideally before tick season) is necessary. The recombinant form of the vaccine is considered to have less potential for side effects than the bacteria form of the vaccine. Please note: this article has been provided for informational purposes only. If your pet is showing any signs of illness, please consult a veterinarian as quickly as possible.  What Will Climate Change Mean for Lyme Disease? What Will Climate Change Mean for Lyme Disease? Show Caption Author: Theresa Bednar This case study is part of a collection of pages developed by students in the 2012 introductory-level Geology and Human Health course in the Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University. Learn more about this project. The first case of Lyme disease to be reported in the United States was in the town of Lyme, Connecticut, in 1975. The disease is caused by a bite of a deer tick ( Ixodes scapularis) leading to a bacterial infection ( Borrelia burgdorferi). With the impending changes to the climate, scientists expect to see the reported cases of Lyme disease to increase, as well as the disease to be able to occur in areas it previously had not. Arming yourself with knowledge of the signs and symptoms of the infection is paramount for those who spend time outdoors. Introduction Show Caption Historically, Lyme disease is heavily present in the Northeastern United States due to its moderate climate. The feeding period of these ticks in the northeast is being prolonged due to the extended summer temperatures, allowing more time for uninfected larval ticks to become a carrier of the Lyme disease-causing bacteria. Researchers at Yale University have seen clear implications that as the planet warms, more reports of Lyme disease will be expected in the upper Midwest to match the amount of cases in the upper Northeast. Yale study (Yale University. "The Season Of Ticks: Could Climate Change Worsen Lyme Disease?" Science Daily, 27 Apr. 2009. Web. 6 Nov. 2012. )Show Caption Borrelia burgdorferi Borrelia burgdorferi is the name of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. The nymphal deer tick is the carrier of this pathogen, contracting it from its blood meal. Following the bite of a pathogen carrying tick, the bacteria enters the bloodstream and the victim becomes infected. As the image to the left shows the B. burgdorferi has a spiral shape, this allows the pathogen to drill through the tissue of the victim, enabling the bacteria to travel throughout the body. More on B. burgdorferi Transportation of Lyme Disease Show Caption Deer ticks have an average two year life span, with three main life stages (shown in the image to the right) larval, nymphal and adult. They obtain one meal consisting of blood during each main life phase in order to survive. If the source of their meal is infected with the Lyme disease-causing bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi) then it is passed onto the tick. In the tick's nymphal stage, it passes the infection to its next meal source - a human or other animal. This feeding cycle is seasonal and innately influenced by climate. How Lyme Enters the Food Chain When the larval deer tick is born it is not born as a carrier of the disease. The ticks need to obtain sustenance in order to survive, this nutrition comes in the form of a blood meal which they obtain by sucking the blood of other animals. If the larval tick gets a blood meal from a deer or in a more likely case, a mouse already carrying the disease, the larval tick is then infected with B. burgdorferi. In order to reach the next phase of the tick's life,the tick must obtain another blood meal in it's nymphal stage, and in the feeding process the tick passes the pathogen on to its meal source, which in some cases is a human. The human will, as a result, become a host for the pathogen. Deer have been the main suspect in being the carrier of the B. burgdorferi, but research shows that this may not be the case because the deer has the ability to flush the disease out of its system. The new suspect is the white-footed mouse, whose body does not entirely dispose of the bacteria. Predators, Prey and Lyme Disease. Climate Change: What it Means for Lyme Disease Climate change will have the following effects on Lyme disease: An acceleration of the tick's developmental cycle, a prolonged developmental cycle, increased egg production, increased population density, and a broader range of risk areas. The ideal habitat for these disease-carrying ticks is one with 85% humidity and a temperature higher than 45°F. The tick finds a suitable microclimate by using its thermoreceptors. Once the larvae have molted into the nymphal stage, the winter forces them to remain dormant until spring. An adult tick no longer needs to hibernate during the winter, so these ticks may become active on warm winter days, yielding a larger nymph population the following year. With an earlier winter thawing, nymphal-staged ticks will become active sooner. The warmer winters will also allow for a higher survival rate of the white-footed mouse, a popular host for the ticks, meaning an increased tick population in the spring and summer. Signs and Symptoms of Lyme Show caption At the site of the tick bite will be a "bullseye" shaped rash (called erythema migrans) and the rash will grow in size over a few days. Some people do not remember having a tick bite or rash. Such rashes should be a Lyme disease suspect if they occur in the summer months. The symptoms within the first few weeks of being bitten include: flu-like symptoms, fever and chills, extreme fatigue, headaches, muscle and joint pain. The symptoms over 1-4 months can include: Extreme fatigue, additional skin rashes as the infection spreads, numbness in arms and legs, "brain fog", inability to control muscles in the face, and heart palpations. For a late diagnosis the symptoms may include: inflammation of the joints, numbness and tingling in hands, feet or back, severe fatigue, partial facial nerve paralysis, problems with memory, mood or sleep. Heart, nervous system and joint symptoms are among the first signs of the disease in people who did not have a rash. Treatment The disease is treated with various antibiotics depending on the stage of the infection. There is an oral antibiotic for early-stage Lyme disease. The usual antibiotic for adults and children over the age of 8 is Doxycycline or Amoxicillin or Cefuroxime for adults, younger children and pregnant or breast feeding women. The recommended dosage is 2 to 3 weeks of the antibiotic. For more serious cases of Lyme disease, such as when the central nervous system is being disturbed, an intravenous antibiotic is used. The treatment lasts from 14 to 28 days. This treatment is more intense and is effective in eliminating the infection. More time taken to recover from symptoms is expected. There are, however, side effects that come with this more intense treatment, including lower white blood cell count, mild to severe diarrhea, and possible infection of antibiotic-resistant organisms unrelated to Lyme. In some cases people still experience symptoms of the disease after the treatment has been completed. Muscle aches and fatigue still persist and the cause of these continuing symptoms is still unknown. Some researchers believe that people who have been infected with Lyme are predisposed to other auto-immune diseases that are responsible for their current symptoms. Lyme Disease Research Recommended Readings Effect of Climate Change on Lyme Disease Risk in North America A scientific journal on the topic. Under Our Skin A documentary on the controversy of Lyme disease and the struggles and triumphs of those infected with the disease. Related Links Lyme Disease Rash Quiz Lyme Disease Association Centers For Disease Control and Prevention« Chromium and its negative effects on the environment Asbestos at Thetford Mines, Quebec Canada »  Lyme Disease (Tick-borne borreliosis, Lyme arthritis) Fact Sheet You are Here: Home Page > Lyme Disease Index Page > Lyme Disease (Tick-borne borreliosis, Lyme arthritis) Fact Sheet Lyme Disease (Tick-borne borreliosis, Lyme arthritis) Fact Sheet Last Reviewed: July 2017What is Lyme disease? Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and is spread to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks (or deer ticks). Not all deer ticks are infected with the bacteria. Lyme disease can affect people of any age. A vaccine for Lyme disease is not currently available. Lyme disease is the most prevalent tick-borne disease in New York and has been reportable since 1986. Who gets Lyme disease? Lyme disease can affect people of any age. People who spend time outdoors in activities such as camping, hiking, golfing, or working or playing in grassy and wooded environments are at increased risk of exposure. The chances of being bitten by a deer tick are greater during times of the year when ticks are most active. Ticks can be active any time the temperature is above 45° F. Young deer ticks, called nymphs, are active from mid-May to mid-August and are about the size of poppy seeds. Adult ticks are most active from March to mid-May and from mid-August to November and are about the size of sesame seeds. Both nymphs and adults can spread Lyme disease. Infected deer ticks can be found throughout New York State. How is Lyme disease spread? Not all deer ticks are infected with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Ticks can become infected if they feed on animals such as mice and other mammals that are infected. The disease can be spread when an infected tick bites a person and stays attached for a period of time. In general, the tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours or more. Lyme disease does not spread from one person to another. Transfer of the bacteria from an infected pregnant woman to her fetus is extremely rare. What are the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease? Early symptoms usually appear within 3 to 30 days after the bite of an infected tick. In 60-80 percent of cases, a circular bull's eye rash about two inches in diameter, called erythema migrans, appears and expands around or near the site of the tick bite. Sometimes, multiple rash sites appear. One or more of the following symptoms usually mark the early stage of Lyme disease: chills and fever, headache, fatigue, stiff neck, muscle and/or joint pain, and swollen glands. If Lyme disease is unrecognized or untreated in the early stage, more severe symptoms may occur. As the disease progresses, severe fatigue, a stiff aching neck, and tingling or numbness in the arms and legs, or facial paralysis can occur. The most severe symptoms of Lyme disease may not appear until weeks, months or years after the tick bite. These can include severe headaches, painful arthritis, swelling of the joints, and heart and central nervous system problems. How is Lyme disease diagnosed? Symptoms and possible tick bite exposure may cause a health care provider to suspect Lyme disease. If suspected, lab tests can be performed to confirm diagnosis. What is the treatment for Lyme disease? Patients treated with antibiotics in the early stages of Lyme disease usually recover quickly and completely. Antibiotics commonly used for treatment include doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime axetil. Patients with certain neurologic or cardiac forms of illness may require additional treatment. It is important to speak with your health care provider if you think you might have Lyme disease. The best treatment for Lyme disease is prevention and awareness. Does past infection with Lyme disease make a person immune? Lyme disease is a bacterial infection. Even if successfully treated, a person may become re-infected if bitten later by another infected tick. What can be done to prevent Lyme disease? The best prevention of Lyme disease is through awareness. Generally, ticks cannot jump or fly onto a person. They wait in vegetation and cling to animals and humans when they brush by. When in a potentially tick-infested habitat (wooded and grassy areas) take special care to prevent tick bites, such as wearing light-colored clothing (for easy tick discovery) and tucking pants into socks and shirt into pants. Check after every 2 to 3 hours of outdoor activity for ticks on clothing or skin. Brush off any ticks on clothing or skin before skin attachment occurs. A thorough check of body surfaces for attached ticks should be done at the end of the day. If removal of attached ticks occurs within 36 hours, the risk of tick-borne infection is minimal. For proper tick removal, please watch the video at Tick removal. A vaccine for Lyme disease is not currently available. Insect repellents can be effective at reducing bites from ticks that can spread disease. If you decide to use a repellent, use only what and how much you need for your situation. More information on repellents can be found at Environmental Protection Agency - insect-repellents. In addition: Be sure to follow label directions. Try to reduce the use of repellents by dressing in long sleeves and pants tucked into socks or boots. Children should only handle repellents with adult supervision. Adults should apply repellents to their own hands first and then gently spread on the child's exposed skin. Avoid applying directly to children's hands. After returning indoors, wash your child's treated skin and clothing with soap and water or give the child a bath. Do not apply near eyes, nose or mouth and use sparingly around ears. After returning indoors, wash treated skin with soap and water. Domestic animals can carry ticks into areas where you live so it is important to check pets for ticks before they enter the home. How should a tick be removed? Grasp the mouthparts with tweezers as close as possible to the attachment (skin) site. Be careful not to squeeze, crush or puncture the body of the tick, which may contain infectious fluids. Pull firmly and steadily upward to remove the tick. After removing the tick, thoroughly disinfect the bite site and wash hands. The NYSDOH has created a video on proper tick removal ( Proper Tick removal) and a printable card with steps on how to remove ticks ( How to Remove a Tick Card ). See or call a doctor if there are concerns about incomplete tick removal. Do not attempt to remove ticks by using petroleum jelly, lit cigarettes or other home remedies because these may actually increase the chance of contracting a tick-borne disease. Actual size of a tick  Lyme Disease in Dogs Lyme Disease in Dogs Fri Mar 07 16:45:05 EST 2014Twitter Print Email IN THIS ARTICLEOverview Symptoms and Identification Affected Breeds Treatment Prevention Thinkstock Ticks cause a host of illnesses, including Lyme disease, which affects dogs and people alike. A bite from an infected tick can mean tiredness, fever, joint pain, and loss of appetite. Antibiotics generally provide relief from Lyme disease, but relapses can occur. Spot-on tick-control products can kill or repel ticks that carry Lyme disease, as can some tick collars. There is a Lyme disease vaccine for dogs, but it’s not always part of a dog’s routine vaccination protocol. Overview Lyme disease is one of a number of frustratingly common tick-borne diseases that are regarded by both veterinarians and human physicians as stubborn, insidious, and just plain problematic in a number of ways. An infection caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium, Lyme disease is transmitted through the bite of an infected tick and can affect many species, including dogs and humans. Ticks of the Ixodes species (called deer ticks) are known to transmit Lyme disease when they attach to a host and feed. Because the tick must be attached for at least 50 hours to transmit Lyme disease, frequent inspection for ticks (and quick removal) can reduce the risk of disease transmission. Lyme disease is more common in certain areas of the United States, including the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and upper Midwest. Symptoms and Identification Clinical signs may not appear for several months after a dog is infected with Lyme disease. In fact, many dogs fail to display any obvious clinical signs at all. When signs of infection are noted, they may include the following: Lethargy (manifested as tiredness or exercise intolerance)Fever Painful joints Loss of appetite Signs may seem to resolve on their own only to reappear later. Lyme disease has also been linked to long-term complications involving the joints, kidneys, heart, and nervous system. Lyme disease is usually diagnosed based on a medical history that includes the possibility of tick exposure, suspicious clinical signs, and results of diagnostic testing. Several tests can identify the Borrelia burgdorferi organism in blood or tissues. In addition, a test (called a quantitative C6 antibody test or QC6 antibody test) can measure the level of antibodies to help veterinarians determine whether treatment is recommended. However, many veterinarians test for Lyme disease using an in-hospital SNAP test. SNAP tests are a group of quick, convenient, blood tests that can be performed at your veterinarian’s office. There are various SNAP tests for different purposes: SNAP Heartworm RT Test: screens for heartworm infection SNAP 3Dx Test: simultaneously screens for heartworm disease, Lyme disease, and ehrlichiosis (another tick-borne disease that can affect dogs)SNAP 4Dx Test: simultaneously screens for heartworm disease, Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis (also a tick-borne disease that can cause illness in dogs)SNAP testing is very accurate and is a good way to identify dogs that may be infected with one or more of these diseases. SNAP testing is also very convenient because it uses a very small amount of blood and takes only a few minutes to perform. However, sending blood to an outside laboratory for testing can be every bit as reliable as an in-hospital SNAP test. In some cases, veterinarians may recommend additional testing to follow up a test result or look for other evidence of illness related to heartworm disease or one of the tick-borne infections. Testing may involve sending additional blood samples to a laboratory for further analysis or performing other diagnostic tests to obtain more information about a dog’s condition. Affected Breeds All breeds of dogs are equally susceptible to this infectious disease, though dogs used for hunting or other outdoor sporting activities are at higher risk for exposure to ticks. Treatment Treatment of Lyme disease generally consists of administration of antibiotics and (if necessary) other medications to temporarily help control joint pain and other clinical signs. Some dogs show dramatic improvement after only a few days of receiving antibiotics, but most veterinarians now recommend a 28- to 30-day course of treatment. Relapses are not uncommon, so pet owners are advised to monitor their dogs carefully for signs of illness. Prevention Tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease pose a risk to dogs in many areas of the country. Because clinical signs are not always apparent, periodic testing is a good way to identify dogs that have been infected. Even dogs that receive year-round tick control products and don’t spend a lot of time outside are at risk for exposure to tick-borne diseases. Testing helps identify dogs that need treatment for one of these infections or an adjustment in the type of tick control being used. Tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis, and anaplasmosis (among others) may or may not be prevalent in your area. However, travel habits of owners and their dogs, and changing patterns of tick migration may drive veterinarians to recommend testing for tick-borne diseases. Several vaccines are available to help prevent disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease organism. An initial vaccination is followed by a booster vaccine two to four weeks later (in accordance with label recommendations) and annual boosters, as long as the risk for disease exposure remains. The Lyme vaccine is not necessarily recommended for all dogs. Ask your veterinarian about the risk of Lyme disease where you live and whether the Lyme vaccine is recommended for your dog. There are currently no vaccines to protect dogs from other tick-borne diseases, such as ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis. Appropriate tick-control methods combined with periodic testing may be the best ways to help protect dogs from these diseases. Being “tick savvy” can also help protect dogs from Lyme disease exposure. Here are some tips: Check dogs (and humans) frequently for ticks. They should be removed promptly. Use a reliable method of tick control (several spot-on products kill and repel ticks). If possible, avoid tall grass or wooded areas where ticks are likely to hide. If owners routinely take dogs camping or walking in wooded areas, they should apprise their veterinarians of this possible means of exposure. This article has been reviewed by a Veterinarian.  . IS IT LYME OR SOMETHING ELSE? Lyme affects the brain in 10 days and creates a rigid, unmotivated float type personality. Smart people put the car, the kids, or painting a room before getting Lyme Igene X tests. Individuals who are usually insightful just stop thinking about the fact that a Lyme spirochete moving unchecked in their body is not something to put number 10 on the "to do" list, or next month in the daily planner!Lyme inflammation chemicals quickly affect the frontal brain lobes, which are used in advanced and subtle self-reflection. In the last 5 years, I know of many who have ignored me and are now buried or have buried loved ones. Some folks would rather be right than save their health and the health of their loved ones. They live in the 1950s, where Dr. Marcus Welby always knew everything in his field, and since he was nice, he was never wrong. Now we live in a world where good ole Marcus is unable to read 5 journals a month in his limited specialty, and medical references in one database exceed 11 million. And I think much of the best cutting-edge, non-surgical medicine is not even published yet. Lyme disease can mimic many other real illnesses, such as arthritis, Alzheimer's, fibromyalgia, lupus, chronic fatigue, mononucleosis, multiple sclerosis, etc. Unless a physician has accurate, up-to-date information, it is very likely they will miss Lyme. If they have not used Igene X laboratory to do the testing, which is never at a routine local lab, any Lyme testing done was junk. Much to my surprise, lab results and clinical symptoms which I was taught to believe showed arthritis, Alzheimer's, fibromyalgia, lupus, chronic fatigue, mononucleosis and multiple sclerosis, I am finding in very clearly diagnosed Lyme patients. Patients then improve with aggressive antibiotic treatment. Do you understand? These illnesses are not supposed to improve with Lyme killing antibiotics! It has stunned me to see this at times. This misdiagnosis problem is routinely and relentlessly committed by physicians who are much smarter than me and work at big name hospitals all over the US. If I had a dollar for every person who has said to me, "James, I know you mean well, but you just need to understand. I was treated at the prestigious Super Big Name Hospital by the head physician whose name is Dr. Superman, who is regarded as the great deity of my illness all over the galaxy. Of course if I had Lyme this great man of medicine could never have missed it. "Guess what, I know people that have buried loved ones and become profoundly ill who have said this to me. Even great doctors can have blind spots big enough to drive a hummer through. And I have found illnesses and created new treatments that they have missed. Sincerity does not equal thoroughness. Bluntly, since Lyme is the number one vector illness in the US, all of these disorders should probably only be considered after a clear negative result from Igene X Laboratories in which the Jones Western Blot criteria are used (See: Approach to Reading Western Blots on this site. )LYME MISDIAGNOSED AS LUPUS: IT HAPPENS EVERY DAYTitle: The Pathologist's View of Lyme disease Authors: Hejka, England, Schmitz, Schell--Madison Source: Wisconsin Medical Journal 1989;88 (11):17-20"Lyme arthritis is FREQUENTLY mistaken clinically for rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematous, or Reiter's syndrome. Synovial biopsies are probably the most frequent tissue examined microscopically from patients with Lyme disease. The histopathological spectrum ranges from chronic hyperplastic synovitis with effusions to erosive ostearthritis. (20)... "The disease captures the imagination of physicians, especially in endemic areas such as Wisconsin. Lyme disease is a multisystem disorder with protean manifestations ..."Definite Lyme disease instead of lupus: Nancy Brown, lbrown@snowcrest.net, Weaverville, Northern CA"Following a long-standing, untreated chronic borreliosis, I, too, eventually developed anti DS-DNA antibodies and a positive ANA, along with other markers for Lupus. However, the late Paul Lavoie had numerous patients with similar laboratory results, all of which returned to normal or significantly improved with long-term antibiotic therapy. He firmly believed that in some people, the Lupus or Lupus-type syndrome was a reaction to the underlying Lyme disease infection. By treating the Lyme disease infection, the auto-immune attack often backs off. In fact, he had numerous patients in which that exact thing happened as a result of long-term antibiotic therapy. I am one of those patients. While being treated with anti-inflammatory medications, etc. for a condition "highly suggestive of systemic lupus erythematosis" by a rheumatologist, my auto-immune laboratory tests continued to go higher and higher. After seeing Dr. Lavoie and undergoing long-term antibiotic therapy (initially with no other change in therapy) all the Lupus tests gradually improved, directly paralleling the administration of antibiotics. It was touch and go for awhile handling the side effects of the antibiotic therapy; trying to determine if the flare in symptoms was a "Lupus flare" resulting from the antibiotics (many Lupus patients attest to this occurence) or a herxheimer-like response from dealing with the Lyme disease infection. The bottom line is that because of his compassionate therapy, individualized to my needs, I improved tremendously, all the Lupus laboratory tests returned to 100% NORMAL, and I have returned to a reasonably productive life (not cured; still experiencing symptoms on a much milder level) without any medications other than an occasional ibuprofen for almost 3 years now. "See complete posting at: sci.med.diseases.lyme: Re: Lyme & Lupus groups.google.com TICKS HAVE 'SUCKED THE LIFE OUT' OF SOME LYME SUFFERERSby Andrea Stanton Published in the Plain Dealer, Gloucester County, NJ edition of August 7, 1997Lois Ravotti is a Williamstown resident and has had Lyme disease for over 20 years. In the late 1970's, Ravotti enjoyed camping and attending events such as the Philadelphia Folk Festival. She traces her infection to a camping trip to Bass River State Forest, which has turned out to be a hot spot for disease - carrying ticks, according to Ravotti. Over the years, she has been misdiagnosed many times. Lyme disease mimics other illnesses. One doctor told her that she had lupus. Since Lyme disease was not as prevalent years ago and many doctors were unfamiliar with the illness, many sufferers did not get medical treatment in the crucial early stages of the sickness. Ravotti was one of them. In January of 1996, she finally was diagnosed with the illness. Like Marge, Ravotti has always tested negative on her Lyme test. WHEN TO SUSPECT LYME DISEASEBy John D. Bleiweiss (deceased), MD Trenton, NJ. 4/94"Prior to proper diagnosis, patients habitually report that they were assigned the following diagnoses most often: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, Lupus, Candidiasis, Chronic Mononucleosis, Hypoglycemia and Stress-related illness. If these appear in a differential diagnosis, then Lyme Disease (LD) should also be considered."..." [For Lyme disease] Very often, the pinna and ear lobes are varying shades of red. Less commonly, a similar erythema can be observed on the hands or malar (upper cheeks) areas. A malar rash is not pathognomonic of Lupus, if in fact SLE is distinct from LD (Abstract 55A, V LD Symposium)."..."Dr. Lavoie [also has died]has published the coincident findings of LD with RA, and SLE (lupus) with LD. The SLE was associated with positive DS-DNA (double stranded DNA) which is considered diagnositic for lupus. This marker improved with antibiotic treatment for the LD. The author felt that the LD might be causing/aggravating the SLE. "See complete article at: www.lymealliance.org/html/med5.html Media articles about Lyme disease and lupus Jodi Norton: Adversity Doesn't Keep Diver from Soaring. Columbia University Record, October 10, 1997"Lupus is an incurable, non-contagious disease that strikes the auto-immune system and can be deadly. In addition to enduring the chronic pain caused by Lupus, Norton's diving season and school work were interrupted many times by trips to the emergency room with meningitis, pericarditis (inflammation of the sac around the heart) and swelling of tissue around the brain. She also has been battling Lyme's [sic] Disease. "www.columbia.edu/cu/record/23/06/16.htmljshie@cloud9.net"I am a 31 year old mom of a 13 month old little boy. I was recently diagnosed with Lyme. Only after 10 years of a mysterious "illness". ... I was misdiagnosed with mitral valve prolapse, irritable bowel syndrome, interstitial cystitis, and for the last 5 years I have supposedly had Lupus. "See complete posting at: sci.med.diseases.lyme: congenital lyme concernsgroups.google.com Martha Behrle mrsmeister@aol.com northern NJ"I know of several people with Lyme who were intitally diagnosed with Lupus due to their elevated ANA count... my ANA was elevated at one point during my treatment and I also early on had the Lupus "butterfly" rash across my face ..."See complete posting at: sci.med.diseases.lyme: Re: lyme disease causing false postitive ana for lupus?groups.google.com Clinical pathologic correlations of Lyme disease by stage. AUTHORS: Duray PH; Steere AC AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Department of Pathology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111. SOURCE: Ann N Y Acad Sci 1988;539:65-79 CITATION IDS: PMID: 2847622 UI: 89048814ABSTRACT: Lyme disease is capable of producing a wide variety of clinical pathologic conditions and lesions having in common histologic features of collagen-vascular disease. The plasma cell is an omnipotent inflammatory responder in most tissues involved by Lyme disease, ranging from relatively acute to lesions that have gone on for years. Vascular thickening also seems to be prominent, and in the dermis is accompanied by scleroderma-like collagen expansion. The disease in some ways resembles the responses seen in lupus erythematosus such as mild cerebritis with lymphocytes and plasma cells in the leptomeninges. Lymphoplasmacytic panniculitis of Lyme disease resembles lupus profundus, both in the infiltrate and the plasma cell-blood vessel relationship. The onion skin thickened vessels of the synovia resemble the vessels of lupus spleens, while the scleradermoid thickening of the dermis and various skin lesions of stage III Lyme disease suggest a collagen-vascular disorder. Finally, the perivascular lymphoid infiltrate in clinical myositis does not differ from that seen in polymyositis or dermatomyositis. All of these histologic derangements suggest immunologic damage in response to persistence of the spirochete, however few in number.www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ABOVE I MERELY LIST A SMALL SAMPLE OF MATERIAL ON THIS ISSUE. FOR MORE COMPLETE FURTHER INFORMATION GO TO: http://www.geocities.com/lymeart3/lupus.txt To Your Health, Dr. J  13 Signs and Symptoms of Lyme Disease 13 Signs and Symptoms of Lyme Disease Rashes Fatigue Joint pain Flu-like symptoms Sleep disturbances Cognitive decline Vision changes Other neurological problems Skin outbreaks Heart problems Mood changes Pain Symptoms in children If you suspect Lyme The bottom line Overview Lyme disease is an underreported, under-researched, and often debilitating disease transmitted by spirochete bacteria. The spiral-shaped bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, are transmitted by blacklegged deer ticks. Lyme’s wide range of symptoms mimic those of many other ailments, making it difficult to diagnose ( 1, 2 ). The blacklegged ticks can also transmit other disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and parasites. These are known as coinfections ( 1 ). These ticks that transmit Lyme are increasing their geographical spread. As of 2016, they were found in about half the counties in 43 of 50 states in the United States ( 3 ). Lyme is the fifth most reported of notifiable diseases in the United States, with an estimated 329,000 new cases found annually ( 4 ). But in some states, estimates suggest that Lyme disease is profoundly underreported ( 4 ). Some studies estimate that there are as many as 1 million cases of Lyme in the United States every year ( 5 ). Most people with Lyme who are treated right away with three weeks of antibiotics have a good prognosis. But if you’re not treated for weeks, months, or even years after infection, Lyme becomes more difficult to treat. Within days of the bite, the bacteria can move to your central nervous system, muscles and joints, eyes, and heart ( 6, 7 ). Lyme is sometimes divided into three categories: acute, early disseminated, and late disseminated. But the progression of the disease can vary by individual, and not all people go through each stage ( 8 ). Every individual reacts to the Lyme bacteria differently. You may have some or all of these symptoms. Your symptoms may also vary in severity. Lyme is a multi-system disease. Here is a list of 13 common signs and symptoms of Lyme disease. Rashes1. Rashes The signature rash of a Lyme tick bite looks like a solid red oval or a bull’s-eye. It can appear anywhere on your body. The bull’s-eye has a central red spot, surrounded by a clear circle with a wide red circle on the outside. The rash is flat and usually doesn’t itch. The rash is a sign that the infection is spreading within your skin tissues. The rash expands and then resolves over time, even if you’re not treated. Thirty percent or more of people with Lyme disease don’t remember having the rash ( 9 ). Even fewer people remember a tick attachment. Estimates range from 20 to 50 percent ( 10 ). The ticks in the nymph stage are the size of poppy seeds, and their bites are easy to miss. The initial red rash usually appears at the site of the bite within 3 to 30 days ( 11 ). Similar but smaller rashes can appear three to five weeks later, as the bacteria spread through tissues ( 12 ). Sometimes the rash is just a red blotch ( 1, 13 ). The rash can also take other forms, including a raised rash or blisters ( 14 ). If you do have a rash, it’s important to photograph it and see your doctor to get treated promptly. Summary: If you see a flat rash shaped like an oval or bull’s-eye anywhere on your body, it could be Lyme. See your doctor. Fatigue2. Fatigue Whether or not you see the tick bite or the classic Lyme rash, your early symptoms are likely to be flu-like. Symptoms are often cyclical, waxing and waning every few weeks ( 12 ). Tiredness, exhaustion, and lack of energy are the most frequent symptoms. The Lyme fatigue can seem different from regular tiredness, where you can point to activity as a cause. This fatigue seems to take over your body and can be severe. You may find yourself needing a nap during the day, or needing to sleep one or more hours longer than usual. In one study, about 84 percent of children with Lyme reported fatigue ( 8 ). In a 2013 study of adults with Lyme, 76 percent reported fatigue ( 15 ). Sometimes Lyme-related fatigue is misdiagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, or depression ( 8 ). In some Lyme cases, fatigue can be disabling ( 16 ). Summary: Extreme fatigue is a frequent symptom of Lyme. Joint pain3. Achy, stiff, or swollen joints Joint pain and stiffness, often intermittent, are early Lyme symptoms. Your joints may be inflamed, warm to the touch, painful, and swollen. You may have stiffness and limited range of motion in some joints ( 1 ). Pain may move around. Sometimes your knees may hurt, whereas other times it’s your neck or your heels. You may also have bursitis ( 16 ). Bursae are the thin cushions between bone and surrounding tissue. The pain may be severe, and it may be transitory. More than one joint may be affected. Most often the large joints are involved ( 12 ). People often attribute joint problems to age, genetics, or sports. Lyme should be added to that list, as these statistics indicate: One study estimates that 80 percent of people with untreated Lyme have muscle and joint symptoms ( 17 ). Fifty percent of people with untreated Lyme have intermittent episodes of arthritis ( 17 ). Two-thirds of people have their first episode of joint pain within six months of the infection ( 18 ). Use of anti-inflammatory drugs may mask the actual number of people with joint swelling ( 19 ). Summary: Joint pain that comes and goes, or moves from joint to joint, could be a sign of Lyme. Flu-like symptoms4. Headaches, dizziness, fever Other common flu-like symptoms are headaches, dizziness, fever, muscle pain, and malaise. About 50 percent of people with Lyme disease have flu-like symptoms within a week of their infection ( 18 ). Your symptoms may be low-level, and you may not think of Lyme as a cause. For example, when fever occurs, it’s usually low-grade ( 18 ). In fact, it can be difficult to distinguish Lyme flu symptoms from a common flu or viral infection. But, unlike a viral flu, for some people the Lyme flu-like symptoms come and go. Here are a few statistics from different studies of Lyme patients: Seventy-eight percent of children in one study reported headaches ( 8 ). Forty-eight percent of adults with Lyme in one study reported headaches ( 20 ). Fifty-one percent of children with Lyme reported dizziness ( 8 ). In a 2013 study of adults with Lyme, 30 percent experienced dizziness ( 15 ). Thirty-nine percent of children with Lyme reported fevers or sweats ( 8 ). Among adults with Lyme, 60 percent reported fever in a 2013 study ( 15 ). Forty-three percent of children with Lyme reported neck pain ( 8 ). A smaller number of children with Lyme reported sore throats ( 8 ). Summary: Low-level flu symptoms that periodically return could be a sign of Lyme. Sleep disturbances5. Night sweats and sleep disturbances Sleep disturbances in Lyme are common. Joint pain may wake you up at night. Your body temperature may fluctuate, and night sweats or chills can wake you. Your face and head may feel flushed. Here are some of the statistics from studies: In a 2013 study, 60 percent of adults with early Lyme reported sweats and chills ( 15 ). The same study reported that 41 percent experienced sleep disturbances ( 15 ). Twenty-five percent of children with Lyme reported disturbed sleep ( 8 ). Summary: Sleep disturbances are common with Lyme, including night sweats and chills. Cognitive decline6. Cognitive decline There are many kinds and degrees of cognitive disturbances, and they can be scary. You may notice that you have difficulty concentrating in school or at work. Your memory may have lapses that weren’t there before. You may have to reach to remember a familiar name. You may feel as though you’re processing information more slowly. Sometimes when driving or taking public transportation to a familiar place, you may forget how to get there. Or you may be confused about where you are or why you’re there. You might get to a store to shop, but entirely forget what it was that you were supposed to look for. You might at first attribute this to stress or age, but the decline in capabilities may worry you. Here are some statistics: Seventy-four percent of children with untreated Lyme reported cognitive problems ( 8 ). Twenty-four percent of adults with early Lyme reported difficulty concentrating ( 15 ). In later Lyme, 81 percent of adults reported memory loss ( 21 ). Summary: Lyme bacteria can affect your brain and mental processes. Vision changes7. Sensitivity to light and vision changes Bright indoor light may feel uncomfortable or even blinding. Light sensitivity is bad enough for some people to need sunglasses indoors, in addition to wearing sunglasses outdoors in normal light. Light sensitivity was found in 16 percent of adults with early Lyme ( 15 ). In the same study, 13 percent reported blurry vision. Summary: Light sensitivity, including to indoor light, is a symptom of Lyme. Other neurological problems8. Other neurological problems Neurological symptoms can be subtle and sometimes specific. In general, you may feel unsure of your balance or less coordinated in your movements. Walking down a slight incline on your driveway might take an effort that it never did before. You might trip and fall more than once, although this never happened to you before. Some Lyme effects are very specific. For example, the Lyme bacteria may affect one or more of your cranial nerves. These are the 12 pairs of nerves that come from your brain to your head and neck area. If the bacteria invade the facial nerve (the seventh cranial nerve), you can develop muscle weakness or paralysis on one or both sides of your face. This palsy is sometimes mistakenly called Bell’s palsy. Lyme disease is one of the few illnesses that cause palsies on both sides of the face. Or you may have numbness and tingling on your face. Other affected cranial nerves can cause loss of taste and smell. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study of 248,074 reported Lyme disease cases nationwide from 1992 to 2006 found that 12 percent of Lyme patients had cranial nerve symptoms ( 9 ). As the Lyme bacteria spread through the nervous system, they can inflame the tissues where the brain and spinal cord meet (the meninges). Some of the common symptoms of Lyme meningitis are neck pain or stiffness, headache, and light sensitivity. Encephalopathy, which alters your mental state, is less common. These neurological symptoms occur in about 10 percent of adult individuals with untreated Lyme disease ( 18 ). Summary: Neurological problems, ranging from balance issues, to stiff neck, to facial palsy, could be symptoms of Lyme. Skin outbreaks9. Skin outbreaks Skin symptoms appear early in Lyme ( 21 ). You may have unexplained skin rashes or large bruises without usual cause. Skin outbreaks may be itchy or unsightly. They could also be more serious, such as B cell lymphoma ( 21 ). Other skin ailments associated with Lyme are:morphea, or discolored patches of skin ( 21)lichen sclerosus, or white patches of thin skin ( 21)parapsoriasis, a precursor to skin lymphoma In Europe, some of the skin diseases that result from Lyme transmitted by a different Borrelia species are:borrelial lymphocytoma, which is common in Europe as an early Lyme marker ( 22)acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans ( 21)Summary: In addition to the classic Lyme rash, other unexplained rashes can be Lyme symptoms. Heart problems10. Heart problems Lyme bacteria can invade your heart tissue, a condition called Lyme carditis. Carditis can range from mild to severe. The bacterial interference in your heart can cause chest pains, light-headedness, shortness of breath, or heart palpitations ( 23 ). The inflammation caused by the infection blocks the transmission of electrical signals from one chamber of the heart to the other, so the heart beats irregularly. This is known as heart block. Lyme can also affect the heart muscle itself. How common is Lyme carditis? Here are some statistics: The CDC reports that only 1 percent of reported Lyme cases involve carditis ( 23 ). Other studies report that 4 to 10 percent of Lyme patients (or more) have carditis ( 24, 25 ). However, these figures may include a broader definition of carditis. Children can also have Lyme carditis ( 24 ). With treatment, most people will recover from an episode of Lyme carditis. However, it has caused occasional deaths. The CDC reported three sudden Lyme carditis deaths from 2012–2013 ( 26 ). Summary: Lyme bacteria can affect your heart, producing a range of symptoms. Mood changes11. Mood changes Lyme can affect your moods. You may be more irritable, anxious, or depressed. Twenty-one percent of early Lyme patients reported irritability as a symptom. Ten percent of Lyme patients in the same study reported anxiety ( 15 ). Summary: Mood swings can be a symptom of Lyme. Pain12. Unexplained pain and other sensations Some people with Lyme may have sharp rib and chest pains that send them to the emergency room, suspecting a heart problem ( 27 ). When no problem is found, after the usual testing, the ER diagnosis is noted as an unidentified “musculoskeletal” cause. You can also have strange sensations like skin tingling or crawling, or numbness or itchiness ( 27 ). Other symptoms have to do with cranial nerves. Ear-ringing (tinnitus). Tinnitus can be a nuisance, especially at bedtime when it seems to get louder as you’re trying to fall asleep. About 10 percent of people with Lyme experience this ( 15 ). Hearing loss. One study reported that 15 percent of Lyme patients experienced loss of hearing ( 28 ). Jaw pain or toothaches that are not related to actual tooth decay or infection. Summary: Lyme can be the cause of unexplained sensations or pain. Symptoms in children13. Regression and other symptoms in children Children are the largest population of Lyme patients. The CDC study of reported Lyme cases from 1992–2006 found that the incidence of new cases was highest among 5- to 14-year-olds ( 9 ). About one quarter of reported Lyme cases in the United States involve children under 14 years old ( 29 ). Children can have all the signs and symptoms of Lyme that adults have, but they may have trouble telling you exactly what they feel or where it hurts. You may notice a decline in school performance, or your child’s mood swings may become problematic. Your child’s social and speech skills or motor coordination may regress. Or your child may lose their appetite. Children are more likely than adults to have arthritis as an initial symptom ( 25 ). In a 2012 Nova Scotian study of children with Lyme, 65 percent developed Lyme arthritis ( 30 ). The knee was the most commonly affected joint. Summary: Children have the same Lyme symptoms as adults, but are more likely to have arthritis. If you suspect Lyme What to do if you suspect Lyme disease If you have some of the signs and symptoms of Lyme, see a doctor — preferably one familiar with treating Lyme disease!The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) can provide a list of Lyme-aware doctors in your area ( 31 ). Summary: Find a doctor familiar with treating Lyme disease. What about tests? The commonly used ELISA test is not a reliable indicator for many Lyme patients ( 32 ). The Western blot test tends to be more sensitive, but it still misses 20 percent or more of Lyme cases ( 32 ). If you don’t have the initial Lyme rash, diagnosis is usually based on your symptoms and your potential exposure to blacklegged ticks. The doctor will rule out other possible diseases that may cause the same symptoms. Summary: Lyme diagnosis is usually based on your symptoms. What to do if you have a blacklegged tick bite Remove the tick by pulling it directly out with fine-tipped tweezers. Lift upward with slow and even pressure. Don’t twist when removing it. Don’t crush it or put soap or other substances on it. Don’t apply heat to it. Place the tick in a resealable container. See if you can identify what kind of a tick it is. Immediately after removing the tick, wash your skin well with soap and water or with rubbing alcohol. Not all ticks carry Lyme. The Lyme bacteria is transmitted only by blacklegged ticks in their nymph or adult stage. Save the tick to show your doctor. The doctor will want to determine if it’s a blacklegged tick and if there’s evidence of feeding. Ticks enlarge as they feed. Your risk of getting Lyme from an infected tick increases with the length of time that the tick fed on your blood. Summary: Pull the tick out with tweezers and save it in a resealable container for identification. Antibiotics work If you have the classic Lyme rash or other symptoms of early Lyme, you’ll need at least three weeks of oral antibiotics. Shorter courses of treatment have resulted in a 40 percent relapse rate ( 33 ). Even with three weeks of antibiotics, you may need one or more courses of antibiotics if your symptoms return. Lyme is tricky and affects different people in different ways. The longer you’ve had symptoms, the more difficult it is to treat. Summary: At least three weeks of oral antibiotics are recommended when you have symptoms of early Lyme. The bottom line The bottom line Lyme is a serious tick-borne disease with a wide range of symptoms. If you get treated as soon as possible with an adequate course of antibiotics, you’ll have a better outcome. Finding a Lyme-aware doctor is important.  5 Things Doctors Said During My Journey to a Diagnosis That Hurt Instead of Healed September 16, 20165 Things Doctors Said During My Journey to a Diagnosis That Hurt Instead of Healed Stephanie Tait Contributor • 15 followers Follow Me Lyme Disease22K followers Follow Topic71KFar too often grappling with a chronic illness is a fight not only for your health but also for your dignity. Many times the medical community can unintentionally compound their pain by minimizing their experience or even invalidating them entirely. It can take years or even decades for some patients to get an answer to what is plaguing them, and for some the diagnosis never comes at all. Here are some actual responses I have encountered from doctors in my 15-year journey to getting my diagnosis of Lyme disease.1. “Is it possible you’re feeling depressed from all the weight you’ve put on this year?”Earlier this year when my symptoms seemed to be worsening with greater intensity than ever before, I went back to the drawing board, so to speak, and decided to pursue fresh eyes on my case. One of the doctors I visited listened for a couple minutes as I described my worsening pain and fatigue and how totally disabling they had become, and offered this remark in response. I had mentioned when describing my concerns that I had put on 30 pounds in the course of six months, and I had intended to offer that as a symptom pointing to the seriousness of my worsening condition. For the rest of the appointment this doctor consistently circled back to my weight not as a symptom, but in his opinion the root cause of all of my health issues. When I asked about further testing for Lyme disease, I was met with questions about my diet. When I described my increased dependence on my cane, I was questioned about my exercise routine. I left the appointment with handouts on why this doctor believed most everyone should maintain a vegan diet (despite the fact that my history of seizures requires a high protein diet to manage, as noted by my neurologist in my chart,) a referral to a nutritionist, and a prescription for antidepressants he said could help me “jumpstart” my efforts to get up and moving more. Sadly, I think this is a common story in medicine today. Patients with higher BMIs are often written off as inherently unhealthy, and their symptoms attributed simply to poor diet and lifestyle choices rather than considering their weight may itself be a symptom of a larger underlying problem. Because of the additional shame of feeling blamed not only for their weight management issues but their worsening health as well, overweight patients may stop pursuing answers entirely, as it can be easier to avoid the uncomfortable and fruitless appointments rather than continue to be subjected to the relentless suggestions their weight is the real problem. RESOURCES FROM EM WARRIORS: ERYTHROMELALGIA PATIENT SUPPORT & INFORMATION NETWORKA patient’s guide to erythromelalgia Cool tips for managing flares Erythomelalgia facts2. “Sometimes miscarriages simply happen. It’s the body’s natural way of stopping a pregnancy that would likely not have been viable for one reason or another. When they happen early, there usually isn’t a real ’cause’ other than that.”To date I have had a total of seven miscarriage s, most all of them in early pregnancy. I was eventually able to have a couple doctors consider more serious possible root causes, but only after that number began to climb, and more often than not my concerns were met with a regular insistence that “these things happen.” I’ve had more statistics about the commonality of miscarriage offered to me than I can possibly recount. Pregnancy loss is an emotional experience in and of itself, and having multiple unexplained miscarriages adds an additional dimension of confusion, guilt, and anxiety to grapple with. In the end my pregnancies were marked as “high risk” because of my history of losses, but until getting my Lyme diagnosis (and until discovering this year that I also carry the MTHFR genetic mutation,) no definitive explanation was ever offered for my multiple losses. I approached every pregnancy with the very real anxiety that there may very well be some unseen force set against our success, but ultimately I felt invalidated by the medical community in my search for answers.3. “I see you’ve had a baby recently. Feeling tired is to be somewhat expected with young children at home. It’s not usually a sign of disease so much as the normal wear and tear of life. There’s no prescription for being tired, I’m afraid.”At this particular visit my son was already well into toddlerhood, and we were long past the phase of sleepless nights. My concerns about my chronic fatigue were consistently repeated back to me as “feeling tired,” a horrible minimization of the harrowing ordeal I was actually enduring at the time. The more I inquired about options to consider, like testing for a hormonal imbalance or a thyroid issue, the more I was reminded that being tired is just a part of adulthood and doesn’t require medical attention. When I finally became frustrated enough at feeling so unheard and deeply misunderstood, my emotions took over and I began to cry. It was at this point I was given a postpartum depression questionnaire and asked a series of questions about whether I was feeling too overwhelmed by motherhood. I left the appointment with a referral for counseling and pamphlets on postpartum depression, and a lighthearted anecdote about why so may parents need their morning coffee.4. “The symptoms you are describing sound like textbook depression. When there are regular complaints of fatigue and even pain, but without any sort of obvious medical explanation, it’s almost always the symptoms of what we call major depressive disorder .”In the earliest years of my illness, I was most almost exclusively brushed off as depressed, likely because I first took ill as a teenager. Struggling to get up and go to class? Typical teenager. Sleeping 12 to 13 hours at night and still need a one or two hour nap? Depression is common in teens. To this day, if you were to look at my medical records, you would see under conditions a note that says “major depressive disorder.” Even into adulthood, my doctors’ mainline approach to treating the fatigue and pain that plagued me was to offer antidepressants. When I was finally able to get a possible diagnosis of chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS) and later fibromyalgia as well, the most commonly recommended form of treatment I was given was still antidepressants. Admittedly, antidepressants were sometimes able to take the edge off the fatigue, sometimes even giving me periods of near normalcy for weeks or even months. But inevitably the symptoms always returned, and were worse than before. Each time I questioned whether these medications really were the answer, and I was offered either a dosage increase or a new medication to try. By my current count I have been on no less than seven antidepressants, none of which ever brought more than temporary and partial relief. This story is all too common in the chronic illness community, and can leave patients doubting themselves as their symptoms worsen. Even the best self-advocates can begin to doubt themselves when confronted with the same suggestion of depression so many times over, and without another clear answer to point to in its place. I was so determined to get well that I was considering making an appointment to discuss electroconvulsive therapy, or even a short-term stay at a mental health facility, because I figured if they were so insistent this level of pain and fatigue was caused by depression alone, then it was worth trying absolutely anything to be free of it once and for all. It was soon after this that we learned I had Lyme disease. It gave me a harrowing level of insight into just how much doubt these repeated suggestions can place in the mind of even the most well-researched of patients. Sadly, many patients never get their true diagnosis, and when faced with the idea of an incurable prison supposedly only of their mind’s own making, some might consider ending their own lives instead.5. “The test results show no medical explanation for the level of pain you are describing. At this point it’s very likely these symptoms are psychosomatic and the best course of treatment is counseling. The pain may feel real, but the roots simply aren’t physical.”I was pregnant with my second son, Jack, and had just undergone a painful and incredibly scary ordeal with pericarditis, a serious infection of the sac around the heart. I was hospitalized for a week, and then was released to a strict bedrest regimen for the remainder of a difficult high risk pregnancy. The infection itself had cleared with treatment, but the horrible pain I was experiencing was still beyond what I could manage. I was desperate for answers, as Jack was a miracle pregnancy after a long struggle with multiple miscarriages, and I didn’t want anything to risk his arrival. My pain was so unbearable that I had to be driven to and from my appointment, since I couldn’t safely drive myself. I left the appointment with no answers, and only a referral to counseling. A more sympathetic doctor I saw over a year later revealed physician’s notes from that visit suggesting perhaps I had “enjoyed” the added attention and caring concern I received through my hospitalization, and was looking to extend those attentions by feigning continued symptoms. I was later able to have these notes removed from my record, as they could potentially have unfairly biased future doctors who evaluated my case through the years. Yet the emotional scars of the whole ordeal still remain. In fact, I was too scared to immediately seek emergency room care on multiple occasions in which it was most definitely warranted, because I was terrified to be further labeled as either an attention-seeker or painkiller addict — or both. The message had been so deeply internalized: If you come too often for things we can’t clearly enough explain, one of these days you will end up committed for psychiatric care. I often wonder if we could ultimately have found our answers sooner if I hadn’t have been scared away from fighting too hard for myself and my very real symptoms. For 15 years I have been struggling with worsening symptoms of my Lyme disease, and in that time I have seen more doctors than I can count. It’s difficult sometimes to explain just how it could be possible for a diagnosis like Lyme to go unsolved for so long, especially someone regularly seen by so many physicians — but my story is far from rare. My hope is that sharing these experiences can help reveal some of the inherent obstacles people with invisible illnesses face to getting the answers they deserve. My experiences are far from unique, and are sadly indicative of some of the very real biases in the medical community that can keep patients from their true diagnoses for years, or even for life. After walking away from a successful portrait photography business, Stephanie launched her personal brand, The Joy Parade, for which she now is a full time author, speaker and blogger. She shares her unique style of whimsical photojournalism paired with her humorous and heartfelt musings on life, faith, pain, and parenthood. You can see more of her work at www.thejoyparadeblog.com. Read more Stephanie Tait Contributor • 15 followers Follow Me Lyme Disease22K followers Follow Topic 