Could your flu symptoms be something deeper?

What is Lyme disease? Lyme disease is an infection that is transferred through a tick bite to humans. Only ticks that carry the Lyme disease bacteria can transfer Lyme disease to a human through their bite. The most common tick that carries Lyme disease is the tiny dear tick, or black-legged tick. This tick is incredibly small, about the size of a poppy seed. Ticks pick up the Lyme disease bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, after biting mice or deer that are carrying Lyme disease. Although Lyme disease is usually only found on the east-coast, it has worked its way over to the west coast and cases have been found all over the United States.

Symptoms: Lyme disease can result in myriad of symptoms, and symptoms can vary person to person. It is also possible for a person to go undiagnosed as some people can show no symptoms of infection. Diagnosis can be done through a blood test. Symptoms are similar to the flu virius in the early stages of development. Lyme disease has 2 stages of infection, each with different symptoms. Early infection includes:

• Rash: When bitten by a tick carrying Lyme disease, a rash known as erythema migrans will form. A red circle will form around the bite, and over time, will create a bulls-eye like design around the bite.
• Fever
• Chills
• Itching
• Headache
• Arthritis
• Conjunctivitis

Late stage infection includes:

• Muscle pain
• Rash
• Joint pain
• Memory Problems: Dementia, sleep disorder, nerve pain
• Depression

Treatment options: Medications and antibiotics are available to treat Lyme disease, and have shown success, but even greater success has been seen with the use of alternative treatments. Because Lyme disease is a complex infection, treatment does depend on the infected person, so some treatments are right for one person, but may show no help in another. Herbal treatments are a great solution to treating Lyme arthritis, immune function and nervous system complications. Some herbal treatments include:

• Cat’s Claw
• Astragalus
• Japanese Knotweed

Acupuncture is another alternative that can help with the body’s ability to heal from the symptoms of Lyme disease.  Acupuncture taps into acupoints throughout the body to release energy and commence healing. It’s a non-invasive treatment, with little negative side-effects that has shown to be helpful for many years. Enhancing certain aspects of your diet is another way to treat Lyme disease symptoms. Many doctors prescribe anti-biotics to treat Lyme disease so it’s extremely important to take probiotics while undergoing anti-biotic use. Probiotics help to revive essential bacteria in the body. Probiotics can be taken in capsule form, but are also abundant in dairy products like yogurt and kefir.

Prevention: There are ways to prevent the spread of Lyme disease that should be followed closely when going to a place where ticks are abundant.

• Make sure to always cover up! Wearing long sleeve, and pants is important in preventing ticks from latching on to the skin.
• Wear light colored clothes so ticks can easily be spotted.
• Spray exposed skin with bug-repellent.

Make sure to check during, and after for ticks on your body and clothes.   If you do find a tick on you, it is important to keep the tick and take if to a doctors office to be checked for Lyme disease.  Doing so will help prevent Lyme disease. If you follow these preventative steps,  Lyme disease can be avoided! Next time you are out on a hike, be sure to cover up and keep an eye out for ticks on your body. If you do experience flu-like symptoms and have been outside, patek philippe replica watches make sure to have yourself checked out. It never hurts to be careful.

Resources:  http://www.foundhealth.com/lyme-disease/what-is-it http://www.aldf.com/index.shtml http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lyme-disease/DS00116 http://www.idsociety.org/lymediseasefacts.htm