Lyme Disease
Tick Bites
What is Lyme Disease. Tick-borne disease caused by the spirochete
Borrelia burgdorferi.
"Lyme disease is a bacterial illness caused by a
bacterium called a "spirochete." In the United States, the
actual name of the bacterium is Borrelia burgdorferi. In
Europe, another bacterium, Borrelia afzelii, also causes Lyme
disease. Certain ticks found on deer harbor the bacterium in their
stomachs. Lyme disease is spread by these ticks when they bite the
skin, which permits the bacterium to infect the body. Lyme disease
is not contagious from an affected person to someone else. Lyme
disease can cause abnormalities in the skin, joints, heart, and
nervous system. " by William C Shiel Jr. MD FACP, FACR
A tick-transmitted inflammatory disorder that begins with a
characteristic skin rash, and may be followed weeks to months later
by neurologic, cardiac, or joint abnormalities.
Dr. Zhiming Ouyang, postdoctoral researcher, Ut Southwester,
states:
"Out of the thousands of bacteria know, the Lyme disease agent
and only one or two together bacterial species do not require iron
for growth. That raises the question as to what other metal co
factors the Lyme disease bacterium depends on to carry out the work
that iron does for all these other biological systems.
Our research suggests that manganese is a really important
one."
Where did Lyme Disease come from?
Lyme disease was discovered in the 1970s in a suburb of Old Lyme,
Connecticut when a mysterious outbreak of what appeared to be
arthritis affected several neighborhood children. Since then,
reports of the disease have increased dramatically, with
Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota,
New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin
being the states with the greatest amounts of diagnoses. Lyme is in
all 50 states and there have been cases reported in England, Poland,
Netherlands, Germany, France, and Ireland
Lyme disease is caused by spirochetes, long slender coiled bacteria.
The Lyme spirochete has many more genes that are dedicated to
evading detection by tests and by the immune system.
The disease is transmitted by the bite of an infected deer tick,
also known as the black-legged tick. Immature deer ticks can be very
small, about the size of the head of a pin. Adults are slightly
larger, but both have the potential to transmit the disease. Ticks
are most active during April, May and June. If Lyme disease is
diagnosed and treated with in the first 48 hours of the bite you are
likely to recover completely.
Symptoms of Lyme often mimic symptoms of other diseases
The first symptom of Lyme is usually a ring-like red rash that
begins three to 20 days following the bite of an infected tick. This
rash is circular and grows larger over a few days or weeks. The
center of the rash is usually clear and has been described as
looking like a bull's eye.
Rash. A small,
red bump may appear often in your groin, belt area or behind your
knee. It may be warm to the touch and mildly tender. Over the next
few days, the redness expands, forming a rash that may be as small
as your fingertip or as large as 12 inches across.
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| http://www.nycdermatologygroup.org |
http://www.healthline.com/blogs/outdoor_health/ |
Often the rash is accompanied by one or more nonspecific symptoms
such as fatigue, chills and fever, headache,
and swollen lymph nodes. Migratory
joint pain. If the infection is not treated, you may
develop bouts of severe joint pain and swelling several weeks to
months after you're infected. Your knees are especially likely to be
affected, but the pain can shift from one joint to another.
The similarity of Lyme symptoms to symptoms of other diseases makes
it difficult to diagnose Lyme in its initial stages. This is where
the problems lies. If Lyme is not caught and treated in its initial
stage it is not curable and can result in total physical and mental
devastation to its victims and emotional devastation to their
families. If the disease is not properly diagnosed in its initial
stages and treated, fever, severe headache, stiff neck, heart
irregularities, nerve function, foggy
head, pain, depression, paralysis, decreased consciousness, excruciating and
constant pain with numbness and weakness in the arms and legs, toe
pain, eye pain, brain inflammation that causes loss of the ability
to concentrate and remember, and arthritis result.
Neurological problems. In some cases, inflammation of the
membranes surrounding your brain (meningitis), temporary paralysis
of one side of your face (Bell's palsy), numbness or weakness in
your limbs, and impaired muscle movement may occur weeks, months or
even years after an untreated infection. Memory loss,
difficulty concentrating, and changes in mood or sleep habits
also can be symptoms of late-stage Lyme disease.
Contagiousness
Lyme disease is not transmitted from person to person. The risk of
developing Lyme depends on the exposure to ticks. Children and
adults who spend a lot of time outdoors, particularly in or near
wooded areas in the northeast part of the country, are more likely
to contract Lyme. There is concern that Lyme disease may be passed
to the fetus by infected mothers.
Pets can become infected with the disease and may carry infected
ticks into areas where humans live. There are tick control products
and other protective measures that can be used with pets although
these may involve products containing harmful chemicals.
How to Prevent Tick Bites
- Avoid areas where deer are most common.
- Avoid high grass and vegetation.
- Wear long-sleeved tops and long trousers tucked into your
socks if you go into areas that may be infected with ticks
- Wear light-coloured clothing. This makes it easier to find and
remove ticks.
- Spray your clothes with an insect repellent If you have been
in an area where there are ticks, brush off and wash (if
possible) your clothes as soon as you can. This prevents ticks
being brought into the house.
- Check your body for ticks every day. Pay close attention to
skin folds and hairy areas of your body.
- Check children carefully for ticks. Make sure to check their
hair. Young children have a higher risk of getting bites on the
head and neck area.
Lifestyle
Sleep at least 8 hours a night
Fresh air
Sunshine
Drink Fresh water
Yoga to reduce stress
Review medications to insure they are not the underlying cause
Eat a balanced diet
Supplements that may help:
See
Lyme Disease Page, based on Stephan Buhners Protocols.
Main protocol herbs
are:
| Common
Name: |
Knotweed
(Bushy) Rhizome |
| Botanical
Name: |
Polygonum
Cuspidatum Rhizoma |
| Pin
Yin Name: |
Hu
Zhang |
| Actions: |
digestive,
urinary, reproductive, respiratory, immune systems |
Antiphlogistic Tablets
Chuan Xin Lian
Andrographis
| Common
Name: |
Andrographis,
|
| Botanical
Name: |
Andrographis
Paniculata Herba |
| Pin
Yin Name: |
Chuan
Xin Lian |
| Actions: |
immunostimulant,
antibacterial, antiviral |
| Common
Name: |
Stephania
Root |
| Botanical
Name: |
Radix
Stephaniae Tetrandrae |
| Pin
Yin Name: |
Fang
Ji or Han Fang Ji |
| Actions: |
Bladder,
Kidneys, Spleen, Anti-Inflammatory |
Red
Root
Ceanothus americanus
| Common
Name: |
Red
Root |
| Botanical
Name: |
Ceanothus
americanus |
| Pin
Yin Name: |
|
| Actions: |
Red
Root helps relieve spasms and supports expectoration,
stimulates lymphatic cleansing and supports the spleen. |
Tu Fu Ling
Smilax
| Common
Name: |
Glabrous
Greenbrier Rhizome |
| Botanical
Name: |
Smilax
Glabra Rhizoma |
| Pin
Yin Name: |
Tu
Fu Ling |
| Actions: |
musculoskeletal,
hepatobiliary, urinary, dermal systems |
References:
S. Buhnur book on Healing Lyme Disease
Medical Applications of Clinical Nutrition by Jeffrey Bland
Chinese Patent Medicines by Mark Taylor
Healthy Healing by Linda Page
Lyme Disease, kidshealth.org.
Healthbeat, Lyme Disease, Illinois Department of Public Health.
Amy Tan on Lyme Disease, amytan.net.
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