Lyme Disease – The Ticks Are Out!

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted through the bite of a tick. It can be a serious disease. Fortunately, not all tick bites cause Lyme disease. It is transmitted from certain ticks only. Some researchers are investigating other possible transmission of Lyme, but it is not yet clarified.

How do you know if you have Lyme Disease? If you were bit by a tick carrying the bacterial Borrelia Burgdorferi the first thing you may notice is a warm, red rash. It gets bigger over several days and looks like a bullseye target. As the infection increases, you may experience fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and lymph nodes that are swollen and tender.

Since Borrelia-carrying ticks are generally found in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Upper Midwest and Upper California Coast, there is less likelihood of contracting it here. However, not impossible. The tick has to be attached to you for 36-48 hours or more to transmit the bacteria to you, so daily checks after having been in the woods, tall grass or the mountains is prudent. They come out when the weather is above 45 degrees and the ground is not wet or icy. They like warmth. They do not go away when you take a shower, so close inspection anywhere on the body is prudent, especially in the hair.

Lyme disease can be short term or last for years. Symptoms of chronic Lyme disease include fatigue and exhaustion and sometimes it is mis-diagnosed as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This fatigue can be disabling. More than 80% of people with untreated Lyme disease have muscle and joint symptoms and 50% have intermittent episodes of arthritis, moving from joint to joint, starting within 6 months of a bite. Low-grade flu-like symptoms and neck pain are common, affecting approximately 50%, with symptoms that come and go.

Headaches are not uncommon, also affecting 50% of cases, while dizziness, fevers and sweats affect one-third. Sleep disturbances, especially related to temperature fluctuations (non-menopausal) and sweats, affect about half of the infected population. Other complaints include skin outbreaks, heart problems, mood swings, unexplained sensations in the body, memory problems and difficulty concentrating, confusion and general cognitive decline, sensitivity to light, neurological symptoms such as loss of balance, muscle weakness or paralysis of face, loss of taste and smell, and other potentially serious inflammatory nerve conditions.

Now I want to caution you: these symptoms can also mean other things are going on and may not be Lyme Disease. Getting to the root of these symptoms is crucial, as is getting immediate medical attention. There are several tests to see if you have Lyme; none of them super accurate. Finding a health care practitioner that will do the necessary investigative work to determine why you have these symptoms, if it is Lyme or something else, then do the work to help you recover, is the most important step you can take. You need someone that goes the extra mile to help you to heal. There is hope.

©2020 Holly A. Carling, O.M.D., L.Ac., Ph.D.

Picture of Dr. Holly Carling

Dr. Holly Carling

Dr. Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist and Master Herbologist with nearly four decades of experience. Dr. Carling is a “Health Detective,” she looks beyond your symptom picture and investigates WHY you are experiencing your symptoms in the first place. Dr. Carling considers herself a “professional student” – she has attended more than 600 post-secondary education courses related to health and healing. Dr. Carling gives lectures here in the U.S. and internationally and has been noted as the “Doctor’s Doctor”. When other healthcare practitioners hit a roadblock when treating their patients nutritionally, Dr. Carling is who they call. Dr. Carling is currently accepting new patients and offers natural health care services and whole food nutritional supplements in her Coeur d’ Alene clinic.

Medical/Health Disclaimer:

The information provided in this article or podcast should not be construed as personal medical advice or instruction. No action should be taken based solely on the contents of this article or podcast. Readers/listeners should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being. The information and opinions provided here are believed to be accurate and sound, based on the best judgment available to the author, but readers/listeners who fail to consult appropriate health authorities assume the risk of any injuries.

Recent Articles & Podcasts

Let's Solve This Puzzle Together!

At Vital Health we help people find clarity regarding the root causes of their health challenges and provide step-by-step guidance on what to do, and when to do it, in order to restore health naturally.