Lyme Disease
WHAT IS LYME DISEASE?Lyme disease is a tick-borne infection that can cause serious illness. Named after the Connecticut town where a cluster of cases were diagnosed in the mid 1970s, the disorder has now been reported throughout much of the United States, with the highest levels of infection on the East Coast, from Maine to Maryland, in the Upper Midwest, and in California. The cause is a type of screw shaped bacteria, known as a spirochete, that is transmitted by several species of tiny ticks. Although these ticks are most often found on deer, rodents, and other wild animals, they also bite humans. The first sign of Lyme disease usually is a painless, donut-shaped red rash that develops at the site of the tick bite within a few weeks, although in some cases it shows up sooner. It is often Many people do not know that they have been infected with Lyme disease because they are unaware of having been bitten by a tick. (Up to half of those who are bitten fail to develop the warning rash.) Without treatment, weeks or even months after the bite, arthritic, cardiac, and/or neurological complications may occur. The most common manifestations are:
Less common complications include:
Infection in pregnant women may lead to fetal death and miscarriage. PREVENTION...Garlic is a natural immune booster, so you would benefit from eating it in its natural state or taking it in supplement form. "Green drinks" provide chlorophyll, which detoxifies, along with vital nutrients and enzymes. Attached ticks must be removed promptly. Protective clothing includes a hat and long-sleeved shirts and long pants that are tucked into socks or boots. Light-colored clothing makes the tick more easily visible before it attaches itself. People should use special care in handling and allowing outdoor pets inside homes because they can bring ticks into the house. SYMPTOMS...Lyme disease is known as the new great imitator as it can display symptoms of various diseases such as:
A person who has been bitten by an infected tick that stays on them for one day or more, will then be affected by the bacteria at the site. The warning sign is a red spot on the skin that turns into the appearance of a bulls-eye. After three days to one month the bacteria will seep into the skin and spread through the blood to affect other organs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Lyme disease may cause:
About 60% of the patients who weren't treated for Lyme disease had "intermittent bouts of arthritis, with severe joint pain and swelling," according to the CDC. Additional symptoms include:
Left untreated late manifestations involving the joints, heart and nervous system can occur. Do you have any of the those symptoms? If you answered 'Yes', you might want to consider seeing a doctor and asking about treating Lyme disease naturally. Thousands of people treat Lyme disease naturally because of the harsh side-effects of Lyme disease medication! Simply put, Lyme disease medication does its job but it kills good and bad bacteria in your body which is why Lyme medication's side-effects include:
Arthritis symptoms similar to those of Lyme disease may be caused by rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Remitter's syndrome, a type of infectious arthritis. Neurological symptoms may be due to encephalitis and other central nervous system infections. Depression and chronic fatigue syndrome may also be mistaken for Lynne disease. PREVENTION...The most important preventative measure is to inspect your body thoroughly because the tick has to be attached for at least one day to transmit Lyme disease. Mayo Clinic recommends wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants. Spray yourself with insect repellent before you go outside. If you find a tic on your body remove it carefully with tweezers and put antiseptic on the site. Cutting foliage away from your house or cabin may also help to prevent tic bites. Bacteria and viruses feed on sugar so it would be a good idea to reduce sugar intake. Desserts should be limited to low sugar fruits like strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. Keep in mind that many fresh and dried fruits, and fruit juice, like banana, raisins and apple juice have a high sugar content. This would be a good time to eliminate junk foods and eat health promoting foods like:
so as not to pose any additional challenges to the body. Check with your local health food stores and organic produce departments in supermarkets for the best choices. Repellents...During tick season I use a combination of various products. I am very concerned about the adverse health effects of using DEET or other chemically-based repellents, so have been experimenting with alternatives to find the most effective. If I will be headed outdoors for the day, I use soybean oil after my morning shower as an allover body moisturizer that also helps deter insect bites. The ticks that are in the wild forest or nearby water can be carrying Lyme disease. Want to know why...? You will find ticks to live on deer and they feed most of their life on them until they die or move on. The tick moves on to someone and the bacteria in the tick is infected with a Lyme Bacteria that causes the disease. The deer goes around the forest carrying these parasites through out the woods. Friendly bacteria and yeast micro-organisms live harmoniously in the intestinal tract. The antibiotic does not differentiate between beneficial and harmful bacteria and, in its quest to go after the "bad guys", may deplete the "good guys" located in the intestinal tract. When the level of good bacteria is depleted, yeast, regularly kept in check by the "good guys", has an opportunity to grow out of control. Yeast overgrowth can cause a variety of symptoms such as bloating, gas, itching, sugar cravings, brain fog, mouth sores, headaches, weight gain, mood swings, depression, and extreme fatigue. TREATMENT...The conventional medical approach is to treat the Lyme disease with antibiotics. When a child or adult is quickly treated with an appropriate antibiotic, the result is usually a swift and positive healing. However, if the person does not recover with the first round of antibiotic, additional rounds are routinely prescribed, often leading to "antibiotic cocktails." Long-term antibiotic therapy can result in an imbalance of micro-organisms in the intestinal tract and deplete the functioning of the immune system, making the body more susceptible to other illnesses. Consider taking the best of both conventional and holistic medical practices by integrating natural remedies with antibiotic therapy. They can help keep the body strong while the antibiotic does its job. Lyme disease usually can be cured with antibiotics, especially if treated in its earliest stages, before complications occur. In the past, penicillin or tetracy cline were the drugs of choice, but current therapy favors doxycycline, a more readily absorbed tetracycline, or amoxicillin, a penicillin derivative that has increased potency. Doxycycline is most commonly used because it has to be taken only twice a day and causes fewer gastrointestinal side effects than amoxicillin, which must be taken three times a day. More serious infections, especially those involving the central nervous system, may be treated with ceftriaxone (Rocephin); this is a new antibiotic that is given by injection or intravenously. Approaches for later and more severe manifestations of Lyme disease remain controversial. Generally, treatment at this stage is longer and more intensive. It may be necessary to undergo two to four weeks of intravenous therapy with ceftriaxone or penicillin G, especially for central nervous system complications such as meningitis. Intravenous therapy may be given in the hospital, an outpatient clinic, or at home by a visiting nurse or IV therapist. If symptoms persist despite a course of IV antibiotics, some doctors recommend long-term intravenous therapy. Others feel this approach is futile. Other medical treatments depend upon symptoms. For example, Lyme arthritis generally responds to aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. People with certain types of cardiac arrhythmias may be treated with antiarrhythmia drugs; others may benefit from implantation of a pacemaker. Eye inflammation can be treated with antibiotic eye drops. Medication may also be prescribed to treat depression. Vaccines against Lyme disease are being tested in areas of Connecticut where the disease is widespread. If these prove effective, Lyme disease will become a preventable disorder. Certain essential oils are very effective against ticks and studies show that catnip, rose geranium, and lemon eucalyptus oil are very effective against both ticks and mosquitoes. Evening primrose oil (1000 mg 2 to 3 times daily)-combats pain and inflammation. The safe, natural way to prevent tick bites is with the essential oil of eucalyptus, found at the health food store. The strong but pleasant smell seems to effectively repel the ticks. In a spray bottle, add 16 oz. water to 1 oz. eucalyptus oil. Spray on the skin before an outdoor activity, like gardening. The bottled mixture remains potent for many months.If you have joint pain as a result of this infection you can halt your pain using fish oil. For longer protection, such as a hike in the woods, mix 10 drops eucalyptus into ˝ ounce almond or sunflower seed oil and apply to skin and clothing. A larger amount can be pre-mixed for a camping trip or for sending off with a child to summer camp. Sometimes Lyme disease is hard to diagnose; that is why it is recommended that if the tick is found and carefully removed, (remember do not touch it) to save it in a jar and bring it to the doctor! Tips on preventing tick bites are listed below... Use the Dryer: When I come back from a walk, I strip and put my clothes immediately into the dryer on high heat for a full cycle. Studies have shown that ticks can survive washing but that high heat drying will kill them. While this is definitely not a eco-friendly choice, I haven't yet found an alternative. A Natural Lyme Treatment that Prescription Drug Companies Don't Want You to Know About...Acupuncture Acupuncture treatment can be used to help relieve the fatigue, joint pain, and related side effects of Lyme disease. Wear light colored clothing so that you can see ticks that are on you. Guinea hens Guinea hens are the best thing I've found for keeping our yard clear of ticks. I know everyone can't do this, so I've listed it last. If you live in a rural area, get guinea hens. Since our hens grew up, our tick population has decreased significantly. Our hens roam free, eat ticks and other insects all day, and take care of themselves. The drawback is that they are a bit noisy, so don't get them if you aren't used to the sounds of farm animals.
|
