Lyme disease often presents a spectrum of symptoms that are often overlooked as Lyme related symptoms. Patient may not be presenting with the hallmark Lyme rash that develops after a tick or mosquito bite and often don’t recall being bitten, contributing to a high rate of Lyme misdiagnosis.
The problem with Lyme disease is that it’s so very effective at mimicking other ailments, and it doesn’t always manifest the same way. A patient can have all the symptoms associated with Lyme disease, or very few. It’s not uncommon for Lyme disease to be misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, lupus, mononucleosis, ulcerative colitis, ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, or fibromyalgia. Misdiagnosis can mean not getting treatment, or worse, getting treatment for the wrong ailment.
What Are the Symptoms of Lyme Disease?
Everyone can manifest the symptoms of Lyme disease differently. That’s one of the things that makes it so hard to treat. Having said that, the following are some common symptoms.
- Erythema Migrans: This is the biggest tip-off. Erythema migrans is a rash that will occur in about 75% of Lyme disease cases. Not everyone gets the rash, but for those who do, it begins as a small red spot that could easily be mistaken for a mosquito bite. Over a period of days, or sometimes weeks, it will begin to take on a shape – usually an oval, circle, or triangle. Sometimes it looks like a bull’s eye, appearing as a clear area surrounded by a reddish ring. It can be as small as a dime, or it can cover your entire torso. As the infection becomes more serious, the rash can migrate to other areas of the body. The rash is often accompanied by flu-like symptoms (fever, body aches, headaches and fatigue). These symptoms usually disappear in a few days or a matter of weeks, so the patient and doctor both believe that the sufferer simply had the flu.
- Arthritis: Lyme disease is often accompanied by arthritis-like symptoms – swollen, painful joints or chronic pain that plague the patient for a few days, or worse, months. It can move from joint to joint, and commonly affects the knees. If the Lyme disease is undiagnosed and untreated, it can actually lead to the development of lasting arthritis. This happens in anywhere from 10-20% of patients.
- Brain Fog: Because lyme disease burrows into the brain to protect itself from being eradicated, brain cells produce cytokines which tell the immune system to send healing cells to the brain to help fight the infection. As the cells flood the brain, inflammation results, causing brain fog. In addition, another chemical present in brain infections called quinolinic acid contributes to brain fog.
- Neurological Problems: Lyme disease attacks the nervous system, causing Bell’s palsy (temporary paralysis in the facial muscles), weakness or numbness in the limbs, severe headaches, and difficulty with coordination. These symptoms can last for weeks, and can be recurring.
- Heart Problems: Some patients may experience a slow or irregular heartbeat, accompanied by shortness of breath or dizziness. This occurs in only about one out of ten patients, and the symptoms will usually abate even without treatment.
If you have been bitten by a tick and live in an area known to have Lyme disease, see your doctor right away so that a proper diagnose can be made and treatment started.
How Can Lyme Disease be Treated?
At LifeWorks Wellness Center, we believe that the best treatment for Lyme disease is ozone therapy.
Ozone is a substance that is found at high atmospheric levels – you’ve heard of the ozone layer. For medical purposes, ozone is created by sending oxygen through an electrical coil, causing it to have three atoms instead of two – it’s no longer O2; it’s now O3. This third atom makes for oxygen that is “supercharged”, giving it superior medical properties.
Ozone works by increasing the amount of oxygen in your body. This helps it to heal by:
- Detoxifying your liver
- Decreasing the level of uric acid in your body
- De-clogging your blood cells
- Improving your circulation
- Killing fungi, viruses and bacteria
- Improving cellular metabolism
- Enhancing your immune system
When you consider the myriad ways in which ozone benefits your body, it’s easy to see how it helps to counteract the immunosuppressant effects of various diseases, including Lyme disease. It’s believed that ozone therapy can prevent and control a variety of conditions.
At LifeWorks Wellness Center, the ozone therapy is administered intravenously. While Major Autohemotherapy (MAH) is delivered, the patient simply relaxes in a comfortable chair. His or her blood is extracted and delivered to an IV bag. Then ozone is injected, and the bag is agitated in order to allow the ozone to be absorbed by the blood cells. The ozonated blood is then sent back to the body through an IV drip. Another alternative is Biophoton Therapy or UVBI treatment in which a small quantity of blood is drawn from patient, mixed in a bag with saline, infused with ozone and then exposed to UV light as it returns to the body, via an IV drip. Ozone therapy is a key part of Lyme disease treatment and patient testimonials speak of its efficacy.
When treating Lyme disease we usually combine ozone therapy with one or more other modalities. Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) and Pulsed Magnetic Field Therapy (MAS Mat) are both offered to patients who have a lot of pain as part of their symptoms. IV therapy such as Myers’ Cocktails are very beneficial is boosting the immune system back up and Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant which potentiates the Myers’ Cocktail.
Get the Lyme Disease Treatment You Need
Many residents of Tampa Bay have already benefited from our Lyme disease treatment protocols, and we’ll be happy to book a consultation. Contact us at (727) 466-6789 for an appointment or inquire online today.
Helpful Lyme Resources
- Lyme Disease Treatment - a page dedicated to treating lyme disease.
- Lyme Disease Testimonials - patient success stories overcoming lyme disease.
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