Lyme disease is a condition that is spread by deer ticks, and anyone who is bitten by a deer tick has the potential of developing Lyme disease. It’s been known since 1975, when children who lived around or played in wooded areas in Lyme, Connecticut, came down with pains, aches, fever, and a pervasive feeling of illness. Initially, rheumatoid arthritis was suspected, but it seemed unlikely that it would strike so many children at once. Finally, researchers observed that the symptoms seemed to be most prevalent during the summer, and deer ticks were identified as the source. The deer tick is the only type of tick that carries Lyme disease – it isn’t spread by dog ticks or wood ticks.
Who Can Get Lyme Disease?
Anyone who is exposed to deer ticks, and in some case, mosquitos, can contract Lyme disease. If you spend time outdoors, that’s a risk factor. Keeping your extremities covered, and wearing boots in the tall grass can minimize the danger of a bite but not eliminate it, and unless you actually see the tick, you may not even know that you’ve been bitten. That’s one of the reasons that Lyme disease can be so hard to diagnose, and if left untreated, Lyme disease can have significant long-term effects.
What Does Lyme Disease Look Like?
The symptoms can vary from patient to patient. The most common symptom is a rash called erythema migrans – it starts out a small red spot, and over time (a few days, or sometimes weeks), it takes on an oval, circular or triangular shape. It can be very small, or it can cover your whole torso. It’s often accompanied by body aches, headaches, fever and fatigue. Not everyone gets the rash – about 25% of Lyme sufferers only get flu-like symptoms, which is one reason why Lyme disease is so often mistaken for flu in the early stages. The patient ends up being told to go home and rest, leaving this dangerous disease undiagnosed and untreated.
Lyme disease is also often accompanied by swollen, painful joints, and if the disease is not diagnosed and treated, this can lead to lasting arthritis in 10-20% of patients. Other symptoms include Bell’s palsy, which is a temporary paralysis in the facial muscles, numbness or weakness in the limbs, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat and dizziness.
Is Lyme Disease Treatable?
Lyme disease is treatable. The key is using the proper treatment. As is the case with many diseases, you’ll find that everyone has a theory on how to treat Lyme disease. At LifeWorks Wellness Center, we believe the best course of therapy is ozone therapy, 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.
Contact The Best Lyme Disease Doctors!
If you have been unsuccessful in finding appropriate treatment for Lyme disease, contact LifeWorks Wellness Center. There is help for your condition, and we can help you get the best treatment. Many Tampa Bay residents have already found relief from Lyme disease because of our cutting-edge treatment protocols, and we’d be pleased to book you 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.