Could YOU Have Lyme Disease? 8 Facts You NEED to Know
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Lyme Disease seems to be everywhere these days, but it's a very confusing issue that most people (including many doctors) don't understand.
Here are some lyme disease facts that can help you understand this condition better so you are better armed with information to protect yourself and your loved ones.
Lyme Disease Symptoms
Look at the following list of symptoms. They're pretty terrible, aren't they?
– Paralysis
– widespread joint and muscle pain
– severe fatigue
– headache, rashes
– unexplained fevers
– chills
– nausea
– anxiety
– swollen glands
– heart palpitations
– depression
– bowel problems
– interstitial cystitis
– TMJ, muscle spasms
– nerve pain
– numbness
– tingling
– stiffness
– abdominal pain
– light-headedness
– tremors
– confusion
– double vision
– sensitivity to light and sound
– anxiety
– menstrual irregularity
What if I told you all of these symptoms could indicate Lyme Disease?
Ridiculous right? How could a tiny bug cause so many health problems?
Besides, it seems like everyone and their dog has Lyme Disease lately. It's just the newest catch-all fad disease right? Or is it?
I know how you feel because I've thought the same.
That list above is just a tiny sampling of all the symptoms I've experienced in varying degrees over the last 16 years of my life. I'd spent years searching for answers to the problems that plagued me every day, finding no answers beyond “fibromyalgia”.
When a friend suggested to me I could have Lyme Disease and I should watch the Under Our Skin documentary I honestly was offended.
“Ya right!,” I thought. “Seriously…how could a bug do all this to me?“
One afternoon, I sat down in front of my computer and caved in. I had to find an answer to the question, “What is Lyme Disease?” and as I found out, I was horrified.
As I watched, tears streamed down my face… I saw the playing out of my own life before my eyes. I finally understood my life and I saw Lyme Disease for what it truly is.
You see… Lyme Disease is much more sinister than most people give it credit for.
Why is Lyme so sinister?
What Is Lyme Disease, Anyway?
Let's explore together…
Dr. Richard Horowitz, a leading Lyme expert, says Lyme is “the number 1 worldwide epidemic… it's spreading, it's mimicking every disease and it's going to destroy the world's population.”
Earlier this year the CDC released new statistics for Lyme, admitting they were way off on their earlier estimations of Lyme in the United States.
The number? 300,000 Americans each year. This is 10 times more than what they had previously estimated!
Most Lyme experts still think these numbers are inaccurate, citing that many people are not reporting to the CDC, while others have been misdiagnosed with things like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, MS, Alzheimer's, or rheumatoid arthritis.
How does Lyme cause ALL those symptoms?
Not every aspect of how Lyme Disease bacteria work is fully understood.
I did a simplistic explanation of one function of the borrelia spirochete's initial action within the body here. There's a lot more going on in the body that leads to this hefty list of ailments.
Neurotoxins
One of the first jobs of the spirochete is to release neurotoxins.
As the name implies, neurotoxins release toxins into the nervous system, inhibiting communication of neurons (the cell that processes and transmits through your body's electrical system) through synapses (the means to transport these electrical signals between cells).
When your neurons don't communicate, this leads to things like memory impairment, paralysis, seizures, neuropathy (nerve pain, burning, tingling, etc.), and myopathy (muscular disease).
Notably, artificial fragrances are also neurotoxins!
Cytokines
Additionally, spirochetes cause our body to produce too many cytokines.
Cytokines are proteins who's job is to fight infection. (Sounds like a person would need lots of those to fight a Lyme Disease infection right?)
In a normal infection, cytokines would increase, do their job, and then decrease again.
However, as mentioned above, the corkscrew bacteria of Lyme Disease make their way into every organ of the body (usually with their co-bacteria friends) causing the body to produce cytokines in excess.
Excess cytokine production leads to inflammation which leads to pain and muscle wasting, immune system suppression, disturbed sleep, severe fatigue, thyroid and adrenal problems, problems with body organs, and more.
8 Not So Fun Facts About Lyme Disease and Ticks
Lyme Is Caused By More Than Just Borrelia
Lyme Disease is caused by Borrelia Burgdorferi, but there are other strains of Borrelia. I personally have 4 strains… Parkeri, Kochii, Persica, and Recurrentis. I do not have Burgdorferi and many others do not, however the symptoms and treatment are the same so most doctors will call it Lyme as well. Calling it Borreliosis is more accurate. (But for our purposes we will stick to Lyme.)
Ticks Don't Fly
Ticks do not fly, jump or blow in the wind.They come out in cool, wet weather and come out seeking carbon dioxide… i.e. your breath! They spend their time in tall grass and when you walk by, they catch a ride.
Lyme Brings Co-infection “Friends” With It
Lyme Disease rarely travels alone.
Ticks often carry co-infections as well… Mycoplasma, Babesia, Bartonella, and Ehrlichia are the most common. (Click here for a full listing.) These carry their own complicating symptoms that can be just as severe or worse than Lyme, and often require separate treatment regimens.
Bullseye Rash Myth
Only 50% of people get a bullseye rash!
The other 50% may have another form of a rash or no rash at all. And only 10% of children with Lyme Disease present with a bullseye rash.
Other Bugs Carry Lyme
Ticks are not the only bugs that carry Lyme Disease!
It once was thought that only ticks carry the disease, not only that, but only deer ticks. Sadly, this is untrue.
While deer ticks are still the number one source of Lyme Disease, lice, fleas, mosquitos, and other blood-sucking bugs have been found to contain borrelia bacteria or other bacteria associated with Lyme. Whether they can transmit it in the same way as ticks is yet to be discovered. (source and source)
Other types of ticks such as the American Dog tick have been proven to carry Lyme and co-infections as well.
Lyme Might Come from People Too
Lyme Disease can possibly be transmitted from person to person.
It is thought that it might be passed sexually, and also through saliva, organ transplant, blood transfusion (f.y.i – blood banks don't test for it!), breast milk, and through the placenta to the unborn child. (source)
You Likely Can Recover From Lyme Easily If….
If you catch Lyme Disease right away and treat it, your odds of recovery are very good, not 100%, but very good.
You Likely Can NOT Recover From Lyme Easily If…
Lyme is NOT easy to treat if you don't catch it right away.
Many mainstream doctors claim Lyme Disease, in it's later stages, is simply treated with a few rounds of antibiotic and any remaining symptoms are “post Lyme” and will not go away.
This is untrue as well. Chronic Lyme disease treatment is possible, but it can be very difficult.
Lyme Tests Are Unreliable
It's VERY hard to test for Lyme.
This information is very important. You can test for lyme and have a false negative. Some tests are better than others, but no test is perfect.
In fact, Adrienne had lyme likely for many years and didn't know it until she went to an Amish clinic just to see what they would say about her health.
She had a blood microscopy test (they looked at her blood right there in the clinic). In her blood, there were spirochetes eating her red blood cells!
Even blood microscopy isn't valid all the time since those buggers like to hide.
So, basically testing is hard. Igenix has a good test and there are others.
You can read more about lyme disease testing in this post.
Don't Panic
Now that you have answered the question, “What is Lyme Disease” and you are armed with all of this information, it's terrifying, isn't it?
I know it all sounds super scary and overwhelming but it is not my intention to incite fear. However Lyme Disease is a growing epidemic and after all, I have suffered over the years, I see it as my duty to inform others about Lyme Disease.
Be aware, but don't live in fear.
My children still go into the woods to play.
Do I worry?
Yes, but living in fear of the unknown will paralyze me so I choose daily to trust that God will protect them and I take simple steps to be proactive.
Help for Addressing Lyme Disease
More Posts About Lyme
This post on Lyme disease prevention can help in addition to this post about support for those with Lyme.
Helpful Books About Lyme Disease
The following books are some great options as well.
This book goes into more detail about what Lyme Disease is and what can be done to recover from it. It has great reviews.
The Lyme Disease Solution
The Lyme Disease Solution is a thorough guide to the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme and other tick borne infections. Dr. Kenneth Singleton, the authori, is a board certified specialist in Internal Medicine. He struggled with severe Lyme symptoms for 8 years before being accurately diagnosed and treated.
The book is full of information that's presented in an easy to read manner. Whether you have Lyme, or know someone who does, this book is sure to be a helpful resource.
Stephen Buehner is regarded as a wealth of knowledge by many who struggle with Lyme. This book on Lyme coinfections is one of many that he's authored.
The book, TOXIC, is a wealth of information for anyone dealing with the “silent illnesses” like Lyme, mold toxicity, chronic fatigue, and chemical sensitivity.
(Please note – nothing in this post or in the comments was meant to be a medical diagnosis or advice. Please consult with your physician prior to changing your diet or supplements. This information was meant for educational and entertainment purposes only.)
Have you been diagnosed with Lyme Disease—or wondered “What is Lyme Disease” or if you have this horrid disease?
Corah Webber is the original author of this post. She is a writer, artist, and mother of 2. She splits her time between homeschooling, doodling in notebooks, researching health problems, and daydreaming. Her passion for health and blogging arose out of her own 18 year struggle with a misdiagnosed health condition that turned out to be Lyme Disease. She dreams about starting an urban farm and going back to school to be a Naturopath Doctor once she is feeling better.
Interesting. Oxalate overload from eating today’s superfoods has many of the same symptoms. Also, a friend who had silicone implants after surviving breast cancer had symptoms which they were calling Lyme disease but turned out her implants were leaking and had to be removed. Scarey stuff!
It can be tough to know what is going on and the oxalate issue is a bit murky in my opinion. Hard to know. We do make an enzyme to digest oxalates so that’s one of my questions. I know I have Lyme -but yes there are other things that can be going on. Lyme tests aren’t that accurate either!
“It is thought that it might be passed sexually, and also through saliva.” This is very powerful statement! Everything I read states that this is not the case. Please confirm where this information came from. I would like to read that also!
Hi there. I am not a lyme expert, but I have heard about that possibility. There’s some information in this article. Some people say that it has to be the case since they have never seen a tick on them but they have lyme, but I think there are other possibilities for transmission (like a very small tick or possibly a mosquito). https://lymediseaseassociation.org/lyme-tbd/medical/lyme-and-tick-borne-diseases/. Hope that helps.
Do you have Lyme, by the way? You might be interested in knowing that I am doing really well despite having had it quite bad. Here’s a teensy bit of my story: wholenewmom.com/about-me/
I have tested as negative thru traditional labs and Indeterminate thru Igenex…I did Bioresonance/Bioenergetic testing which said I have the following:
Borrelia recurrentis
Borrelia kochii
Borrelia parkeri
Borrelia berbera
Bartonella muris
Bartonella berkhoffi
Bartonella taylorii
Bartonella bovis
Bartonella grahamii
Babesia bigemina
Babesia ovate
Ehrlichia chafeensis
Ehrlichia phagocytophilum
** But I cannot find any info on Borrelia Kochii, which you stated you had/have as well! Where is this strain normally found?
Hi there. So sorry I didn’t write this post- it was written by another blogger.
Can you tell me what you are trying to figure out?
As for lyme, turns out, however, that I had / have it myself and am doing great overall. I think there are a lot of options to address foundational health and start feeling better–how are you doing?
I would be happy to help if I can. I can just share the things we have done but I eventually stopped trying to work on any one issue. You can see my about page for a little bit about my situation, but I’ll be writing more soon. wholenewmom.com/about-me/
Could you please email me his contact: ralucavaduva28@gmail.com
Thank you so much
Hi there – sorry what contact information?
How were you diagnosed.. like what test did you have? My daughter sounds like this
Testing isn’t easy and often is not accurate. Find a lyme literate doc. Some docs / clinics do blood microscopy and sometimes you can see the lyme in the blood. Ask me how I know.
I lived in South Africa from the ages of 7 to 9 and had 2 tick bites that I’m aware of. I’m 43 now and have suffered with daily headaches since I was 15. I have pain in my neck and shoulders, depression and anxiety, IBS and polycystic ovaries. I receive a B12 injection every 12 weeks, habe anaemia, low folic acid and vitamin D deficiency. I have also suffered with insomnia for as long as I can remember. My doctor is testing me for everything she can think of and I recently had a gastroscopy and a colonoscopy. I only recently thought about the ticks and wondered if this could be the cause. Can I have been infected 35 years ago and my symptoms be from lyme disease? I am back living in the UK.
I have heard that Lyme can be latent and show up many years later but I’m not a medical expert. So sorry for your issues.
When you say “lice”…do you mean head or body lice? I’ve read body lice but not the connection with head lice. Can you clarify and, if you mean head lice, do you know where you’ve found that? I’ve been searching for that possible connection for a long time.
This is about head lice. I’m not sure what you are asking about where we’ve found “that” – what are you referring to, please?
I’m shocked and have no clue what to do. I was diagnosed in 2006 with Fibromyalgia my symptoms back then were low grade fevers, just about every bone and muscle In my body hurt. Thru the years my symptoms just kept piling up with new ones showing up year after year. In 2013 at 50 yo I had a massive heart attack a widow maker. I survived, I was told I was one lucky girl. The beginning of 2016, suffering from my original symptoms plus malnutrion, headaches, severe fatigue, nerve pain, loss of memory, severe tinnitus, flu like systems, just dazing looking in to space for hours on end, could not tolerate light or sound, heart arthmeias, and so much more. I went to a hollostic doctor that tested me for Lyme, my Western Blot came back POSITIVE, the doctor wanted 15,000 dollars to start treatment. I have not been able to work or even function properly there is no way I can come up with that kind of money. I just don’t know what to do. Im thousands of miles away from home with my parents because I just cannot tolerate the cold New England winters. Plus they take care of me 24/7. I was tested in January it’s now March, there are no LLMDs in the area I’m in. Do I wait 2 more months for treatment when I go home? I’m petrified this disease will kill me. Last week one of my eyebrows just fell off for no reason, all there weird things are happening. I went almost 11 years treating what I thought was Fibromyalgia, now that I’ve been diagnosed with. Lyme everything makes sense, but I do not know where to go for treatment that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
Lori, I’m not sure what to tell you but would this site be of help? I also am talking with someone about an herbal blend that might be of help. I can’t medically advise, but I could put you in touch w/ the group where this kind of thing is talked about if you would like. You can email me at adrienne {at} wholenewmom {dot} com.
Greetings all the way from South Africa. Believe it or not, this disease is gaining prevalence in the number of diagnosed cases all the way here. I have been a very “horsey” person since age 4. I’ve had so many cases of regular tick bite fever that I developed my own immunity to it. However, 6 years ago my bloods showed positive for Lyme disease. Added to the symptoms (as I didn’t develop the rash, despite becoming very ill) my doctors have diagnosed me with Systemic Lupus Erythromotosis. My questionson are : (1) can Lyms remit & recur every so often? (2) What are the similarities/differences between SLE & Lymes? Can they overlap and/or can havinget Lymes have brought on the autoimmune condition? I’m so over taking meds that seem to work for a while & then I hit a relapse in what is believed to be SLE!!!! ANY HELP WILL BE INVALUABLE
I am not a doctor but I have heard that lyme can come and go but that typically one gets very ill from it. I have read that autoimmune conditions overlap so I wd think that there can be a connection and I am seeing articles online connecting the 2. Hope that helps.
I was searching to find out if I could possibly have had Lyme for almost 50 years. When I was around seven or so, I found a tick stuck to the back of my scalp. I was staying with my great aunt in the NC mountains at the time. She’s tried to drown it with alcohol and other things and ended up pulling it off somehow. A few days later, it evidently, had gotten really infected or something to the point it frightened her. I remember driving around in the middle of the night hunting for a doctor. Back then you couldn’t just go to the ER. My aunt did not drive and so we had to wait until my uncle got off work. Anyway, I ended up at the dr who used some tweezers to do something and prescribed antibiotics. Long story short, I have been searching in my mind for what age I lost my energy and other things. It was sometime after that. I never had the energy of other kids or teens. As a young adult I had no energy. Now in my fifties, I am on disability for CFS and fibromyalgia and other health issues. Just recently I was checked for autoimmune diseases because the Dr I saw noticed my nails and I showed her pics of my feet. They react like possible raynauds. My tests all came back basically negative. But two summers ago, I was bitten by something that left a bullseye ring around it. The dr did not see it at that time. But I developed a lump in the bend of my arm. So she’s prescribed some expensive antibiotics. Ever since then I have felt even worse. I would really love to get a correct diagnosis so I can get the right treatment. The lump in my arm is still there. How doesn’t one find a Lyme specialist or someone who can diagnose an autoimmune disease whatever’s it may turn out to be. I truly believe I have something. It’s been most of my life. It would be nice to have a definitive answer for once!
I am so sorry you are having all of these struggles!
I have friends who are successfully battling Lyme. I could possibly put you in touch w/ one or both of them if you like.
Can you put me in touch with someone who has had some success at relieving Lyme disease. This is totally disabling and so painful for a few years now, but the doctors can’t seem to help and are baffled why it is so bad.
Hello Colette. I’m not sure if the people I know of work long distance. If you would like please email me at adrienne {at} wholenewmom {dot} com. Also there are some FB groups about lyme that might help / have some recommendations. Saying a prayer for you right now.