Lyme Disease
Once thought to be a rare disease limited to the New England area (named as it was after Lyme, Connecticut), Lyme Disease is far more common than once thought, with cases identified throughout the United States and beyond. Each year the Center for Disease Control, or CDC, issues spring and summertime warnings cautioning us all to be on the lookout for insect bites in general and ticks in particular.
But what to look for? That's a hard question to answer, especially if the classic "bull's eye" rash never appears immediately following the bite. If not identified and treated quickly, Lyme Disease can cause serious problems for years to come.
Chronic or Persistent Lyme Disease has been called "The Great Imposter," for good reason, as it can cause myriad and varied symptoms, changing radically in presentation from one person to another. Some of the more common Lyme-related symptoms include chronic joint and/or muscle pain, debilitating fatigue, persistent headaches, numbness and/or tingling, muscle weakness, dizziness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, shortness of breath, strange unpredictable rashes, and even heart problems. No two cases look exactly alike.
Add to that the fact that the insect that typically transmits the Lyme-causing bacteria (Borellia) also frequently transmits any of a number of "co-infections" along with that bacteria, and you find yourself facing a complex problem, indeed.
But that's not all. Borellia is sneaky, too. It has an incredible ability to change form, to hide, and to protect itself by building and surrounding itself with a strong barrier, or "biofilm," and thereby avoid detection by, or otherwise confound, a healthy immune system.
And if even that's not challenging enough, the laboratory tests we have to look for Lyme are far from perfect, and frequently produce "false negatives."
Dr. Elliott has several years of experience diagnosing and successfully treating Lyme Disease.
But what to look for? That's a hard question to answer, especially if the classic "bull's eye" rash never appears immediately following the bite. If not identified and treated quickly, Lyme Disease can cause serious problems for years to come.
Chronic or Persistent Lyme Disease has been called "The Great Imposter," for good reason, as it can cause myriad and varied symptoms, changing radically in presentation from one person to another. Some of the more common Lyme-related symptoms include chronic joint and/or muscle pain, debilitating fatigue, persistent headaches, numbness and/or tingling, muscle weakness, dizziness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, shortness of breath, strange unpredictable rashes, and even heart problems. No two cases look exactly alike.
Add to that the fact that the insect that typically transmits the Lyme-causing bacteria (Borellia) also frequently transmits any of a number of "co-infections" along with that bacteria, and you find yourself facing a complex problem, indeed.
But that's not all. Borellia is sneaky, too. It has an incredible ability to change form, to hide, and to protect itself by building and surrounding itself with a strong barrier, or "biofilm," and thereby avoid detection by, or otherwise confound, a healthy immune system.
And if even that's not challenging enough, the laboratory tests we have to look for Lyme are far from perfect, and frequently produce "false negatives."
Dr. Elliott has several years of experience diagnosing and successfully treating Lyme Disease.