Lyme Disease

What causes Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is caused by bacteria that are transmitted through the bite of an infected tick. The tick that carries Lyme disease is a black-legged tick, commonly called a deer tick.

Deer aren’t the only animals that responsible for Lyme disease, however. Mice, chipmunks, and shrews can also transfer the same bacteria to ticks; the ticks then transmit it to people.

What symptoms develop due to Lyme disease?

You may notice a small, red bump at the site of the tick bite, but that doesn’t mean you have the disease. The early symptoms of Lyme disease appear within a month of the tick bite, when you develop:

• Flulike illness with fever, chills, and muscle aches
• Swollen and tender lymph nodes near the tick bite
• Erythema migrans, which is the hallmark bullseye rash

Erythema migrans is a red rash that appears in 3-20 days, then slowly expands outward. As the red patch grows, the center begins to clear up, creating a bulls-eye appearance. The rash can get as large as 12 inches across, but it’s not usually itchy or painful.

Here’s the problem: You may not have a bullseye rash. It’s estimated that up to 80% of people with Lyme disease develop a rash, but the bullseye appearance only shows up in 20% of cases. Current blood test only detects antibodies. It is an effective assessment for later stages of Lyme disease but doesn’t always pick up on early infections since antibodies will not show positive until after 4-6 weeks of infections.

As the infection spreads throughout your body, you experience:

• Joint pain and swelling
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Brain fog
• Memory issues
• Photosensitivity
• Tingling and numbness

In the months or years after your initial infection, untreated Lyme disease may cause permanent joint damage and health problems such as:

• Arthritis
• Irregular heart rhythm
• Neurological problems
• Impaired muscle movement

Arthritis caused by untreated Lyme disease typically develops in your large joints, especially the knee.

How is Lyme disease treated?

As Lyme disease experts, the naturopathic physicians at Fairfield Family Health offer a range of safe and effective treatments, such as herbal protocols and nutritional therapy to boost your immune system, support healthy cellular functioning, and provide the key nutrients needed to heal from Lyme disease.

These are a few examples of therapies that treat Lyme disease and restore your body’s overall health:

• Low-dose immunotherapy
• Cowden protocol
• Zhang’s protocol
• Byron White Formulas
• Beyond Balance
• Desbio
• Buhner protocol
• Klinghardt Lyme protocols
• Homeopathic remedies
• Lyme specific dietary plan

Our Lyme specific protocols are herbal treatments that use different botanical combinations. You take prescribed doses for a specific amount of time. The active ingredients in our protocols are anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulating for many patients.

In addition to Lyme disease, you will be evaluated for other tick-borne infections like Bartonella, Babesia and Anaplasma/Ehrlichia. For comprehensive, holistic care for Lyme disease, call or book an appointment online.