peer-reviewed medical journals. Early detection and treatment can help prevent the late manifestations of Lyme that are often severe and difficult to treat.
Children and Lyme Disease Children under the age of 15 account for 25% of reported cases
of Lyme disease. While some children present with the more com- mon features of Lyme disease that we have already discussed, many of them present in ways that are much different than adults. Many children develop sleep problems, including nightmares. New onset bedwetting may also develop. Daytime urinary frequency is often seen. Some children present with odd skin sensations, others with discomfort when being touched. They often complain of headaches that can range from mild to debilitating. Commonly, children present with isolated neuropsychiatric and gastrointestinal changes. This makes the diagnosis of Lyme disease in children more challenging as well as more crucial. Neuropsychiatric changes can range from mild to downright scary to parents and teachers. Children may experience acute changes in personality, abrupt behavioral changes, uncharacteristic outbursts, and trouble tolerating their normal environment. Some children have outbursts of rage; this is often directed at one fam- ily member or schoolmate. Children may also have problems with speech and motor skills leading to rapidly declining grades. difficulty in processing auditory input often appears as a lack of fo- cus leading a child to be misdiagnosed with attention deficit hyper- activity disorder (ADHD). Some children with Lyme disease develop problems with sensory integration and have a difficult time focusing when they are exposed to multiple stimuli at once. This leads to confusion and, in turn, poor behavior. Happy children may become irritable and sad. Children may
have an abrupt change in their mood to the point they are depressed, anxious, psychotic, and even suicidal. If this is the case, it is impor- tant to consider Lyme disease as well as co-infection with Bartonella henselae. Some previously outgoing and gregarious children become withdrawn or reluctant to play. Children may develop odd, repetitive behaviors and/or tics. When several of these symptoms are seen in the same child, they may be misdiagnosed with autism. Children and adolescents often exhibit Lyme disease symptoms
in the GI tract. These include abominal pain, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and blood in the stool. Gastrointestinal Lyme disease may mimic colitis or Crohn’s disease. Small intestinal bac-
teria overgrowth may be present. H. pylori is frequently resistant to treatment if Lyme disease is also present in the GI tract. Co-infections including babesia, bartonella, and mycoplasma, have been found in the GI tract.
Co-infections are other infections that can be transmitted by the bite of an infected tick. One common co-infection is Babesia microti. Babesia symptoms include sweats (day or night and often drenching), unrelenting headaches or head pressure, heart palpita- tions, a burning sensation in the feet, and muscle and bone pain. Ehrlichia and anaplasma are infections that can come on quickly and cause very high fevers, chills and intense fatigue, although they can also present as moderate headache and fatigue. In addition to neu- ropsychiatric changes, Bartonella hensalae can cause purple stretch marks and make stretch marks and surgical scars change from skin tone to a more purple color. When symptoms are all on one side of the body, Bartonella is often the culprit. These co-infections cause similar symptoms in adults.
Making the Diagnosis of Lyme Disease The diagnosis of Lyme is often made using the criteria set forth
in the CdC surveillance case definition of Lyme disease, including a two step laboratory testing strategy: an antibody screen followed by a confirmatory Western blot. These tests are known to miss 20- 50% of patients who have Lyme disease. On its website, the CDC states, “This surveillance case definition was developed for national reporting of Lyme disease; it is not intended to be used in clinical diagnosis.” One of the biggest problems with Lyme-disease testing is that the best tests available are blood tests and Lyme disease does not live in the blood. Currently there are no blood tests that can tell your doctor that you do or do not have Lyme, they can only tell if you have been exposed to Borrelia. Your clinical condition, sup- ported by blood tests, is the only accurate measure of active Lyme disease. A negative blood test does not mean you do not have active Lyme disease; it may mean your immune system is not producing antibodies to Borrelia, it is up to your physician to determine if you have active infection. Lyme disease is a clinical diagnosis supported by blood tests.
In Connecticut, if your doctor is considering the diagnosis of
Lyme disease, it very well may be the correct diagnosis. Studies have shown that in the Northeast, as many as 70% of ticks may be infect- ed with Lyme and 50% of ticks may carry other tick-borne illnesses. In 2009, tick drags conducted by researchers at the University of
NaturalNutmeg.com 13
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52