Get Educated About Lyme Disease
By Tom Moorcroft, DO
yme disease has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and especially in Connecticut. With the number of Lyme infections rising, the need for Lyme disease education is at an all time high. In this article, we’ll review the questions I am most commonly asked about Lyme disease. My hope is by sharing these questions and answers that much of the suffering caused by Lyme disease will be alleviated and that many more people will learn the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease so they can get early treatment, thus preventing chronic disease.
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What is Lyme disease? Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the
United States. It is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected Ixodes scapularis tick. This tick is better known by its common name the blacklegged or deer tick. Lyme disease is caused by the bacterial spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi.
How common is Lyme disease?
In 2009, the CT statewide incidence of Lyme disease was 122 cases per 100,000 people. The Centers for Disease Control and Pre- vention (CDC) has indicated that reported cases of Lyme disease are about 10% of actual cases that meet their surveillance criteria. This means that up to 90% of cases that meet these criteria are not being reported. Currently, over 20,000 new cases of Lyme disease are be- ing reported each year in the United States. If unreported cases are as prevalent as suspected, then there are likely over 200,000 new
cases per year. This would mean that each year 5 times more people would contract Lyme than HIV/AIDS. If CDC estimates are correct that would mean that approxi- mately 1 in 100 people in CT become infected with Lyme disease each year. Approximately 25% of people who become infected with Lyme are children.
What are the most common symptoms of Lyme disease?
A red rash with central clearing (bull’s eye), called erythema
migrans (EM), is diagnostic of Lyme disease. Studies show that 40- 69% of people have the classic EM rash; however, physicians report that this rate may be as low as 10%. This rash may not occur at the bite site. Patients may present with multiple EM rashes or other types of rashes. Fifty to seventy-five percent of those infected with Lyme disease do not remember having had a tick bite. The most common symptoms of acute Lyme disease include flu-like symptoms, monoarthritis (for example, a swollen, painful knee), migratory joint and muscle pains, fatigue, headache, cogni- tive dysfunction (often called brain fog) and migratory paresthesias (a numb or tingly feeling). Severe cases of Lyme can cause heart block (a blockage in the heart’s electrical system), meningitis (inflammation of the covering of the brain and spinal cord) or encephalitis (inflam- mation of the brain itself), amongst other problems.
What other symptoms may be seen in Lyme disease? Borrelia burgdorferi has been called the “New Great Imitator”
as over 350 medical conditions have been noted to be caused or associated with Lyme disease in peer reviewed medical journals. Historically, Syphilis is known as the first “Great Imitator.” Patients may present with new onset anxiety or cognitive dysfunction. Others may have uncontrolled abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome or even Crohn’s disease or Ulcerative Colitis. Hormonal dysregulation is common. Impacted hormones range from estrogen, progester- one and testosterone to thyroid and cortisol. Headaches and visual changes are also common. Because Lyme can present with many different, seemingly unrelated symptoms, patients may be misdi- agnosed with conditions including depression, anxiety, migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome and leaky gut, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
12 Natural Nutmeg May 2012
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