Lyme Disease

Source: WebMD.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by a tick.  Lyme disease was first recognized in 1975, after researchers investigated why unusually large numbers of children were being diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in Lyme, Connecticut, and two neighboring towns.  The investigators discovered that most of the affected children lived near wooded areas likely to harbor ticks.  They also found that the children's first symptoms typically started in the summer months coinciding with the height of the tick season.  Several of the patients reported having a peculiar skin rash just before developing arthritis symptoms, and many also recalled being bitten by a tick at the rash site.  Further investigations resulted in the discovery that tiny deer ticks infected with a spiral-shaped bacterium or spirochete (which was later named Borrelia burgdorferi) were responsible for the outbreak of arthritis in Lyme. Ordinary "wood ticks" and "dog ticks" do not carry the infection.

The ticks most commonly infected with B. burgdorferi usually feed and mate on deer during part of their life cycle.  The recent growth of the deer population in the northeast and the building of suburban developments in rural areas where deer ticks are commonly found have probably contributed to the increasing number of people with the disease.  The number of reported cases of Lyme disease, as well as the number of geographic areas in which it is found, has been increasing.  Lyme disease has been reported in nearly all states in this country, although most cases are concentrated in the coastal northeast, Mid-Atlantic States, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, and northern California.  Lyme disease is also found in large areas of Asia and Europe.  Recent reports suggest that it is present in South America, too.

In the early stages of Lyme disease, you may experience flu-like symptoms that can include a stiff neck, chills, fever, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, fatigue, muscle aches, and joint pain.  You also may experience a large, expanding skin rash around the area of the tick bite.  In more advanced disease, nerve problems and arthritis, especially in the knees, may occur.  Lyme disease imitates a variety of illnesses and its severity can vary from person to person.  If you have been bitten by a tick and live in an area known to have Lyme disease, see your doctor right away so that a proper diagnosis can be made and treatment started.

Related Sites

http://www.lymeinducedautism.com/   The Lyme Induced Autism (LIA) Foundation's goal is to provide education, awareness and research into an infectious based cause of autism. Lyme/borrelia is their PRIME suspect, but they indicate that there are multiple infections happening on a disabled immune system and these infections can be triggered by many factors.

http://www.ilads.org/  International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) promotes understanding of Lyme and its associated diseases and strongly supports physicians and other health care professionals dedicated to advancing the standard of care for Lyme and its associated diseases.

http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org/   The Lyme Disease Association, Inc. (LDA) mission is promoting awareness of and controlling the spread of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases (TBD) and their complications through education and other means; raising and distributing funds for Lyme and tick-borne diseases (TBD) research, education and other related Lyme and TBD issues; assisting underprivileged patients in connection with Lyme and other TBD.

http://www.lymenet.org/  This organization is responsible for the LymeNet series of services available on the Internet since 1994, including an online library and other resources.

Books

The Lyme-Autism Connection: Unveiling the Shocking Link Between Lyme Disease and Childhood Developmental Disorders Paperback  by Tami Duncan (Author), Bryan Rosner (Author), Robert Bransfield (Foreword).
Description:  Lyme disease and autism were thought to have nothing in common at all-one is a tick-borne infection which healthy people contract while camping, and the other is a prenatal brain development disorder. Recently, however, science has found similarities between Lyme disease and autism that cannot be ignored.  When one looks beneath the surface of these seemingly diverse disorders, the underlying discoveries are shocking.  Awaiting your discovery is the Lyme-Autism connection.

Insights Into Lyme Disease Treatment: 13 Lyme-Literate Health Care Practitioners Share Their Healing Strategies  by Connie Strasheim.
Description:  In this long-awaited book, health care journalist Connie Strasheim has done all the work for you.  She conducted intensive interviews with thirteen of the world's most competent Lyme disease healers, asking them thoughtful, important questions, and then spent months compiling their information into organized, user-friendly chapters that contain the core principles upon which they base their medical treatment of chronic Lyme disease.  The specific practitioners interviewed represent a variety of medical disciplines, including allopathic, naturopathic, complementary, chiropractic, homeopathic, and energy medicine.  Two European physicians were also interviewed.

Why Can't I Get Better?: Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease  by Richard Horowitz.
Description:  From one of the country's foremost doctors comes a ground-breaking book about diagnosing, treating and healing Lyme, and peeling away the layers that lead to chronic disease.  In a field where the number of cases is growing exponentially around the world and answers remain elusive, Dr. Horowitz has treated over 12,000 patients and made extraordinary progress.  His plan represents a crucial paradigm shift, without which the suffering will continue.  In this book, Dr. Horowitz: Breaks new ground with a 16 Point Differential Diagnostic Map, the basis for his revolutionary Lyme treatment plan, and an overarching approach to treating all chronic illness.

Tools

http://www.lymeinducedautism.com/findalymeautismdoctor.html  This tool from the LIA Foundation provides a list of practitioners who are treating patients with Lyme Disease and/or Autism spectrum disorder.

The Lyme Diet:  Nutritional Strategies for Healing from Lyme Disease by Nicola McFadzean, ND.  Navigating the most appropriate diet for a Lyme disease patient can be difficult, but good nutrition is such a crucial part of any treatment regimen that it is well worth addressing.  Food sustains us, nourishes us, and can heal us.  Food is medicine.  It is one of the most important factors in your treatment program.  The Lyme Diet contains a wealth of information about why dietary choices are critical for minimizing inflammation, optimizing immune function, promoting healthy digestion and gut flora, balancing hormones, and detoxifying the body.

http://www.livingwithlymedisease.org/living-with-lyme-disease.html  Web site that lists hints, tips and resources to make your journey to getting well just that little bit easier.

Parent Forums

(Some forums require you to sign in to Yahoo or Facebook to locate forum names.)
Forum Name:  Lyme Net Support Group
http://www.lymenet.org/SupportGroups/   A listing of Lyme Disease support groups by region, nationally and internationally.
Forum Name:  ACN Latitudes PANS and Lyme Support Group
http://latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showforum=17  Association for Comprehensive Neurotherapy (ACN) latitudes parent forum. This forum has combined discussions for Lyme and PANDAS into one group.
Forum Name:  Children's Lyme Disease Network
http://www.childrenslymenetwork.org/  The Children's Lyme Disease Network's mission is to promote awareness and provide educational outreach to parents, caregivers, health care providers, and organizations that interact regularly with children, particularly those in the age group most at-risk of becoming infected.