Lyme Disease in Arizona?
Though not as prevalent here as in the Northeast or Midwest, still affects many people.
So what is Lyme Disease? It is an infection caused by a corkscrew shaped bacterium called borrelia burgdorferi that is carried by ticks and transferred when the tick bites.
What to look for: A bull’s eye rash around the bite band a variety of flu-like symptoms early on. The tricky thing is the symptoms can range from intense fatigue and brain fog to joint pain, swelling or stiffness, and even facial paralysis and heart palpitations.
Treatment includes antibiotics, proper nutritional support and a detoxification regimen. Lyme Disease is very treatable, especially when discovered early on. When untreated, it can get ugly. The complicated thing about Lyme Disease is it often mimics, is manifested as, is misdiagnosed as or is a contributing factor to many conditions such as: MS, Parkinsons, ALS, ADD, autism, chronic fatigue and hypochondria.
Staying healthy starts with prevention and Lyme Disease is no exception. Being aware and using some common sense can go a long way. To start with, wear light colored, long sleeves and pants, preferably tucked in, especially when in heavily wooded areas. Use EPA approved bug spray, or a natural bug spray such as NEEM. Do frequent tick checks, including a naked full body exam upon returning inside. To remove ticks properly, use a fine point tweezer to grasp the tick at the place of attachment, as close to the skin as possible, gently pull straight out. Save tick for testing in a small vial or bag with name, address, date and estimated hours of attachment. Mark your calendar, too. Wash hands and disinfect tweezer and bite site.
Call my office to determine if treatment is warranted. All testing for lyme disease and coinfections are currently performed through Igenex Labs, the leading lab for tick related testing. www.igenex.com Not all ticks carry disease. If you would like to know more about Lyme Disease, you can contact the Lyme Organization at www.lymedisease.org 1-860-870-0070, or go to www.ilads.org.