Lyme disease: Resolving the “Lyme wars”

It’s finally getting warm here in New England, and most of us have plans to enjoy the beautiful weather. And that’s why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a report raising awareness about how to prevent the tickborne infections that typically occur during this time of the year. Lyme disease is probably the most well-known, and the one for which diagnosis and treatment are most controversial. What is Lyme disease? Several countries around the world, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, and all 50 states in the US have already reported cases of Lyme. The disease is caused by bacteria called Borrelia, and it is spread by ticks. One of the biggest controversies surrounding Lyme is determining whether or not someone has the so-called persistent or chronic Lyme disease. The CDC and most specialists prefer to use a different term, post-treatment Lyme disease (PTLD). What is post-treatment Lyme disease (PTLD)? Most people diagnosed with Lyme do very well after taking a prescribed course of antibiotics. They can go on with their lives, and they never have any long-term complications. However, doctors noticed a subset of patients who develop symptoms that can last for months and even years after treatment. PTLD symptoms are vague and other illnesses present in a similar way: fatigue, brain fog, numbness, tingling, palpitations, dizziness, aches, and pain. There are a few case studies in the medical literature describing people who continued to ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health Infectious diseases Source Type: blogs