teragram : This is on her website about
Lyme Disease and that she does Lyme Disease Treatment at her clinic, would this make her a LLND? I think so?
What causes Lyme disease?
Lyme disease (LD) is an acute or chronic infection caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted to humans from the bite of an infected tick.
Many people do not know that a tick has bitten them, as some ticks can be as small as the end of a ballpoint pen depending on their stage in the life cycle. However, it’s also likely to be bitten by a larger tick and still not be aware of it.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has recently acknowledged that Kingston and surrounding areas are ‘risk areas’ for contracting LD.
How is Lyme disease diagnosed?
It’s important to emphasis that the diagnosis of LD is based on clinical findings (symptoms), and risk of exposure to infected ticks. Public health laboratory testing for LD is currently unreliable in detecting the vast majority of infections*. Likewise, the classic ‘bull’s eye rash’ conventionally used to diagnose LD is absent in most cases.
Any of the following symptoms could be suggestive of LD:
Fatigue
Fever or chills
Migratory joint pain
Numbness or tingling
Muscle spasms or weakness
Swollen lymph nodes
Brain fog or dizziness
Abnormal heartbeat
Skin rashes
Other health conditions that can cause the above symptoms must be ruled out. This being stated, LD is known as the ‘Great Imitator’, mimicking conditions such as multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, bipolar, depression, cardiac arrhythmias and thyroid disease. If treatment has been attempted for such conditions without improvement, then treatment for LD may be indicated.
*IGeneX, a leading laboratory specializing in proper detection of LD and other tick-borne illnesses, is often used at the clinic to help support diagnosis.
What about
co-infections?
Ticks can carry more than one pathogen at a time, making it possible to acquire multiple infections from one bite. Some of the more common co-infections are Babesia, Bartonella and Erlichiosis/Anaplasmosis. Though symptoms can overlap among the different infections (including those of LD), there tend to be some defining features of each type of co-infection:
Babesia: liver and kidney problems, hemolytic anemia, drenching sweats, nausea, vomiting
Bartonella: poor appetite, swollen glands and enlarged lymph nodes, sore throat, lower abdominal pain
Erlichiosis/Anaplasmosis: elevated liver enzymes, low white blood cell count, low platelet count, difficulty breathing
Co-infections unfortunately often result in more severe illness and a longer recovery time as each infection must be treated individually.
How are Lyme disease and co-infections treated?
Acute infection(s) typically require 2-3 weeks of pharmaceutical antibiotic and/or anti-parasitic (Babesia is a parasite) therapy; whereas chronic infection(s) require longer-term therapy (e.g. months - due to the intricate life cycles of the pathogens involved) with either an herbal or pharmaceutical antibiotic and/or anti-parasitic. Studies have shown herbal therapies to be more effective than pharmaceutical ones in chronic infection, as herbal therapies are less likely to develop bacterial resistance.
Additionally, intravenous treatments are often a mainstay of treating LD and co-infections, and are customized to strengthen immune function, support detoxification pathways and improve energy and overall comfort – all of which help to facilitate a more timely recovery. Other treatments may also be recommended to help with symptom management during recovery, as well as help with side effects associated with long-term antibiotic and/or anti-parasitic therapy (e.g. Herxheimer reactions and digestive disturbance).
Please contact the clinic if further information is required. LD is a politically charged (and often confusing) topic in Canada, for which it can be difficult to obtain proper diagnosis and treatment within the conventional medical system. Given the diverse scope of practice of naturopathic doctors, and that they are experts in health restoration, naturopathic medicine is one of the most effective treatment options for the complex nature of LD (and co-infections).
Post Edited (JessicaMommy) : 6/7/2015 4:36:02 PM (GMT-6)