Lyme Disease Contributions by green crane

The keys to reducing the risk of Lyme disease are to:

• Avoid ticks in the areas where you live and work
• Protect yourself from getting a tick on your body

Reduce or Avoid Tick Habitats

Reducing or avoiding tick habitats can reduce your chances of being bitten. To do this:

• Avoid moist, shaded, wooded, or brushy areas.
• When walking in the outdoors, stay on cleared, well-traveled paths, and walk in the center of trails to avoid overgrown grass and brush.
• Avoid sitting on the ground or on stonewalls.
• Remove leaf litter, brush, and woodpiles from around your home and the edges of your yard.
• Mow the grass often.
• Discourage animals that carry ticks from coming onto your property.

Wear Proper Clothing

Proper clothing can help protect you from tick bites. When spending time outdoors in areas where there may be ticks, you should:

• Wear light-colored long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. This makes it easier for you to see any ticks that may get on you.
• Tuck shirt into pants and pants into socks. Wear a hat and enclosed shoes. This makes it more difficult for ticks to get onto your skin.
• Put your clothes in the dryer for about 20 minutes after spending time outdoors. This will kill any unseen ticks.

Use Insect Repellent

Apply insect repellent containing DEET to clothes and exposed skin. Carefully follow directions for use. Insect repellents containing permethrin can be applied to pants, socks, and shoes. When you return inside, wash repellents off your skin.

Check for and Remove Ticks

The tick usually must be attached to your skin for at least 24-48 hours for the bacteria to get into your bloodstream. To ensure quick removal of any attached ticks you should:

• Do frequent tick checks, including a naked, full body exam when returning from the outdoors.
• If you find any ticks, do the following:

• With fine-point tweezers, grab the tick at the place where it is attached, next to the skin.
• Gently pull the tick straight out.
• Save the tick in a small vial and mark the date.
• Wash your hands and clean the tweezers with alcohol.
• Report the bite to your doctor.
• Watch carefully for any signs of Lyme disease, especially a rash at the site of the bite and/or fever; symptoms usually appear within 30 days of the bite.

Preventive Antibiotics

Doctors vary in their recommendations concerning taking preventive antibiotics following a tick bite. Antibiotic treatment given within 72 hours of a tick bite has been shown to significantly reduce the likelihood of developing Lyme disease. If bitten by a tick, you should check with your doctor to see if taking one or more doses of antibiotic is appropriate for you.

The symptoms of Lyme disease can be confusing and differ among infected persons both in their nature and in their severity. Some people may not have any symptoms at all, but Lyme disease may still be diagnosed through a blood test. Lyme disease may be misdiagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome.

Lyme disease progresses through different stages with varying and sometimes overlapping symptoms. Symptoms include the following:

Early Infection

These symptoms typically occur within 3-32 days of a tick bite.

Rash

Some infected people first notice a red rash, known as erythema migrans (EM) The rash starts as a small red spot at the site of the tick bite and expands over a period of days or weeks, forming a circular- or oval-shaped rash. The infectious spirochetes move quickly throughout the body's tissues, which is why this rash continues to expand. The rash often resembles a bull’s eye: a red ring surrounding a clear or bluish area with a red center. The size of the rash can range from dime-sized to the entire width of a person’s back. More than one ring may develop. Typically, the rash goes away within four weeks.

Lyme Disease Rash

Although Lyme disease is often associated with this rash, many people do not have the rash right away or at all. Or they may have a red rash, without the bull's eye pattern. If you have other symptoms that you think might be due to Lyme disease, see your doctor; do not wait for a rash to appear.

Flu-like Symptoms

Muscle and joint aches, headache, fever (100°-103°), stiff neck, swollen glands, and fatigue may occur with or without the rash. These symptoms usually last about 5-21 days.

Lyme Arthritis

Though general aches and pains are somewhat common symptoms of a lyme infections (as discussed directly above), when these symptoms worsen and show up months after the bite, they might be part of a condition called lyme arthritis. Joints, tendons and muscles can be affected may swell to as much as four times their normal size, and this process might come-and-go with varying immune competence (the ability of the immune system to respond to an infection or other internal condition).¹

For unknown reasons, lyme arthritis tends to resolve on its own, even if left untreated, though it could take up to four years for this to clear on its own. However, it is usually decently responsive to plant-based therapies like herbal therapies.

Neuroborreliosis

Lyme infection can affect the central nervous system, along with tissues, joint and muscles symptoms discussed above. Usually exhibited within seven days of the initial infections, the central nervous system symptoms (including cognitive disturbances, memory loss, vertigo, vision abnormalities, and inflammatory processes like meningismus in the brain) can lay dormant for months and continue to present for years.

Early Widespread Infection

• Multiple EM lesions—The rash may appear in several places on the body.

• Arthritis — Sometimes joint pain is the first symptom that is noticed. Other joint problems include stiffness and swelling, particularly in the large joints, such as the knee, elbow, and shoulder.

• Nervous system problems—The bacteria can affect the brain, spinal cord, and other nerves of the body. Symptoms of this include:
• Weakness and drooping of the face and eyelid on one side (Bell’s palsy )—It may also occur on both sides of the face.
  • Low back pain
  • Wide-spread numbness, tingling, and burning
  • Impaired motor coordination
  • Persistent headache
  • Stiff neck
  • Mood changes
  • Difficulty concentrating or sleeping
  • Generalized weakness

• Eye problems—such as conjunctivitis (redness and inflammation) and/or pressure in eyes

• Other body systems—Affected areas may include the heart, liver, lymph nodes, testes, and eyes.
• Chest pain, heart palpitation
• Continual low-grade fever
• High fever, chills, or sweating
• Muscle twitching

Note:All symptoms of early manifestation usually occur with the first rash or within about six weeks of it. They may go away on their own within a few weeks or months.

Late Infection

Joint pain—painful inflammation of the joints, as well as intermittent or chronic arthritis

Chronic nervous system problems—These may include:

• Memory problems, including dementia
• Depression or other emotional problems
• Sleep disorder
• Nerve pain or problems

Chronic skin problems - can include thinning, thickening, or discoloration of the skin, usually of the hands and feet

Lyme disease is a condition which practitioners are still trying to figure outis often hard to diagnose or treat. However, acupuncture can help to at least mitigate some symptoms of the disease and support the body's natural ability to help itself as well.

Vitamin C ca can be added to the diet of someone with Lyme disease to both support the collagen tissues (discussed in Lyme Disease Treatment: Herbs Overview section as being one of the major necessary treatment categories for Lyme Disease) as well as to counteract any tendency toward bowel sluggishness - a possible side effect of certain herbal treatments.

Especially during a round of antibiotics, probiotic supplements can help the body in innumerable ways. Since antibiotics kill of beneficial bacteria that is innate to the digestive tract, probiotics can help replenish those that are lost. This can, among other functions, help the body with bowel health, candida overgrowth and general smooth maintenance.¹

Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) is considered to be one of the main herbs that can help lower, or even eliminate, lyme (specifically leptospira and treponema denticola) spirochetes loads in the body, support the innate immune function to help respond to the borrelia infection, and treat some of the symptoms of Lyme disease including central nervous system confusion, arthritic and bacterial inflammation, protects against endotoxin damage, reuce reduce Herxheimer reactions and is a cardio-protector.¹

Also, knotweed enhances blood flow to difficult-to-reach areas and helps other herbsandherbs and/or drugs, and the body's own response to kill the spirochetes that reside in these specifically difficult-to-reach areas.

Stephen Harrod Buhner (expert in the field and author of Healing Lyme) states that Japanese Knotweed can also help to treat the following as are specifically associated with Lyme Disease: "Neuroborreliosis, bulls-eye rash, acarodermatitis chronica atrophicans, low immune function spirochete infection, Lyme arthritis, endothelial damage from Lyme and Lyme coinfections, cardiac involvement, post-Lyme-disease syndrome, bartonella coinfection."²

It is also a good source of vitamin C.

(The other "main" herbs are Cat's Clas Claw and Andrographis.)

Common names for Japanese Knotweed (polygonum cuspidatum) include bushy, Chinese, or Japanese knotweed, mexican bamboo, Hu Zhang, kojo, itadori and hojang. From the Polygonacae family, this difficult to eradicate herb does resemble the bamboo plant, though the leaves are markedly different.

The following are among some of the many actions associated with Japanese Knotweed:¹

• antibacterial
• antiviral
• antispirochetal (making it particularly useful for the treatment of Lyme Disease)
• immunostimulant/immunomodulant (depending on the case)
• antiinflammatoryanti-inflammatory, central nervous system relaxant/protectant and anti-inflammatory
• cardioprotective
• analgesic
• antiulcer
• anticarcinogenic
• antineoplastic
• inhibits platelet aggregation
• many more

In one study, cat's claw was found to help significantly relieve symptoms of Lyme Disease in patients who had been unresponsive to antibiotic treatment. The majority of those same patients who were retested for the disease in a follow up test actually tested negative for the disease.. ³ This study has been sited widely, though there were some flaws to it's initial design, including the fact that the treatment group received more than simply cat's claw; they received a specific blood-type diet, enzyme supplementssupplements, vitamin and mineral supplements, laser detoxification, skin brushing, laughter, prayer, and emotional release practices among other treatments.⁴

According to expert Stephen Harrod Buhner's view, cat's claw is useful for lyme infections in the following specific areas: 1)

1. For late-stage or chronic Lyme infections, it raises certain white blood cell counts (CD57)

2. Cat's

2. claw has an HLA-DR modulator

3. Raises the immune system function where necessary, and lowers an overactive response where necessary (acting to help the feedback-loop response of the body's innate immune function)

4. Reduces the arthritic symptoms through its anti-inflammatory properties

5. Supports memory function in the central nervous system

6. Protects the heart muscles

7. Acts as a tonic to the system to support general well-being³

Cat's claw is considered to be one of the main herbs that can help lower, or even eliminate, lyme spirochete loads in the body, support the innate immune function to help respond to the borrelia infection, and treat some of the symptoms of Lyme disease including central nervous system confusion, skin problems, and specifically arthritic inflammation among others.¹

Cat's claw is specifically good for helping treat late-stage Lyme infection, chronic Lyme, and that which does not respond to antibiotics.¹

(The other "main" herbs are Japanese Knotweed and Andrographis.)

Cat's claw, also known as una de gato, samento, and saventaro is an herb part of the rubiaceae family. The inner bark of the vine is the portion used as herbal medicine. Cat's claw is grown in the jungle, mostly the Amazon rainforest. Due to the popularity of and the increase in demand for this herb, some companies are cultivating this plant in an unethical way which does not allow for it to continue to regenerate and grow. Companies Preparation that use only the bark of this plant and not the root as well should be sought after when procuring this herbal treatment. Use of the root reduces future growth.

Cat's claw supports the immune system, provides anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antidepressant, antioxidant, and antiviral properties and is also a diuretic, among other uses.²

Andrographis is considered to be one of the main herbs that can help lower, or even eliminate, lyme spirochete loads in the body, support the innate immune function to help respond to the borrelia infection, and treat some of the symptoms of Lyme disease including central nervous system confusion, arthritic inflammation, and skin issues among others.¹

Particularly important is the ability of andrographis to protect against neurodegeneration in the brain, which is one the most serious and devistating devastating symptoms of Lyme Disease. It is also helpful for protecting the heart.

(The other "main" herbs are Japanese Knotweed and Cat's Claw.)

Among the common names for Andrographis (andrographis paniculata) are green chiretta, chuan xin lian (in Traditional Chinese Medicine), and kalmegh (Ayurveda), as well as many more.

Andrographis has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antispirochetal (particularly important for the treatment of Lyme Disease), antimalarial, antitumor, antidiarrheal, immune stimulatnstimulant, sedative, antithrombotic and thrombolytic, and hypoglycemic properties, among others.

Common names include:

Ibuprofen (Advil, Genpril, Medipren, Motrin, Nuprin, Rufen) Naproxen sodium (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprosyn)

Antibiotics are given to treat patients in all stages of Lyme disease. Their aim is to kill the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Relapse may follow the use of any antibiotic, and a repeat course of therapy may be necessary. Some people may continue to develop symptoms and complications of the disease even after the bacteria are killed.

Doxycycline—This Doxycycline—This is a type of tetracycline antibiotic. It is given in pill form for several weeks or sometimes longer. Doxycycline can cause an upset stomach and should be taken with food. It cannot be used in pregnant women and children under 8 years of age.

Amoxicillin—This Amoxicillin—This is a type of penicillin antibiotic. It is given to pregnant women, children under 8, and those allergic to tetracycline. It is also given in pill form for several weeks. It can be taken on an empty or full stomach.

Cefuroxime and ceftriaxone—These ceftriaxone—These are cephalosporin antibiotics. They are given when you cannot take either of the other antibiotics, or if you have serious complications. Cefuroxime is usually given in pill form and should be taken with a full glass of water. They can be taken with food or a glass of milk if they upset your stomach. Ceftriaxone may be given in intravenous (IV) form or as an intramuscular injection.

Common names for antibiotics used in the treatment of lyme disease include:

• Doxycycline (Vibramycin and others)
• Amoxicillin (Amoxil and others)
• Cefuroxime (Ceftin, Kefurox, Zinacef)
• Ceftriaxone (Rocephin)

The diagnosis of Lyme disease is usually based on the presence of symptoms and signs of the disease. If you have removed an attached tick from your body, tell your doctor. For 30 days after being bitten, you should watch closely for the characteristic “bulls-eye” rash at the site of the bite, or a fever. If you think you develop these or any other symptoms, see your doctor immediately. You are much less likely to develop Lyme disease if the tick had been attached to you for less than 24 hours. Treatment with appropriate antibiotics after a tick bite, while not endorsed by all experts, may also reduce your risk.

Presently, there are no tests that are completely accurate in diagnosing Lyme disease; many tests result in false positives or false negatives. However, your doctor may order one or more of the following tests to support the diagnosis of Lyme disease:

Antibody Tests

Antibodies are the body’s defense against an infection. If you have been infected with the Lyme disease bacteria, your body will release specific antibodies to fight it. It takes about four weeks or more for these antibodies to become detectable. Examples include:

• Antibody titer (ELISA or IFA)—This test measures the level of Lyme disease antibodies in the blood. If this test is equivocal or positive, you will need to have a Western Blot to confirm the results
• Western blot —This — This test detects the presence of the antibody to specific Lyme disease proteins in the blood.

Both of these tests can have false negative results (the test is negative even though you are infected) or false positive results (the test is positive even though you are not infected).

Some reasons why false negatives may occur include:

• The test is performed too soon after infection.
• Too few antibodies are made.
• The test is performed incorrectly.

Some reasons why false positives may occur include:

• The test is performed incorrectly.
• Your immune system produces unrelated antibodies that appear in the test as if they were produced in response to Lyme disease.

Direct Detection Tests

These tests look directly for the bacteria, or pieces of it, in the blood and other fluids of the body, such as urine and spinal fluid. Two main types are:

1. Antigen detection tests—These look for a unique protein from the Lyme disease bacteria that may be in body fluids. This test is useful for detecting Lyme disease in certain situations, such as:

• If you are taking antibiotics
• During a later flare-up of symptoms

2. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)—This test identifies specific DNA from the Lyme bacteria and is able to detect very small amounts of bacterial DNA

Culture

This test is done by actually growing the Lyme bacteria from fluid taken from an open sore or other source of body fluids. If the bacteria grow, the test is considered positive. Cultures often take many weeks to grow the bacteria and are rarely used today.

Analysis of Spinal Fluid

This test is done when your symptoms indicate that Lyme disease is affecting the nervous system. Spinal fluid is tested for bacteria using one of the tests listed above. The spinal fluid is removed by spinal tap (inserting a needle into the spinal column).

Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)

This test is rarely used, but may be done in certain cases with symptoms that involve the nervous system. It is a kind of brain scan that looks for brain wave patterns that may indicate Lyme disease infection.

Lyme Disease and Alzheimer's Disease

There seems to exist a correlation between Lyme disease and Alzheimer's disease, possibly suggesting that the infectious agent responsible for an initial Lyme disease infection could later be implicated as a cause of Alzheimer's disease. (This is speculated after autopsy of some Alzheimer's patients showed a presence of Lyme spirochetes in the brain.)¹

American Lyme Disease Foundation

Address:

American Lyme Disease Foundation, Inc.
PO Box 466
Lyme, CT 06371

E-mail Address:

inquire@aldf.com

Internet address:

http://www.aldf.com/

Description of Services Provided:

This site provides a thorough review of Lyme disease, including symptoms, treatment, and vaccines. Some of their information is available in Spanish.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Address:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30333,

Phone:

(404) 639-3311
(404) 639-3534
(800) 311-3435

Internet address:

http://www.cdc.gov/

Description of Services Provided:

Among their "Health Topics A to Z," the CDC offers reliable information on Lyme disease. Included are photos of actual ticks and a map of the US showing where the disease is most prevalent.

Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)

Address:

1300 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 300
Arlington, VA 22209

Phone:

(703) 299-0200

Internet address:

http://www.idsociety.org/default.aspx/

Description of Services Provided:

The IDSA is an organization for doctors, scientists, and other healthcare professionals who specialize in infectious diseases. The public can access fact sheets and press releases on Lyme disease.

Spiro Chicks

Internet address

http://www.spirochicks.com/

Description of Services Provided:

Patient community of shared experiences and guidance.

The symptoms of Lyme disease can be confusing and differ among infected persons both in their nature and in their severity. Some people may not have any symptoms at all, but Lyme disease may still be diagnosed through a blood test. Lyme disease may be misdiagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome.

Lyme disease progresses through different stages with varying and sometimes overlapping symptoms. Symptoms include the following:

Early Infection

These symptoms typically occur within 3-32 days of a tick bite.

Rash

Some infected people first notice a red rash, known as erythema migrans (EM) The rash starts as a small red spot at the site of the tick bite and expands over a period of days or weeks, forming a circular- or oval-shaped rash. The infectious spirochetes move quickly throughout the body's tissues, which is why this rash continues to expand. The rash often resembles a bull’s eye: a red ring surrounding a clear or bluish area with a red center. The size of the rash can range from dime-sized to the entire width of a person’s back. More than one ring may develop. Typically, the rash goes away within four weeks.

Lyme Disease Rash

Although Lyme disease is often associated with this rash, many people do not have the rash right away or at all. Or they may have a red rash, without the bull's eye pattern. If you have other symptoms that you think might be due to Lyme disease, see your doctor; do not wait for a rash to appear.

Flu-like Symptoms

Muscle and joint aches, headache, fever (100°-103°), stiff neck, swollen glands, and fatigue may occur with or without the rash. These symptoms usually last about 5-21 days.

Lyme Arthritis

Though general aches and pains are somewhat common symptoms of a lyme infections (as discussed directly above), when these symptoms worsen and show up months after the bite, they might be part of a condition called lyme arthritis. Joints, tendons and muscles can be affected may swell to as much as four times their normal size, and this process might come-and-go with varying immune competence (the ability of the immune system to respond to an infection or other internal condition).¹

For unknown reasons, lyme arthritis tends to resolve on its own, even if left untreated, though it could take up to four years for this to clear on its own. However, it is usually decently responsive to plant-based therapies like herbal therapies.

Neuroborreliosis

Lyme infection can affect the central nervous system, along with tissues, joint and muscles symptoms discussed above. Usually exhibited within seven days of the initial infections, the central nervous system symptoms (including cognitive disturbances, memory loss, vertigo, vision abnormalities, and inflammatory processes like meningismus in the brain) can lay dormant for months and continue to present for years.

Early Widespread Infection

• Multiple EM lesions—The rash may appear in several places on the body.

• Arthritis—Sometimes Arthritis — Sometimes joint pain is the first symptom that is noticed. Other joint problems include stiffness and swelling, particularly in the large joints, such as the knee, elbow, and shoulder.

• Nervous system problems—The bacteria can affect the brain, spinal cord, and other nerves of the body. Symptoms of this include:
• Weakness and drooping of the face and eyelid on one side (Bell’s palsy )—It may also occur on both sides of the face.
  • Low back pain
  • Wide-spread numbness, tingling, and burning
  • Impaired motor coordination
  • Persistent headache
  • Stiff neck
  • Mood changes
  • Difficulty concentrating or sleeping
  • Generalized weakness

• Eye problems—such as conjunctivitis (redness and inflammation) and/or pressure in eyes

• Other body systems—Affected areas may include the heart, liver, lymph nodes, testes, and eyes.
• Chest pain, heart palpitation
• Continual low-grade fever
• High fever, chills, or sweating
• Muscle twitching

Note:All symptoms of early manifestation usually occur with the first rash or within about six weeks of it. They may go away on their own within a few weeks or months.

Late Infection

Joint pain—painful inflammation of the joints, as well as intermittent or chronic arthritis

Chronic nervous system problems—These may include:

• Memory problems, including dementia
• Depression or other emotional problems
• Sleep disorder
• Nerve pain or problems

Chronic skin

problems - can include thinning, thickening, or discoloration of the skin, usually of the hands and feet

A risk factor is something that increases your likelihood of getting a disease or condition.

It is possible to develop Lyme disease with or without the risk factors listed below. However, the more risk factors you have, the greater your likelihood of developing Lyme disease. If you have a number of risk factors, ask your doctor what you can do to reduce your risk.

Anyone who lives in an area where there are ticks has a risk of being bitten by a Lyme disease-infected tick. An increased risk is usually directly related to the amount of time a person spends outdoors in areas where there are a lot of ticks.

Geographic Location

Lyme disease is found most often in three geographic locations in the US. These are:

• The northeastern and mid-Atlantic region: Maine to Maryland
• The upper north-central region: Minnesota and Wisconsin
• The northwest: northwestern California and Oregon

Time of Year

Ticks are most active during the warmer months of the year. Peak at-risk times vary from region to region, based on the temperature.

• Northeast and north-central US—Increased US — Increased risk is between April and November, with the peak occurring in July.
• Southern US—Ticks are active year-round.
• Other areas can be variable, based on the temperature.

Activities

People who work outdoors in jobs such as surveying, landscaping, forestry, gardening, and utility service have a higher risk of Lyme disease. Participating in outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, camping, hunting, and gardening can also increase your risk. Wear full length clothes and closed shoes for protection.

Landscape

The ticks that carry Lyme disease are more likely to live in wet, green, brushy, or wooded areas. They are less likely to be near pruned, well-cared-for plants, but more likely near unmaintained shrubby or brushy plants. Living near or visiting wooded or brushy areas can increase your risk.

Age

Lyme disease occurs more often in children under age 15, and adults between 25-44 years old. This is most likely due to outdoor activities that expose them to ticks.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection resulting from the bite of an infected tick. The most common type of tick that carries the bacteria is the tiny deer tick, or black–legged tick, which is about the size of a poppy seed. Another tick thought to spread the disease is the Lyme disease can also be spread by the lone star tick.

A tick picks up the Lyme disease bacteria, called Borrelia burgdorferi (B. burgdorferi), when it bites an animal that is infected with it (sometimes, lyme disease is referred to as lyme borreliosis). These bacteria are classified as spirochetes because of their spiral shape. Infectious lyme spirochetes, (not tics), are found in human breast milk, tears, urine and semen and can be found in mosquitos, mites, fleas and biting flies; so though tics may be the most common means of lyme disease transmission, there may be other mechanisms that transport the disease about which we may not yet know much.¹

When an infected tick attaches to you and maintains contact with your blood, the bacteria can travel from the tick’s gut to your bloodstream. Once the bacteria enter the bloodstream, they can move to different parts of the body. Though considered to be a bacterial infection, the borrelia spirochete (and all spirochetes for that matter) are very similar in characteristics to parasites. Common sites of infection include the skin, joints, muscles, nerve tissue, and distant skin sites. Ticks are most likely to transfer the infection to you after being in contact with your blood for two or more days.

Though symptoms originate from a bacterial infection, many people continue to feel the symptoms of lyme disease even after the infection might be gone - this is a bit of a quandary. Antibiotics are the commonly touted treatment for lyme disease, and though a course of this medication can be extremely effective at treating the symptoms for many patients, for many, bacteria continue to live in the host's system despite antibiotic treatment.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2723,444 cases of Lyme disease were reported in 20072010. However, many people believe there are more people infected than these statistics would indicate.¹ The disease is concentrated in certain parts of the country where both the ticks that carry the Lyme bacteria and the mice, deer, and chipmunks that the ticks live on are common. Although Lyme disease is most frequently associated with the Northeast United States, it has been reported in nearly all states.

What are the risk factors for Lyme disease?

What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?

How is Lyme disease diagnosed?

What are the treatments for Lyme disease?

Are there screening tests for Lyme disease?

How can I reduce my risk of Lyme disease?

What questions should I ask my doctor?

Where can I get more information about Lyme disease?