Lyme Disease, What is it?

Lyme Disease is an acute inflammatory condition. The name Lyme Disease comes from the town where it was first identified in the mid-1970s – Lyme, Connecticut.

Lyme Disease is a tick borne illness caused by bacteria

The bacteria that cause it are transmitted by the deer-tick (carried by deer and mice). It can also be carried by black-legged tick and wood rats. These ticks are tiny and hard to spot and thus go undetected. These ticks can fall off an animal into grasses in marshes or fields or into brush in wooded areas from which they can be picked up by an unsuspecting passerby who becomes the next host.

The tick will bite and waits several hours before it begins to feed on the host’s blood. It will then feed for three or four days. As it feeds, it may deposit bacteria into the host’s bloodstream. The longer the tick remains attached, the greater the risk of the disease.

Lyme disease is triggered by an infection brought on by bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi. You may start out feeling like you’ve woken up with a bad case of the flu. But, if time goes on, and the condition is left untreated, you could wind up experiencing a lot of long-term effects.

The Borrelia burgdorferi bacterial species that infects a person with Lyme is of the spirochete class. Spirochetes are flexible spirally microbes that actually dig holes in your tissue. The Lyme disease symptoms that arise are due to an inflammatory process.

Once the bacteria is introduced through the tick bite, it can quickly spread throughout the body, causing a series of autoimmune-like reactions.

It’s also possible for a person to harbor the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria for years without even knowing it—especially if this person has a robust immune system. It’s not uncommon for people to be completely unaware they were bitten or infected. Then, one day, something will trigger the dormant bacteria, and the symptoms will arise. This is what may have happened in my case.

Most cases of Lyme can be cured, but some people continue having symptoms even after antibiotic treatment. This is known as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome or chronic Lyme disease.

The symptoms are variable and will show up two to thirty-two days afterward. The first sign maybe the appearance of a red, circular lesion or rash on the skin. The lesion gradually expands in a circular pattern while the center appears to clear up. It is for that reason it is referred to as a bull’s eye rash.

In addition to the rash, and in some cases, instead of the rash, fatigue, flu-like symptoms, difficulty sleeping, muscle weakness, achiness, headache, stiff neck, backache, and, occasionally, nausea and vomiting may occur.

The disease usually progresses through three stages:

1) Raised bumps on the skin and/or a rash appear and may cover the entire torso for a day or two or as much as several weeks and then fade.

2) Facial paralysis may occur weeks to months later. Enlargement of the spleen and lymph glands, severe headaches, enlargement of the heart muscle and abnormal heart rhythm may also occur.

3) Over the long term, persistent headache, stiff neck, joint pains that attack the knees, swelling and pain in other joints and even degenerative muscle disease maybe e caused.

Because the tick bite is usually unnoticed and the incubation period so long, and the symptoms so varied, the disorder may go unrecognized for weeks or even months.

Lyme Disease can mimic multiple sclerosis, gout, lupus and chronic fatigue syndrome. Misdiagnosis is not uncommon. A blood test is usually used to identify the disease by measuring certain antibodies that increase from three days to three weeks.

What to do if you’ve been bitten

It is important that if a person is bitten by a tick, the longer it remains, the more chance there is of infection. Most people can reduce the major problems if the tick is spotted fairly soon and removed. The way to remove it is tweezers, not fingers. If you must use fingers, protect them with a paper towel. Grab the insect close to its head and pull it straight out. Take it to a doctor or health department for identification.

Tea Tree oil can be used on a piece of cotton on the tick’s head. It will kill the tick in minutes, making it easier to yank out minimizing the amount of harmful bacteria absorbed into the system.

What to Avoid if you have it

Avoid products that weaken the immune system. That includes alcohol, sugar, caffeine, tobacco smoke, white flour products, hydrogenated fats, chemicals added to foods, fluoridated and chlorinated water, aluminum cookware, and certain medications.

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Natural Remedy for Lyme Disease – You need to strengthen your immune system. See what Dr. Berg says to do (he had Lyme Disease)

While there is no avoiding antibiotics when it comes to Lyme, there are still home remedies for Lyme disease that can help you with your recovery. If you have Lyme, don’t waste time, you need to know about these remedies.  I had Lyme disease at one time. I felt so sick, I had red patches all over my body, and I even had severe arthritis that just wouldn’t go away. The weird part of it all was that I hadn’t really spent much time outside, and I didn’t see any tick that would have transmitted the bacteria to me.

This is a condition that you really want to try to catch early and start taking an antibiotic right away. That’s what I did. I went to the doctor and immediately started taking the antibiotic. That’s what I recommend you do as well. But, I didn’t stop with just the antibiotic. I started taking advantage of natural remedies for Lyme disease too.

I believe these remedies significantly helped me recover, and I think they will help you too.

The most common conventional treatment used for Lyme is prescription antibiotics. Antibiotics will help kill the dangerous bacteria that have invaded the body. Although I believe in utilizing natural remedies whenever possible, sometimes conventional treatment cannot be avoided. This is one of the times.

Most people can overcome Lyme after receiving antibiotics for 2-4 weeks. However, antibiotics may not work for every person—especially if the infection has spread through the central nervous system. The sooner a person starts treatment after being diagnosed, the quicker and easier the recovery will most likely be.

The thing about antibiotics is that they will only treat the actual infection itself. What about the entire condition and symptoms? You need to do more in order to really help yourself recover from this condition. That’s where my home remedies for Lyme disease come in.

One last thing to keep in mind about antibiotics is that they can actually weaken your immune system over time by altering your body’s natural balance of good and bad bacteria. Essentially, the antibiotics will kill the good bacteria that are essential for achieving and maintaining optimal health. Consider talking to your doctor about taking a probiotic supplement while you’re on antibiotics, and even for some time after you’re off antibiotics. Probiotics can help maintain and replenish the friendly bacteria that you need.

Natural Remedies for Lyme Disease

We’ve talked about the importance of antibiotics when it comes to this condition, but there is something many people don’t know they should also be doing—supporting their immune system.  You have to salvage your immune system and build up tissue again. This is one of the best things you can do during recovery. These five natural remedies for Lyme disease will help you do it.

Garlic – How it helps.

Garlic is, of course, an herb that is used all over the world. But, it hasn’t become this popular just by adding flavor to pasta sauce. Garlic has been used for centuries as alternative medicine—and for a wide range of illnesses too.

It seems garlic may have antibacterial and antiviral properties. Yes, that fresh garlic you probably have hiding in your kitchen is actually believed to be effective at killing bacteria and viruses. Garlic may be especially helpful for those who have chronic Lyme disease. This may help knock it out once and for all.

This natural antibiotic makes the perfect companion to conventional antibiotics. Garlic is also packed with vitamins and antioxidants to help support the immune system, which is crucial.

How To Use: Garlic

Garlic is easy to get your hands on, and you need to get your hands on a lot of it. When I had Lyme, I was consuming so much garlic I smelled like a pizzeria. Try incorporating fresh garlic into your meals. Garlic powder or garlic salt doesn’t count. It may be best to use fresh raw garlic, but you can also have meals with cooked garlic as well.

You can also go to the health food store and buy garlic tablets. When Dr Berg had Lyme, he was taking 6-9 garlic tablets a day along with including fresh garlic in my meals.

Onion – How It Helps:

In general, when you’re feeling run down or sick, garlic and onions should be your go-to foods. Like garlic, onions have a wide range of incredible benefits, and they are both incredible for immune function. Onions are packed with various vitamins and minerals that support the overall health of the body in many ways.

They are also rich in powerful antioxidants that help fight inflammation. Beyond giving the immune system a boost and helping fight off infection, onions also help reduce joint inflammation. This is great for those who experience joint pain as a symptom of Lyme.

How To Use Onion

Onions are fantastic to help the body recover from Lyme infection. Onions help aid the recovery process. Try incorporating more onions into your meals—Eating fresh raw onions on top of a salad is a fantastic option. If you can’t stand onion, you can also try onion capsules.

Olive Leaf Extract  – How It Helps:

Olive leaf extract is incredible for the immune system. It’s made from the leaves of an olive plant (who would’ve guessed?). Olive leaf extract is rich in beneficial antioxidants. It’s also believed to have anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-microbial properties. These properties not only help strengthen the immune system, but they may also help you fight off bacteria and fungus that can be dangerous to the body.

How To Use Olive Leaf Extract

You can find olive leaf extract online, at health food stores, or even possibly in the supplement aisle of your local grocery store. It’s available in different forms including liquids, capsules, tablets, and teas. There are no official guidelines on how much to take, so it’s best to follow the manufacturer’s directions on safe dosages.

Chlorella – How It Helps:

Chlorella is green freshwater algae. These unique algae may not sound like something you would want to consume, but chlorella actually has a ton of incredible healing properties. Chlorella’s nutritional profile is so impressive, many people have classified it as a “superfood.” It contains vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids.

Chlorella is believed to enhance immune function, and naturally detox the body. It also contains beneficial antioxidants that may help fight disease. These antioxidants include chlorophyll, vitamin C, beta-carotene, lycopene, and lutein.

How To Use: Chlorella

Chlorella has a hard cell wall that makes it difficult for humans to digest. The only way to take advantage of its many benefits is by taking it in supplement form. You can find chlorella online or at health supplement stores. You can take it as a capsule, tablet, powder, or extract.

Colloidal Silver How It Helps:

Colloidal silver is a really interesting natural remedy that has been used for over 125 years. In fact, before 1938, it was even used by mainstream medicine as an antibiotic. It has been known to have antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties. It helps kill the harmful bacteria by destroying enzymes that affect the oxygen of the microbes.   It is a natural antibiotic for so many things. It may also help support immune function and relieve the flu-like symptoms associated with Lyme.

How To Use Colloidal Silver

Colloidal silver is a non-toxic solution of suspended silver particles. It comes in liquid form and can be found online or in health supplement stores.

The dosage depends on the brand you choose as well as the reason for taking it. You may need to take one teaspoon a day or several spreads throughout the day, it just depends. It’s best to stick with the manufacturer’s safe dosage instructions.

Neuropathy, a side effect of Lyme Disease – Lyme disease is an infection that sometimes results in nerve damage. Click on the link to find out more about Neuropathy as a side effect.   See also Bacterial cause of Nerve Damage

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