Lyme Disease Symptoms
Read about Lyme disease symptoms on our blog.
Lyme disease symptoms mimic those of hundreds of other disorders, therefore Lyme is known in the medical profession as the Great Imitator. Lyme is a multi-system, multi-stage inflammatory disease caused by a spirochetal bacteria called the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. Lyme infections affect joints, the nervous system, the heart, and all the systems of the body, including the brain. The infection was once assumed to be spread by bacteria carried only by deer ticks, although some Lyme-literate experts maintain that it can be spread through other means, including mosquito bites and the exchange of body fluids.
Lyme symptoms can be confusing even to medical professionals, and very difficult to diagnose. Treatment can be, and often is, long in coming, meantime the patient suffers. Tests are often inaccurate and not thoroughly conclusive. Symptoms manifest differently from patient to patient and depending on the stage of the disease.
Not everyone who has Lyme disease develops the characteristic bull's-eye rash, which is the commonly accepted evidence of the Borrelia infection, considered by many to be a classic Lyme symptom and indicating the need to move forward in treatment. Moreover, it is not yet known how long the Borrelia bacteria may lie dormant. Some people do not develop symptoms immediately after being infected, and some who have been exposed may never develop them. All these factors contribute to creating tricky grounds for a medical expert to reach a conclusive diagnosis.
Symptoms vary but may include:
Due to the unfortunate combination of unreliable tests and the variety of symptoms, Lyme disease is frequently under-diagnosed and treatment delayed. It can be misdiagnosed as a number of other illnesses, such as multiple sclerosis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Epstein-Barr virus, rheumatoid arthritis and even Alzheimer's disease. Some Lyme experts estimate that up to fifty percent of patients diagnosed with autoimmune diseases have the Borrelia bacteria either as the cause of, or as a contributor to, their suffering. This is significant because Lyme can be treated with antibiotics. However, a misdiagnosed patient who is harboring undetected Lyme disease bacteria may go without treatment.
Like CFS symptoms, indicants of a Lyme infection may include overall achiness, arthritic swelling of the knees and other joints, and crushing fatigue that is unrelieved with bed rest. However, Lyme does not only cause flu-like symptoms and severe joint pain.
Typically, the elimination organs are invaded: Kidneys, bladder, liver, skin and lymph glands. The Borrelia bacteria is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, affecting the brain. In addition, the heart can be affected. The Borrelia bacteria's affect on the heart and the brain can cause an irregular heart beat, poor concentration, mood swings and depression.
ILADS, the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society
Ginger Savely, FNP, RN, oral communication 4/13/08
American Academy of Physicians
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Beating Lyme Disease by Dr. David Jernigan, B.S., D.C., and Dr. Sara Koch Jernigan, B.S. D.C.
Bowen Research Laboratory
Academy for Bio-Energetic and Integrative Medicine
Lyme disease symptoms mimic those of hundreds of other disorders, therefore Lyme is known in the medical profession as the Great Imitator. Lyme is a multi-system, multi-stage inflammatory disease caused by a spirochetal bacteria called the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. Lyme infections affect joints, the nervous system, the heart, and all the systems of the body, including the brain. The infection was once assumed to be spread by bacteria carried only by deer ticks, although some Lyme-literate experts maintain that it can be spread through other means, including mosquito bites and the exchange of body fluids.
Lyme symptoms can be confusing even to medical professionals, and very difficult to diagnose. Treatment can be, and often is, long in coming, meantime the patient suffers. Tests are often inaccurate and not thoroughly conclusive. Symptoms manifest differently from patient to patient and depending on the stage of the disease.
Not everyone who has Lyme disease develops the characteristic bull's-eye rash, which is the commonly accepted evidence of the Borrelia infection, considered by many to be a classic Lyme symptom and indicating the need to move forward in treatment. Moreover, it is not yet known how long the Borrelia bacteria may lie dormant. Some people do not develop symptoms immediately after being infected, and some who have been exposed may never develop them. All these factors contribute to creating tricky grounds for a medical expert to reach a conclusive diagnosis.
Symptoms vary but may include:
- Extreme fatigue
- Skin rash
- Palsy
- Arthritis
- Neuralgia
- Vertigo
- Light sensitivity
- Nausea
- Arrhythmia
- Nervous system disorders
- Headaches
- Tinnitus
- TMJ
- Mood swings
- Cognitive disorganization
- Depression
- Air hunger
- Shortness of breath
- Hallucinations
- Hearing loss
- Facial paralysis
- Swelling of the legs and ankles
- Dizziness
Due to the unfortunate combination of unreliable tests and the variety of symptoms, Lyme disease is frequently under-diagnosed and treatment delayed. It can be misdiagnosed as a number of other illnesses, such as multiple sclerosis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Epstein-Barr virus, rheumatoid arthritis and even Alzheimer's disease. Some Lyme experts estimate that up to fifty percent of patients diagnosed with autoimmune diseases have the Borrelia bacteria either as the cause of, or as a contributor to, their suffering. This is significant because Lyme can be treated with antibiotics. However, a misdiagnosed patient who is harboring undetected Lyme disease bacteria may go without treatment.
Like CFS symptoms, indicants of a Lyme infection may include overall achiness, arthritic swelling of the knees and other joints, and crushing fatigue that is unrelieved with bed rest. However, Lyme does not only cause flu-like symptoms and severe joint pain.
Typically, the elimination organs are invaded: Kidneys, bladder, liver, skin and lymph glands. The Borrelia bacteria is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, affecting the brain. In addition, the heart can be affected. The Borrelia bacteria's affect on the heart and the brain can cause an irregular heart beat, poor concentration, mood swings and depression.
- Cognitive symptoms include short-term memory loss, stammering, the inability to finish a thought or comprehend a page of writing. Since these symptoms are also commonly associated with old age, they can easily be passed over by a doctor searching for a diagnosis. Again, treatment can be delayed.
- Cardiac symptoms such as arrhythmia, or an irregular heart beat, cause poor blood circulation especially to the extremities. Untreated cardiac symptoms are potentially dangerous and may lead to congestive heart failure.
Additionally, patients commonly report some psychotic episodes, including hallucinations involving their sense of sight, smell and hearing. The list of symptoms is long and varied because the Borrelia bacteria affects every bodily system.
Other factors influencing diagnosis
Ginger Savely, FNP, RN, who treats patients with Lyme, its co-infections, and other tick-borne diseases at her clinic in San Francisco, California, says some people appear to have an "aspect of predisposition toward becoming disabled by the infection." Savely frequently treats family members, observing that although there are remarkable exceptions, members of the same family often have a similar tendency to succumb to the Lyme infection.
Studies have shown there appear to be "some genetic typings that are going to get more sick with the infection than others," she says.
Another factor making the disease hard to test for and diagnose is that negative clinical test results do not necessarily mean the patient is free of Lyme or its co-infections. The Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria is pleomorphic, which tends to complicate testing and treatment. The bacteria is capable of changing from its corkscrew or spiral shape into two, three, or more different shapes. It appears to do so in order to protect itself in a hostile environment, specifically, the body’s immune system and antibiotic therapy.
Although every case is different, if symptoms are left untreated, Lyme can be devastating. Unfortunately, the effect of a professional misdiagnoses results in many patients going untested for Lyme. Therefore, they remain untreated and their symptoms worsen.
Learn more about Lyme disease symptoms by becoming a member of the LDRD, where you can listen to what Lyme specialists who treat patients every day have to say.
References:Other factors influencing diagnosis
Ginger Savely, FNP, RN, who treats patients with Lyme, its co-infections, and other tick-borne diseases at her clinic in San Francisco, California, says some people appear to have an "aspect of predisposition toward becoming disabled by the infection." Savely frequently treats family members, observing that although there are remarkable exceptions, members of the same family often have a similar tendency to succumb to the Lyme infection.
Studies have shown there appear to be "some genetic typings that are going to get more sick with the infection than others," she says.
Another factor making the disease hard to test for and diagnose is that negative clinical test results do not necessarily mean the patient is free of Lyme or its co-infections. The Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria is pleomorphic, which tends to complicate testing and treatment. The bacteria is capable of changing from its corkscrew or spiral shape into two, three, or more different shapes. It appears to do so in order to protect itself in a hostile environment, specifically, the body’s immune system and antibiotic therapy.
Although every case is different, if symptoms are left untreated, Lyme can be devastating. Unfortunately, the effect of a professional misdiagnoses results in many patients going untested for Lyme. Therefore, they remain untreated and their symptoms worsen.
Learn more about Lyme disease symptoms by becoming a member of the LDRD, where you can listen to what Lyme specialists who treat patients every day have to say.
Read the latest news about Lyme disease symptoms on our blog.
ILADS, the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society
Ginger Savely, FNP, RN, oral communication 4/13/08
American Academy of Physicians
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Beating Lyme Disease by Dr. David Jernigan, B.S., D.C., and Dr. Sara Koch Jernigan, B.S. D.C.
Bowen Research Laboratory
Academy for Bio-Energetic and Integrative Medicine
Suzanne Arthur ©2005-2009 Lyme Disease Research Database