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Acute Vs Chronic: How Best To Apply ELISpot Results During Different Stages Of Illness

Lyme disease can be challenging to diagnose in some cases because of the way it affects the body. Initially, people may develop flu-like symptoms without realizing they have contracted Lyme disease. If that occurs, the bacterial infection will continue to take hold within the body, causing further health issues (acute vs chronic Lyme differ in the problems they may cause).

People who know they have Lyme disease early on can take a course of antibiotics, and there’s a good chance this will rid the body of bacteria.  That said, no two cases of Lyme disease are ever the same. The infection can progress at different stages depending on how long ago a person contracted it. Many times, the plethora of symptoms that develop because of Lyme disease mimic other health disorders and conditions. Called the “great imitator,” and sometimes undetectable by early signs alone, Lyme disease requires new testing is needed to ensure that when a person contracts it, they can be diagnosed and treated quickly and effectively.

One specific test, the ELISpot test, can be used in the diagnostic process for Lyme disease. But what is an ELISpot test, and can it detect Lyme disease at all stages? Let’s investigate.

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3 Ways Lyme Disease Can Damage The Nervous System

Even though it all stems from one tiny tick bite, Lyme disease can wreak havoc on the entire body. Many symptoms of Lyme are generalized and are often mistaken for other diseases. They manifest in different ways depending on the patient, and even within the same person they can appear inconsistent and misleading. Compounding this is the fact that Lyme exists within a medical grey area. It is undoubtedly a real condition, with hundreds upon thousands of sufferers all over the world. However, it is also not fully recognized in its chronic form. Unfortunately, the late stages of the disease are the most damaging, and it’s here that patients require the most care and consideration. Symptoms are varied and debilitating, primarily affecting muscles and joints. But neurological symptoms can also occur in some cases. So what is the link between Lyme disease and the nervous system?

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LymeSpot: Our Unique Diagnostic Method

When it comes to Lyme disease, one of the biggest hurdles to successful treatment is the lack of accurate testing. Diagnosis in the acute stage is relatively more simple than the chronic stage; in the former, the patient will usually present with flu-like symptoms and a bullseye rash, which is a prime indicator of Lyme. Once this distinctive symptom has been brought to a doctor’s attention, successful treatment is a matter of course. However, if the acute stage develops into the chronic stage, testing and diagnosis gets a lot more complicated. The traditional test for chronic Lyme is the ELISA and Western Blot, which tests for the presence of antibodies against borrelia burgdorferi on. However, the LymeSpot, utilized by BCA-clinic in Germany and Infectolab in the U.S., is a much more precise tool, and a better option for patients and doctors alike.

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6 Important Symptoms to Report to Your Doctor If You Think You Might Have Lyme Disease

If you think you may have been bitten by a tick, it’s imperative that you track any symptoms or physical changes in your body to find out if you might have contracted Lyme disease. Read on for the six most important symptoms to report to your physician.

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Will Lyme Disease Go Away If Left Untreated?

While we understand exactly where Lyme disease comes from, how to best treat it is still a little bit of a mystery to us. For starters, patients are routinely misdiagnosed with all kinds of similar illnesses, so treatment is compromised from the very early stages. Compounding this is the fact that not a lot of doctors are Lyme-literate; in fact, there are very few health practitioners who are knowledgeable about the effects of chronic Lyme, the long-term form of the disease, and the best way to treat it. This lack of concrete answers can be frustrating for patients, who often have many unanswered questions about their condition. The central ones revolve around treatment plans and the prognosis. Often one of the first that comes to mind is, “Will Lyme disease go away if left untreated?”

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