Lyme Co-infections Archives

Complications Of Lyme Carditis

July 11, 2022July 29, 2022 Angelica Bottaro

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection with various symptoms depending on the stage. When people contract Lyme disease after being bitten by an infected tick, they enter Stage 1. In this stage, flu-like symptoms and a bulls-eye rash surrounding the tick bite develop.

After one to four weeks of an untreated Lyme infection, the body progresses into Stage 2, which is early disseminated disease. At this point, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease has begun to spread to other areas of the body.

The bacteria is a good traveler and can make its way to organs, joints, muscles, and tissues. One vital organ that Lyme bacteria can infect is the heart. When that happens, a condition known as Lyme carditis develops. But what is Lyme carditis, and what can happen to a person if they develop it? Read on to learn about the various complications of Lyme carditis.

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Could Lyme Disease Infection Increase Your Chances Of Developing Certain Cancers?

November 29, 2021October 19, 2021 Angelica Bottaro

Lyme disease, caused by the borrelia bacteria, can cause a wide variety of different health issues – even after it has been treated. The bacteria can evade detection by the immune system in many ways. It inhibits the action of the immune system, changes its own outer membrane antigens so that immune cells can’t detect it, and hides within tissues in the body. It isn’t just the immune system that can get confused by the borrelia bacteria, but antibiotics as well. Because of the way borrelia biofilm blocks antibiotics from getting inside the extracellular matrix, antibiotics can be ineffective at killing it.

Due to these sly functionalities of the Lyme disease-inducing bacteria, it can often lead to the development of further health complications. But just how serious can these complications be? Does Lyme disease increase cancer risk, for example?

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Can Lyme Disease Cause Balance Problems?

July 19, 2021June 30, 2021 Angelica Bottaro

Lyme disease often goes unreported because of the way its symptoms can mimic other health conditions. The borrelia bacteria, the culprit behind Lyme disease, is spread through tick bites. When a person contracts the illness, it can be treated with antibiotics, but if that doesn’t happen swiftly, the bacteria will make its way throughout the body, camping out in tissue and joints in an effort to evade the medication designed to kill it.

When the bacteria escapes detection, it can affect the entire body, including the heart, joints, muscles, central nervous system, and even the eyes. The prognosis for Lyme disease recovery varies based on several factors, with the main factor being how long it took to receive treatment. The symptoms caused by the disease will also need to be addressed – some of which may be neurological in nature. So can Lyme disease cause balance problems?

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3 Treatment Options For Lyme Arthritis

July 5, 2021June 21, 2021 Angelica Bottaro

Lyme disease is transmitted by infected ticks. It is caused by the borrelia bacteria and can lead to initial health issues such as flu-like symptoms, muscle aches and pains, and a bulls-eye rash around the area of the bite. If Lyme disease is caught early and doesn’t have the chance to spread too far throughout the body, it can be easily treated with antibiotics. In some cases, though, antibiotics may miss some of the bacteria, and this can lead to significantly more serious health conditions such as Lyme arthritis.

Lyme arthritis is a condition that occurs when bacteria invade the tissue in the joints and cause inflammation. When this is left untreated, that inflammation worsens and can eventually lead to permanent damage in the affected joints. Roughly one in four people who get Lyme disease will develop Lyme arthritis. So what are the treatment options for Lyme arthritis? Read on to find out.

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What’s The Difference Between Lyme Arthritis and Osteoarthritis?

May 10, 2021May 8, 2021 Angelica Bottaro

Lyme disease can affect the body in many ways. The initial infection typically involves symptoms such as a bulls-eye rash at the bite site, fatigue, muscle aches, and fever. Other symptoms that may also occur include headaches, swollen lymph nodes, and joint pain and swelling. These can appear at any time following the transmission of the bacterial infection; however, the typical onset is between one and two weeks after the initial bite.

Some people with Lyme disease may not experience the symptoms early on, or may mistake them for other ailments such as a cold or flu. When this happens, the Lyme disease goes untreated, which can lead to more serious health complications. One such complication is Lyme arthritis. But what is Lyme arthritis, exactly? And what’s the difference between Lyme arthritis and osteoarthritis?

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