Tag: Lyme Diagnosis

person with flu-like symptoms
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Can Lyme Disease Cause Flu-Like Symptoms?

Angelica Bottaro

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is often called the “great imitator,” because its symptoms are pretty non-specific in nature. This means that they may appear due to a variety of different conditions, so it can be hard to narrow down a diagnosis of Lyme disease based solely on symptoms. Some conditions that are often misdiagnosed when a person actually has Lyme disease include fibromyalgia, arthritis, and even multiple sclerosis.

Since Lyme may present in various ways, many people may be unsure of what symptoms to look out for if they think they may have come into contact with an infected tick and are at risk of Lyme disease. While the late-stage symptoms of Lyme disease mimic more serious conditions, the early signs that your body has become infected will present similarly to the flu. But how do these symptoms feel when they’re caused by Lyme? And is there a way to tell the difference between typical flu symptoms and Lyme disease? Read on to find out.

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Is There A PCR Test For Lyme Disease?

Angelica Bottaro

Lyme disease can lead to a host of different health issues, and many people may contract the bacterial infection without even knowing it. The first initial symptoms of Lyme disease are non-specific, so people may often brush them off as a minor flu or other illness. But for people who have been out in wooded areas, ignoring the symptoms of Lyme could be a big mistake – untreated Lyme disease wreaks havoc on the body and can cause permanent damage to joints, nerves, and organs.

Because of this, getting tested for a Lyme disease infection is crucial if you suspect that you may have been bitten by an infected tick. This is especially true if you believe that the tick has been attached to you for a long period of time. Typically, it takes around 36–48 hours for the transmission of the borrelia bacteria to occur, so if you find a tick attached to you and it has been several days since you were in a potentially affected area, contact your doctor to get tested.

One Lyme disease test that may be available to you is a PCR test. But what is Lyme disease PCR testing, and what does a Lyme PCR test tell you?

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Is Sjögren’s Really Lyme Disease?

Angelica Bottaro

There are many conditions and diseases that present similarly enough to be mistaken for one another. In some cases, a person can be diagnosed and treated for a disease or condition when what they have is something else entirely. This issue stems primarily from non-specific symptoms that display differently in different people.

Two such diseases that can often be mistaken for one another are Lyme disease and Sjögren’s syndrome. Lyme disease, especially, can mimic a wide range of other conditions, and Sjögren’s is just one of many diseases that may be diagnosed in a person who actually has Lyme. So, is Sjögren’s syndrome a serious debilitating condition the way Lyme can be? And can Lyme disease and Sjögren’s be considered the same thing? Read on to find out more about both conditions, their connection, and how serious each one can be.

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What Is The Most Accurate Test For Lyme Disease?

Angelica Bottaro

Lyme disease occurs when a tick infected with the borrelia bacteria latches on to a host and passes the bacteria into the bloodstream. While not all ticks have Lyme disease, numbers of those that are infected with borrelia continue to rise in popular areas throughout the United States, which leads to an increased risk of contracting the disease. When someone is bitten by an infected tick, it takes roughly 36–48 hours for the tick to pass the bacteria onto its host.

Ticks are small and can be missed if you don’t do proper checks after time spent outdoors. In the even that you are bitten and do contract Lyme disease, you may experience flu-like symptoms, fever, chills, headaches, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes. A bulls-eye rash may also appear at the site – but what if there is no rash and you are unaware a tick bite occurred at all? If you’re experiencing these symptoms and are worried that you have Lyme disease, you will have to get tested. So what is the most reliable Lyme disease test?

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Can Lyme Disease Be Misdiagnosed As Sjögren’s?

Angelica Bottaro

Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness, often referred to as “The Great Imitator” because of its vast list of non-specific symptoms. Initial Lyme disease infection can present similarly to flu, and late-stage symptoms can be similar to arthritis. Because of this, Lyme disease is often misdiagnosed as other conditions. And since treatment for Lyme disease needs to occur quickly to rid the body of the borrelia bacteria, these issues with diagnosis can make it much more difficult to get proper treatment and fully recover from the disease.

One example of a health condition that can be mistaken for Lyme disease (or vice versa) is Sjögren’s syndrome. But what is Sjögren’s syndrome, how does it affect the body, and how can Lyme disease be misdiagnosed as Sjögren’s? Read on to learn more.

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