Tag: LymeSpot

Correctly diagnosing chronic Lyme disease is one of the most consistent problems doctors face. This unfortunate struggle is compounded by the fact that many clinics and medical professionals don’t recognize chronic Lyme as a legitimate disorder, in line with the views of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Subsequently, misdiagnosis rates are high, as Lyme is consistently confused with other chronic degenerative diseases such as fibromyalgia, MS, and even other more serious complications like Parkinson’s or MND. Accurate testing tools are an important addition to the Lyme-literate doctor’s arsenal, and a new variation on the traditional ELISpot test is proving to be a major breakthrough in the diagnostic field. This test is called the LymeSpot, and it provides a much more accurate picture of where a patient stands in their battle against Lyme.

Diagnosing Lyme disease, especially the chronic variant, can be a long and delicate process. The number of misdiagnoses is high; while this has a lot to do with the poor education and recognition of the disease and the doctors treating it, it also speaks to the insidious nature of the condition. Lyme disease often mimics the symptoms of other, more prominent degenerative disorders, leading to constant misidentification. In addition, the disease affects patients in different ways, as the prevalent symptoms are often caused by a patient’s individual immune response, not the bacteria itself. Anything that can help diagnose Lyme successfully is much appreciated by doctors on the frontline. Recently, help has been identified in the form of T-cells, specifically the IFN-gamma (also called type II interferon) and IL-2 (also called interleukin-2) molecules.