Many of us in our Tri-State Area are not as aware of Lyme Disease as we should be; for years it has only been a concern if we travelled to the northeast coast. Unfortunately, Lyme Disease has become a big problem for us as well. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2006 there were 43 cases of Lyme Disease reported in Ohio (OH), seven in Kentucky (KY) and 26 in Indiana (IN). By 2016, there were 122 confirmed cases and another 38 probable cases in OH, 16 confirmed with 17 probable in KY, and 127 confirmed with 25 probable in IN¹. Yikes!
Here at AIM, we have already seen multiple patients this summer season with the telltale signs of the disease.
What is Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. You can become infected if a tick carrying the bacteria bites you. Most patients with Lyme Disease are treated successfully with antibiotics and recover completely, but there is a subset of patients who don’t have the typical symptoms with the classic rash OR don’t recover after a full course of antibiotics. This is defined as persistent, or Chronic Lyme Disease.
Common Symptoms of Chronic Lyme Disease:
- Fatigue
- Pain or body aches
- Restless sleep
- Hot flashes
- Swelling in large joints
- Difficulty with speech
- Brain fog or difficulty concentrating
One of the most common symptoms is overwhelming fatigue. This is not the kind of fatigue from a bad night’s sleep. This is fatigue at your core that no amount of sleep can cure. One of challenges with diagnosing Chronic Lyme disease is the most common symptoms can be applied to many other diseases.
Get tested.
If you are concerned that you might have Chronic Lyme Disease, schedule an appointment to talk with an AIM physician today and get tested. While the gold standard test can be pricey, the average patient has already seen up to 14 doctors and spent thousands of dollars to find the root cause of their fatigue.
We have found that the peace of mind that comes with having an official diagnosis is priceless.
Prevention.
Tick season is from April through October and you must protect yourself. Check out this link, which will give you great tips on how to keep yourself and your family safe this summer!
