“The Invisible Illness”

In the last several years, many people I know have been afflicted with Lyme disease.  This disease is has been called the invisible illness because early on, people with Lyme look normal and many times their blood work will return o.k., but internally their body is under attack.  Many doctors tend to downplay the incidence of Lyme disease and some believe it doesn’t even occur around here.  However, after speaking with a doctor out of Indianapolis who specializes in the treatment of Lyme, I’ve learned the Kentuckiana region is one of the new hotbeds for this disease.

Since 1982, Lyme disease has been known to be caused by the Borrelia bacterium that enters the blood from a tick bite.  About 40,000 cases are recorded each year, but the C.D.C. reports that this number may actually be about 12 times higher (480,000) since many cases go undetected or are misdiagnosed.  Lyme is known as the great imitator because it is often mistakenly diagnosed as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, A.L.S., ADHD, and even Alzheimer’s.  Traditionally, the disease is thought to be transmitted by a black-legged tick, but research done by a Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt has shown that the disease can be spread by a bite from other insects including spiders, mosquitoes, fleas, and mites.  The traditional sign from one of these bites that needs to be taken seriously is a “bull’s-eye rash”.  Once you’ve seen this, you cannot miss it.  Unfortunately, less than 50% of the people who have Lyme disease ever noticed this rash or even recall being bit!  Other symptoms of Lyme disease may include flu-like symptoms, fever, chills, headache, stiff neck, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, neurological problems, heart problems, vision and hearing disorders, migraines and facial drooping or Bell’s palsy.  Blood tests are the typical method of detecting the disease, but they are famously unreliable as the antibodies from the bacteria won’t show up for around six weeks after the initial bite and even then it often takes more than one blood test attempt to get a positive result.  If left untreated, this disease can debilitate you quickly.  Paralysis and death are not uncommon outcomes of Lyme disease.  The only good news is that a two week round of antibiotics is usually effective if the bacterial infection is diagnosed quickly and appropriately. 

My experience is that many doctors do not give Lyme disease any credit as they’ve been taught that it doesn’t happen in the Midwest.  However, times have changed.  If you’re worried about this disease and experience many of the symptoms, check out Dr. Klinghardt’s website and look for doctors in the area that specialize in the treatment of Lyme.