The Everything Guide To Lyme Disease: From Symptoms to Treatments, All You Need to Manage the Physical and Psychological Effects of Lyme Disease

by Rafal Tokarz PhD

Overview

A comprehensive all-in-one guide to Lyme disease, including psychological as well as physical symptoms, along with traditional and alternative treatments.

Lyme disease is one of the most rapidly emerging infectious diseases in North America and Europe, transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected tick. Symptoms include the classic “bull’s eye” rash, fever, and headache, and current research indicates that 300,000 Americans are diagnosed with Lyme disease annually, ten times higher than previously reported. This indicates a tremendous health problem, heightened by the fact that Lyme disease can manifest not only in physical symptoms, but psychiatric illness such as cognitive dysfunction, memory deficit, and rage issues.

In The Everything Guide to Lyme Disease, you will find the most up-to-date and expert information on all aspects of the disease, including how to prevent it, find the best treatments, and deal with the psychological effects of Lyme disease.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440577093
Publisher:	Adams Media
Publication date:	05/08/2018
Series:	Everything� Series
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Rafal Tokarz, PhD, is an Associate Research Scientist at the Center for Infection and Immunity, Columbia University. His research focuses on microbial discovery and the epidemiology of human infectious diseases, with a primary emphasis on studies of ticks and tick-borne pathogens. Dr. Tokarz earned his PhD at Stony Brook University, prior to becoming a junior faculty member at Columbia University. He has been an author on thirty-six peer-reviewed manuscripts and has worked in the Lyme disease field for sixteen years.

Table of Contents

Introduction 11

Chapter 1 What Is Lyme Disease? 13

History and Expansion of Lyme Disease 13

The Rise in Lyme Disease 19

Borrelia burgdorferi: The Lyme Disease Bacteria 22

Summary 32

Chapter 2 Transmission and Prevention 33

All about the Tick 33

How Is Lyme Disease Transmitted? 45

Cycle of Infection 47

Tick Removal 52

Repellants and Pesticides 54

Summary 57

Chapter 3 Signs and Symptoms 59

Stages of the Symptoms 59

Erythema Migrans, or the "Bull's-Eye" Rash 61

Lyme Neuroborreliosis 66

Lyme Carditis 70

Lyme Arthritis 71

Lyme Disease in Europe 74

Reinfection 74

Summary 76

Chapter 4 Complications of Lyme Disease 77

Posttreatment Lyme Disease Syndrome 78

Chronic Lyme Disease 87

Summary 94

Chapter 5 Diagnosing Lyme Disease 97

Early Recognition 98

Finding the Right Doctor 98

Diagnostic Tests 102

PCR Tests and Lyme Disease 106

The Two-Tiered Test: ELISA and the Western Blot 108

Other Tests 116

Summary 120

Chapter 6 Treatment for Lyme Disease 123

Antibiotics 123

Recommended Treatment for Lyme Disease 127

Appropriate Length of Treatment 133

Complementary and Alternative Approaches 136

Treatments to Avoid 145

Summary 150

Chapter 7 Lyme Disease Advocacy 153

The Lyme Community 153

Lyme Disease Advocacy Causes 154

Online Resources 159

Scientific Concerns with Lyme Disease Advocacy 159

Summary 163

Chapter 8 Potential Coinfections 165

Coinfections 165

Babesiosis 166

Anaplasmosis 171

Powassan Virus 175

Borrelia miyamotoi 184

Borrelia mayonii 188

Bartoneliosis 189

Coinfections and the Severity of Lyme Disease 190

Summary 195

Chapter 9 Research for the Future 197

Ecological Prevention 197

Diagnostic Improvements 202

Effective Treatment 208

Lyme Disease Vaccination 209

Insights Into the Disease 214

Future Outlook 217

Summary 218

Appendix A Further Resources 221

Advocacy Groups 222

Appendix B Bibliography 223

Appendix C Infections Transmitted by Other Ticks 229

Ehrlichiosis 229

Heartland Virus 231

STARI (Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness) 233

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever 234

Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever 236

Tularemia 237

Colorado Tick Fever 237

Bourbon Virus 238

Appendix D Lyme Disease Timeline 239

Appendix E Glossary 243

Index 251