What is Lyme Disease?

I think most people have heard OF Lyme Disease, and yet most of us have no idea ABOUT Lyme: what it is, what the symptoms are, and the chaos it can create in the body. I have spent the last six weeks reading everything I can about Lyme, and I'd like to share some of the most interesting things that I've found.

Lyme Disease or LD is primarily an infection caused by a bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi or Bb. The bacteria is a spirochete (pronounced spy-row-keet) meaning it is spiral or corkscrew shaped. These nasty little critters are pictured below. 

 

Because the bacteria is shaped like a corkscrew, it is able to literally drill through tissue. This allows the infection to spread to almost every part of the body, infecting multiple organs and causing a wide range of symptoms. 

The most well-known symptom of Lyme is the characteristic "bulls eye" rash that may develop soon after a person is bitten. While the rash is well-known, not developing a rash is not a clear indication that you're not infected. Interestingly, research now shows that less than 50% of people who tested positive for LD ever recall developing a rash or even being bitten by a tick. 

Other symptoms of early Lyme include fever, fatigue, headache, and depression. Left untreated, late symptoms can involve the joints, heart, and central nervous system. Most of the literature I have read puts an emphasis on the commonality of ongoing, profound fatigue, foggy thinking and pain in the joints and muscles that is persistent over years of time. Because of the severity of the symptoms in late stage Lyme, many patients are often misdiagnosed as having MS, ALS, Parkinson's or Alzheimers.