Everything You Need to Know About Lyme Disease

Each year, some 300,000 people in the U.S. contract Lyme disease, and according to the CDC, that number is on the rise. Early detection and treatment can help resolve symptoms and prevent progression, however there are still limitations with current testing modalities, which can often take up the valuable time needed for prompt treatment to occur.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection with symptoms that vary depending on the length of infection. Early stage Lyme (<30 days) is characterized by fever, headache, fatigue, and “bulls-eye” skin rashes called erythema migrans. In later stages (>30 days), infection can spread to joints (pain and swelling), the heart (irregular heartbeat or palpitations), and the nervous system (pain and palsy).

Lyme transmission is most prevalent in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest with 96% of reported cases in 2015 coming from 14 states in these regions, and occurs primarily in the spring and summer months (April – September) when ticks carrying the disease are most active. The ticks that transmit Lyme disease can occasionally transmit other tickborne diseases as well.

Joining us on The Balancing Act, Dr. Sean McCloy, MD, MPH, MA of the Integrative Health Center of Maine is here to discuss everything you need to know about Lyme disease, from signs and symptoms, to how the infectious disease occurs, and innovative ways to diagnosis and treat it, including the Sofia 2 Lyme FIA.