Infections are a common part of life. Some infections can be fairly minor and short-lived, such as the common cold, and others can have lasting effect and stay inside your body for years, such as EBV and Lyme disease. So how do you know if your symptoms are from a chronic infection?
Symptoms of chronic infection can often be vague but some clues that indicate you may need further investigations include lingering symptoms post cold/flu-like symptoms, “never well since an infection”, a history of tick bites, or ongoing systemic symptoms that are not improving with time.
Common signs and symptoms of Chronic Lyme disease and Co-infections:
- Significant long-lasting fatigue
- Memory loss
- Brain fog and headaches
- Stomach problems such as bloating, constipation, and diarrhea
- Migratory joint pain
- Body aches and pains
- Mood changes or disorders such as depression or anxiety
- New onset autoimmune conditions
- Recurrent fevers
- Neurologic symptoms such as numbness and tingling
Naturopathic Testing:
Getting the right diagnosis can be a challenge. As Naturopaths, we have a host of tests available to us including specific testing for Lyme disease and other chronic or co-infections including a series of various blood work options. Choosing the appropriate tests requires a thorough health history and often done in a step-wise fashion.
How Can Naturopathic Medicine help?
Naturopaths can support through testing and diagnosis, working with the immune system, and managing symptoms. When infections occur, our immune system is the first line of defence. Supporting our immune health can be accomplished with good nutrition, physical activity, nutritional supplements, and IV therapy, to name a few.
If you are looking for more information about how to support your immune system or are seeking support for managing Chronic Lyme infection, you can book an appointment with one of our Naturopathic Doctors.
What is Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease is an infection transmitted via a tick bite from ticks infected with borrelia burgdorferi species. That bite transmits the bacterial infection into a persons’ bloodstream. You may be familiar with an early symptom of Lyme disease: a “bullseye” target shaped rash at the site of the tick bite that can appear hours to days after the bite anywhere on the body, and may or may not be itchy. However not everyone will develop this easy to recognize rash. Other early signs of Lyme infection include: flu-like symptoms, gastrointestinal upset, aching joints and muscles, heart palpitations, and vertigo. If you think you have been bitten by a tick, and begin to feel unwell, seek medical care as soon as possible.
Undiagnosed and untreated Lyme disease can result in Chronic Lyme, which may go undiagnosed for months or years and can lead to a series of chronic symptoms.
Tick bites can also carry more than the Borrelia species of bacteria, which means that other co-infections can occur in addition to Lyme. Often the signs and symptoms of Lyme and the various co-infections are similar. Common co-infections include: Babesia species and Bartonella species of bacteria.
If you are curious about your symptoms and if you may have a chronic infection, book an appointment. As Naturopaths, we are here to help and can offer guidance, testing, and appropriate treatment along the way.
In health,
Dr Carissa Bush, ND
Leave a Reply