Lyme disease can affect many different parts of the body, including the cranial, peripheral, and central nervous system. Many people experience neurologic Lyme symptoms in stage three of their disease. However, they can occur at any time.
The symptoms can be traumatic and devastating. Unfortunately, they can even trigger other diseases like MS. Further, neurologic Lyme symptoms can mimic those of other disorders. It’s imperative to work with a doctor who can accurately diagnose your symptoms.
A Lyme literate doctor can not only correctly diagnose you, but they can help you understand your specific neurologic symptoms and formulate an effective treatment plan using modern medical treatments.
Before detailing the symptoms of neurologic Lyme disease, it’s essential to define the disorder.
Neurologic Lyme Explained
When a tick carrying the bacteria that causes Lyme disease infects you, it can take days to months for symptoms to appear. The longer you are infected, the more time the bacteria has time to spread throughout your body.
Most people with Lyme disease experience joint pain, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms. For about 15% of those with Lyme disease, however, neurological parts of the body are affected, creating a whole new set of issues.
When the Lyme disease bacteria spreads to the nervous system, you may notice physical and psychological changes. These can vary based on the part of the nervous system involved, which is discussed below.
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Cranial Nervous System Symptoms
The cranial nervous system is made of 12 pairs of nerves located on the bottom of the brain. Each of the nerves has different duties. Some control glands like the thyroid and adrenals, some control muscles, and some control information sent in through your senses. Everything from your eyes and ears to your body’s muscles functions because of these nerves.
Your symptoms will be determined by where the Lyme bacteria spread. You may have malfunctioning of your senses, paralysis in parts of your body, like facial palsy.
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Peripheral Nervous System Symptoms
The peripheral nervous system directly affects the limbs of your body. It comprises nerves outside the brain and spinal system that branch off to the rest of the body. It transmits signals from the brain to the body and contains the autonomic and somatic nervous systems.
The autonomic nervous system is responsible for the things our bodies do without thinking, like walking and talking at the same time, or reflexes. The somatic nervous system is responsible for completing voluntary actions, like the actions we need to take while driving, hitting the brake, turning on the blinker, or pushing the accelerator.
The most common symptoms to watch for include numbness, pain, tingling, or weakness in your arms or legs. Any or all of these may occur because bacteria has spread to your peripheral nervous system.
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Central Nervous System Symptoms
Nerves that are securely located in the brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system. They are found in the skull and the vertebral canal, more protected than other body nerves. Because the brain and the spinal cord are the body’s control center, something like Lyme disease can interfere with how the brain communicated with the rest of the body.
You are at risk of developing Lyme meningitis that can bring on symptoms of fever, headaches, stiff neck, and sensitivity to light.
Fortunately, there are treatments available that can successfully reduce or eliminate neurologic Lyme disease symptoms.
Antibiotics to Treat Symptoms
Antibiotics are the first line of defense against Lyme disease because, for many, they work. However, there are a few things your family doctor may not be able to provide when it comes to antibiotics—like, administering vitamins through IV Therapy can be much more useful than when given in pill or liquid form.
IV Therapy allows the antibiotics to bypass your digestive system and enter directly into your bloodstream, where the Lyme disease bacteria resides. By choosing to work with a Lyme literate doctor, you can receive this type of treatment and experience faster results.
Therapeutic Apheresis to Treat Symptoms
The apheresis process is based on a simple theory: remove the bad, replace the bad with the good. When treating neurologic Lyme disease, this means removing your infected blood and replacing it with donated, healthy blood that is free of infection.
Believe it or not, this process can happen in just a few hours at your Lyme doctor’s office.
The apheresis process can also be used to replace the plasma in your blood, making it even harder for Lyme bacteria to survive.
Stem Cell Therapy to Treat Symptoms
Regenerative stem cell therapy has shown great success in healing the nervous system. Transplanted stem cells placed in the brain and spinal cord travel to the damaged areas of your body, signaling them to heal.
Not only can your body begin to heal itself with stem cell regeneration, but other treatments are also enhanced. It is like extra support in fighting chronic infections and diseases that affect your immune system, like Lyme disease.
Neurodegeneration Protocols
Advanced medicine includes new treatments for regenerating neural tissues and stimulate the growth and healing of nerves.
Lyme literate doctors know that neurodegeneration happens because the myelin sheath, or the protective coating surrounding the nerves, becomes damaged. Restoring this outer coating is necessary for healing the nervous system.
Additional Alternative Therapies
Vaccine therapy is a treatment on the rise. Using your blood, your Lyme literate doctor will create a vaccine and inject it into your system. The vaccine will travel to the lymphatic system where white cells will activate, boosting your immune system to fight off infection.
Additionally, doctors specializing in the treatment of neurologic Lyme disease may order protocols that include biofilm eradication, Morgellons, and nutrition through SIBO, a new method of bacterial growth elimination through a specific diet.
In conclusion, you do not need to feel limited when it comes to treatments for your neurologic Lyme disease symptoms. There are doctors licensed to provide the most current and innovative therapies, eager to help.