The Center for Disease Control has been tracking Lyme disease in the United States for more than a decade. Some statistics may seem obvious, like the highest months for contracting Lyme is June and July of each year. During the summer months the numbers double and even triple other months out of the year.
The lowest month of contractions is February. This makes sense because in winter months, when temperatures delve below freezing, ticks become dormant. In the heat of the summer, they are fully active.
A report by Harvard Health claims the CDC reports there are more than 300,000 cases of Lyme disease diagnosed each year among Americans.
This does not mean 300,000 new patients each year, plus those already diagnosed with Lyme, must live a life hindered by Lyme.
In fact, you can still lead a long, rewarding life with Lyme disease. You can overcome Lyme disease. Below are the reasons why.
Vaccines Are Being Created
Antibiotics are the first line of treatment when someone is diagnosed with Lyme disease. Recent reports claim there are two new vaccines on the rise. There once was a vaccine that was briefly on the market, LYMErix, but it was pulled from the market in 2002 due to low sales and reported side effects.
One of the new vaccines boosts your immune system so that it can produce antibodies that attack the borrelia bacteria. The other does the same thing through an injection method. They are called the VLA15 vaccine and it attacks six varieties of the Borrelia bacteria.
Hopefully these will hit the market soon.
Antibiotics Are Not the Only Treatment
If you are working with a family doctor to treat your Lyme disease, you may not have heard about alternative treatments that can help you feel better and eliminate the Borrelia bacteria from your blood stream.
Therapeutic Apheresis is one of these treatments. This is basically a process of removing your infected blood and replacing it with clean blood from a donor who has been extensively tested.
You can also use plasmapheresis, detox therapies, and hyperthermia, a method using temperature to kill infections. Hyperthermia is modeled after the natural way the body works. When you get sick, your body temperature may rise, creating a high fever.
Fever is one way used by the body to fight and kill infections, bacteria and viruses that are attacking your body. With hyperthermia, doctors can slowly and safely raise your body temperature to a degree known to kill bacteria, usually between 104 and 106.
Justin Bieber recently found out he has Lyme disease. While we don’t want Justin to suffer, he can use his platform to educate people on treatments. You may have recently seen a flood of posts about him needing Vitamin IV Therapies to help him have the energy to start his day.
You too can get IV Therapies filled with vitamins to give you energy to help you through your days. Your Lyme doctor can administer the treatments in his or her office.
More Doctors Are Becoming Lyme-Literate
With many new cases of Lyme arising each year, doctors are taking steps to become Lyme-literate. This means they are studying and learning new treatments. They are learning how to correctly diagnose for Lyme disease, which can often be mistaken for other diseases in the early stages.
Lyme-literate doctors know the terminology, the statistics, and the advancements that are available and up to date.
They also know which new treatments are working and how to administer those treatments. Furthermore, they relate to other specialists who can assist them in your care. They help you develop a care team filled with doctors who are committed to helping you have a rewarding life with Lyme.
Lifestyle Changes Help Cope with Lyme
It is easy to get accustomed to living a lifestyle that involves the things you like and desire. Unfortunately, some of these things prevent you from feeling your best, especially in the case of Lyme disease.
The first lifestyle change is diet. Junk food and sugary products hinder your body from functioning properly. It usually has no nutritional value and can feed infected cells and encourage them to grow. Choosing the right fruits and vegetables to add to your diet will make a big difference.
Getting plenty of rest and working with your doctor to choose supplements that help your cells function properly is another important step in changing your lifestyle.
Because stress can enhance the negative symptoms of Lyme disease, it’s imperative you learn stress management.
Essential oils, oxidative medicine, and chelation therapies that can remove heavy metals and toxins from the body are additional methods you can practice on a regular basis to help you lead a rewarding life with Lyme disease.
New Advancements Are Happening
Researchers around the world are working on solutions to cure Lyme disease. Studies are conducted to further learn about the disease and how to treat it. They are studying Lyme and pain management, brain imaging and they conduct forums and attend summits to collaborate.
University of Massachusetts may have found an antibody that works to kill the antibody immediately upon being bitten by a tick. This method worked well in studies in mice. However, the treatment only lasts for a few weeks. Tick season can last for months.
While researchers continue to tweak solutions, you can continue to live a rewarding life. Ultimately, your happiness is a choice you make. You can choose to take advantage of all that is out there for successful living with Lyme.
Reach out to a Lyme literate doctor today to get an extensive evaluation. Together, you and your doctor can create a treatment plan that includes treatments to give you more energy, decrease pain, and eliminate bacteria from your blood.
There are doctors who care, Lyme literate doctors, who will make your diagnosis and your treatment plan as a high priority. They will help you lead a rewarding life with Lyme.