It is so important to choose the right type of doctor if you are looking to successfully treat Lyme disease. Primary care physicians, rheumatologists, neurologists, and infectious disease doctors can all play a role in testing for and treating the condition. However, those with complex or chronic cases (or at any stage) need help from Lyme-literate doctors who specialize in diagnosing and providing effective treatment to patients.
If you suspect you may have Lyme disease, where do you turn? This condition has symptoms that are very similar to other conditions — often resulting in the patient being treated by various doctors without getting to the root cause.
If you want a successful recovery, this article explores what kind of doctor treats Lyme disease.
What Kind of Doctor Treats Lyme Disease?
Any medical doctor can test you for Lyme disease if it is suspected. Primary care physicians, for instance, can offer treatment that will often clear it up. However, late-stage Lyme disease can come with additional symptoms that may warrant a visit to specialists outside of your regular doctor.
Here are the types of doctors that treat Lyme disease.
Infectious Disease Doctors
Infectious disease doctors specialize in treating all types of diseases. Your primary doctor may recommend you make this appointment if your symptoms are too severe or chronic and the antibiotics are not effective. Or, if a co-infection is suspected.
Neurologists
Lyme disease can impact the nervous system, leaving patients with things like facial palsy, numbness or tingling in limbs, and even cognitive challenges. A neurologist can help with treating these symptoms.
Rheumatologists
Pain in the joints, muscles, and bones is another common symptom of Lyme disease. This is typically found during the late stages when it has brought about arthritis. Patients often feel persistent pain, swelling, and stiffness — all affecting their mobility and quality of life.
A rheumatologist is often brought in to treat these symptoms.
A Lyme-literate Doctor (LLMD)
Why see doctors who don’t specialize in your condition?
A Lyme-literate doctor has experience in treating Lyme disease and knows that it can come with a long list of symptoms, co-infections, and even complications. This type of doctor has the expertise to successfully treat it — without bringing in a list of different doctors.
Choosing the right doctor makes it easier to get the right diagnosis and the right treatment.
When to See a Doctor for Lyme Disease
If a tick has bitten you or you are showing signs of the disease and have been in an area where ticks are prevalent, then you need to see a doctor right away. The earlier the treatment, the better.
If you test positive for the condition, antibiotics, such as Doxycycline, are often used as a first course of treatment for Lyme disease. They can be taken for about two to three weeks, clearing up the infection without any further issues. But, they must be administered quickly for them to be fully effective.
Without treatment, later stages of the disease can begin to develop and this can be more difficult to address and more painful to deal with for the patient.
If you feel as though your doctor is not getting you the help you need, be sure to seek alternatives — someone who specializes in the condition.
What is Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness that is caused by a bacterium known as Borrelia burgdorferi. Its symptoms mimic many other conditions and this can make it tough to diagnose. It is complex and, if left untreated, can be quite debilitating — significantly impacting one’s quality of life.
Symptoms of Lyme Disease
There are early symptoms of Lyme disease and then there are chronic symptoms. Below is a list of both.
Early symptoms of Lyme disease include:
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Rash
- Fever
- Sweats
- Chills
- Muscle pain
- Joint pain
- Sleep disturbances
Chronic, late-stage Lyme disease symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Joint pain
- Muscle pain
- Generalized, chronic pain
- Sleep disturbances
- Cognitive challenges
- Neuropathy
- Depression
- Heart conditions
- Headaches
Keep in mind that Lyme disease impacts each person differently and that these are just the most commonly reported symptoms.
Getting a Lyme Disease Diagnosis
Finding the right doctor for Lyme disease is necessary to get the right diagnosis. The symptoms mentioned above can also be signs of many other medical conditions. And, unfortunately, this increases the risk of leaving Lyme disease undiagnosed – and untreated.
Finding the right doctor is crucial.
Most turn first to their primary care physicians. This may result in a prescription for antibiotics that may or may not treat the condition, depending on how long it has been. For those with late-stage Lyme disease, visits to rheumatologists for joint issues, neurologists or nerve issues, and the like may lead to a lot of different treatments that won’t typically treat the condition as a whole.
You need a doctor that specializes in Lyme disease — a Lyme-literate doctor.
See a Lyme Disease Specialist at Lyme Mexico
You could find yourself going to a long line of different doctors to treat each symptom of the condition you are experiencing. Or, you can step across the border and visit Lyme Mexico.
Here is where you will find a clinic of Lyme-literate doctors, getting treatment from Dr. Omar Morales and others who specialize in treating the disease.
Living with Lyme disease is challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. Lyme Mexico has advanced treatments that have helped people from all around the world find relief. With personalized plans created and alternative treatment methods available, many find great success.
Ready to seek help?
Learn more about becoming a patient at Lyme Mexico today!
Conclusion
Lyme disease comes with many different symptoms that can be addressed by many different specialty doctors. Many of them can successfully test for the condition and diagnose it. Sadly, most of their treatments tend to focus on the symptoms on the surface, rather than the cause of them.
To fully find freedom, work with the kind of doctor who treats Lyme disease — a Lyme-literate doctor.