5 Things I Wish You Knew About Lyme Disease: Common Signs & Symptoms Overlooked
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Today I am sharing a video that is close to my heart. I have been sharing my story for five years now, and over the years I have had multiple people reach out my friends, friends of friends, complete strangers who just saw my story, reach out to me and share pictures of bullseye rashes and describing the early symptoms of Lyme disease.
I have done my best to share what I think they needed to know, and the resources and things that I wish I had known, and for the most part, everybody really has followed through and taking care of their health. However, there's a handful of people who, for whatever reason, just didn't follow through. Now here I am four or five years later, and they're reaching out to me describing the neurological Lyme symptoms they're experiencing. They have had multiple syndrome diagnoses like ADD, depression, anxiety, arthritis, early-onset Alzheimer's, all kinds of syndromes that have no root cause that could very well be explained by undiagnosed Lyme disease.
It truly breaks my heart to hear these people are still suffering and that they haven't found the answers and so I wanted to share this video to share just five tips and information that I think everybody should know.
#1 Lyme disease can manifest with over 300 symptoms
The first thing that I wish everybody knew about Lyme disease is that it can manifest in over 300 different symptoms in no particular order. When I was first getting sick with Lyme disease I never saw the bullseye rash, but I had some flu-like symptoms, and I had a big swollen knee with no known reason. I literally just was put on that bed rest and took some ibuprofen for 48 hours. Then I was feeling okay, and then it came back a few weeks later.
Lyme symptoms can kind of come and go in waves, and they're very easy to just dismiss write off, and ignore to just keep moving on with your life.
That leads me right into the second thing that I wish everybody knew about Lyme disease is that the early signs can be quite mild.
#2 Early Lyme Symptoms Can Be Mild
There are over 300 different symptoms so I'm gonna list them below, but it's so easy to just think, oh, I got a cold, I got the flu, or I sprained my knee, I must have slept funny.
My journal those early days after being infected is filled with me writing, I think I need to do a cleanse or like, oh man, I slept weird on my elbow again, or whatever it was, and now looking back I'm like, Oh my gosh, those were such the signs of Lyme disease!
EARLY LYME SYMPTOMS INCLUDE:
Bellys-eye Rash
Flu-like Symptoms
Swollen glands
Joint pain and swelling
Headache
Stiff neck
Dysethesia
Neuropathy
Facial nerve dysfunction - Bell’s Palsy
DISSEMINATED LATE-STAGE LYME DISEASE SYMPTOMS INCLUDE:
Any or all of the early symptoms
Fatigue
Rashes
Migraines
Cognitive dysfunction
Memory impairment
Change in sleep patterns
Palpitations
Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Lightheadedness
Fainting
Vertigo
Gastrointestinal symptoms
Psychological changes
#3 False Negatives Are Very Common in Early and Late Stages of Lyme Disease Testing
The third thing I wish everybody knew about Lyme disease is that the blood testing for Lyme is highly inaccurate. Some studies show that these tests are picking up less than 50% of the cases. I'll link a video that explains why this is, but the cliff notes version is typically Lyme disease is very stealthy and it does not always produce antibodies in the body. Especially during the early stages of Lyme when treatment is crucial, false negatives are very common.
#4 Most Doctors are Unaware of Lyme Disease
The fourth thing I wish everybody knew is that our doctors are for the most part are very unaware of this illness. They are reliant on CDC information which is sharing information they accumulated in the 1990s. Some states on the East Coast of the United States have actually passed laws saying that if you get a negative test result on your Lyme disease test, that you're required to get a letter from the state saying that, hey, false negatives are quite common and you could still have Lyme disease.
#5 This Illness Does Not Discriminate. Even Those Who Have Never Stepped Foot Into the Woods Find Themselves With Lyme Disease.
The fifth thing I wish everybody knew is that this illness does not discriminate. It is found on every single continent across the world, even Antarctica. Some of the birds there are testing positive for Lyme disease.
It's been found in every single state In the United States, and it can impact anyone from babies all the way to the elderly, your dog, your cat, your neighborhood birds and squirrels and mice and deer, and a million other animals… Even reptiles can pick up these small ticks and pick up Lyme disease.
Don’t Forget
Lyme disease shows up with over 300 different symptoms in no particular order.
The symptoms can be quite mild and easy to ignore in the beginning.
Our blood tests are reliant on antibodies that are not always produced in the body. So these tests are highly inaccurate.
Our doctors are not being made aware of this illness, they're not looking out for the early signs, and they are not offering to test.
Lastly, this illness does not discriminate. It can impact anyone from the healthiest triathlete to the laziest couch potato. People are getting bitten by different insects (ticks, spiders, mosquitos, sandflies, and fleas) that are carrying this illness.
Lyme disease is the fastest spreading vector-borne disease in the world, and many people are unaware. Learning the early symptoms, becoming very self-aware with how you're feeling, paying attention to your moods, your emotions, and your symptoms on a daily basis is really your best bet to catching Lyme early.
I hope you found this information helpful. To learn more about Lyme disease recovery check out my new book, The Lyme Ease Survival Guidebook.
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Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor and the CDC has not approved of these statements. All views are reflective of my personal research and experience and are not reflective of any brand that I may be affiliated with or that are mentioned in this work. This work should not be taken in lieu of medical advice. I do not claim to diagnose, treat, or cure any illness. This description may contain affiliate links.