We live in Central Minnesota where the occurrence of Lyme Disease has increased dramatically during the past twenty years. We live in a very Lyme-endemic area. Twenty-five percent of our church family has or has had Lyme Disease. Two, out of the five people in our family, have dealt with Lyme Disease. Where we live, it is not a question of if we will be exposed to Lyme Disease but a question of when.
While we take measures to prevent bites and take herbs to support the immune system, we also are aware of the signs and symptoms of Lyme Disease and the treatment options available to deal with an infection.
Tick-borne illnesses are increasing exponentially throughout the country. The medical profession is struggling to learn about and discover treatment options for these new diseases. When dealing with tick-borne illnesses, knowledge is your best defense.
This post is for informational purposes only. It is not to be taken as medical advice. I am sharing our experiences and what we have chosen to do for our family. It is your responsibility to do your own research and make the best decision for your family.
What is Lyme Disease?
Lyme Disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi (and possibly others). It is most often transmitted to humans through the bite of the black-legged tick (here in Minnesota, we call them deer ticks).
The greatest number of Lyme infections are caused by the bite of a tick in the nymph stage. About 20% of nymphs are infected with the bacteria causing Lyme Disease. The deer tick, when in the nymph stage, is about the size of a poppy seed. About 40% of adult deer ticks carry Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. These adult ticks are about the size of a sesame seed.
Because detecting an attached tick is difficult due to its small size, preventing tick bites is one of the best defenses against developing an infection.
Prevention is the First Defense.
Preventing tick bites is often difficult but should be attempted if at all possible.
Protective Clothing
Protective clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts, long pants, tall socks, and hiking boots offer some protection and should be worn when possible, especially when in areas where tick exposure is likely. Many people increase their protection by wearing protective clothing treated with Permethrin.
Permethrin
Permethrin is a pesticide treatment for clothing. Ticks (and other bugs) do not like permethrin and therefore, stay away from it. While it works quite well, the safety of its use, especially for children, is questionable.
You will need to do your own research and decide what is the best decision for your family. Here are a couple of sites that may be useful to you: Permethrin General Fact Sheet from the National Pesticide Information Center and Environmental Working Group on Permethrin.
Essential Oils
We are not comfortable using a bug repellent with chemicals such as DEET and Permethrin. Instead, we use bug repellents with essential oils as the active ingredients.
Many common insect repellent brands make a Lemon Eucalyptus version. We have used these in the past and they work pretty well, although they are not marketed to deter ticks, only mosquitoes. As with all essential oils, care must be taken when using on and around children. Some essential oils are not safe for children.
Earthley Wellness makes Pest Aside, an insect repellent stick that uses essential oils and is safe for ages 6 months and above.
Tick Checks & Removal
While wearing protective clothing is very helpful, it is not practical to wear protective clothing all day, every day. Because of this, we make nightly tick checks a priority.
Every evening, we bathe and check ourselves for ticks. When checking for ticks, focus on areas such as the waistband, hairline and joint areas as ticks prefer to attach to areas that are "cozy" and protected.
When an attached tick is found, it needs to be removed carefully to prevent the head from breaking from the body and remaining embedded in the skin. Grasp the tick carefully and pull gently and continuously until it is removed. Many people choose to use a special tool to make removal easier.
Once the tick has been removed, clean the bite area with soap and water, hydrogen peroxide, or rubbing alcohol. Then apply a salve (we use Black Drawing Salve) to continue to “draw out” any bacteria.
Herbs to support the immune system
Because we live in the North Woods (a Lyme-endemic area), we receive several tick bites each year. Generally, these bites are from "harmless" wood ticks, but also the occasional deer tick. We expect to be exposed to the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. Therefore, we choose to take herbs to support our immune systems. These herbs are our first defense. A healthy immune system can attack invading bacteria and prevent infection.
We’ve taken a homemade tincture made from Astragalus root from spring through fall for several years. This supports our immune systems making it easier for our bodies to identify, attack, and kill the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. Astragalus root extract can also be purchased in tincture or capsule form. We follow the Buhner protocol which recommends 1,000mg per day for adults.
Instead of just taking Astragalus root this year, we are going to take the Adaptogenic Immunity tincture from Earthley Wellness, which includes Astragalus root as well as other herbs which will provide more robust immune support.
Homeopathy
We also choose to use homeopathy as part of our prevention strategy. Lyme Nosode, taken once weekly, acts in a similar way to a vaccine. It alerts our body to possible infection and therefore, the immune system is watchful and ready to fight if it is attacked.
The use of Lyme Nosode as a treatment for and prevention of Lyme Disease was recommended to us by the naturopathic doctor we saw who also directed us to the Buhner protocol as a treatment for my husband’s Lyme Disease infection in 2015. He did not develop a bull’s eye rash and did not have symptoms until several months later.
While preventing the initial tick bite is the best defense against infection, this is often difficult because of the small size of infected ticks. We choose to use other natural herbs as a secondary form of prevention.
Signs and Symptoms of Lyme Disease
While preventing tick bites and supporting the immune system is necessary and important, a bite may still occur resulting in infection. Because of this, it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of Lyme Disease. Early treatment prevents the bacteria from adapting and "hiding" in the body (more information about this below).
Bullseye Rash
The bullseye rash is known as the classic symptom of Lyme Disease. However, not everyone infected with Lyme Disease will display the classic bullseye rash or any rash.
A rash may appear on any part of the body or over large parts of the body, not just where the tick was attached. The rash may simply be a large, roundish, red area; the classic bullseye shape; or it may be a reddened area that fades from the center. Only as it begins to fade is it recognizable as similar to a bullseye rash (without the red center). A bullseye rash, if present, is one of the first symptoms of Lyme Disease and treatment should be started immediately.
Other Symptoms of Lyme Disease
While the bullseye rash is easily recognized, other symptoms of Lyme Disease may also be present, especially in the case of a long term infection:
Dizziness
Lethargy
Pounding headache
Fever with sweats and chills
Bell's palsy (facial paralysis)
Swollen, Aching joints (arthritis)
Night Sweats
Sleeplessness
Heart palpitations/irregular heartbeat
Shortness of breath
Neurological symptoms caused by the inflammation of the brain or spinal column
Shooting pains, numbness or tingling in the hands and/or feet
Loss of mental focus/problems with short-term memory
Why such a large variety of symptoms?
The Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium are sneaky little buggers. As the infection develops they adapt (mutate?) and are able to protect themselves in order to "hide" in different parts of the body. Quick treatment with antibiotics (or other natural methods) is important: it attacks the bacterium before they have the chance to adapt, protect themselves, and "hide" in the body. This is also why chronic cases of Lyme Disease are so hard to cure: antibiotics are no longer effective at attacking the hidden and protected bacterium.
Thankfully, there are many natural treatment options besides antibiotics. These natural options have proven more successful at attacking and destroying the "hidden" bacterium in long-term infections. However, you probably won't find these further treatment options by visiting your local MD.
Many doctors, even in our Lyme-endemic area, do not believe tick-borne illnesses can infect the body long-term and cause such a wide variety of symptoms. Many of these doctors will misdiagnose Lyme Disease (or another tick-borne illness) as an auto-immune disease and treat the symptoms with immune-suppressing drugs. This is very dangerous as it leaves the body (including the heart and nervous system) susceptible to severe damage. We know a few of people who have almost died due to misdiagnosis (and therefore the wrong treatment).
Do your own research and advocate for yourself and your family. Often this will mean visiting alternative healthcare providers for guidance if you suspect Lyme Disease or other tick-borne illnesses.
Treatment Options
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are very effective in treating an acute infection. While effective, antibiotics have side effects and drastically affect the body in many other ways. You will need to do your own research and decide what is best for you and your family. We chose to use antibiotics when our son developed bull’s eye rash. Thankfully, one round of antibiotics was a successful treatment for him and he has had no symptoms since.
Buhner Lyme Protocol
We were directed to the Buhner Lyme Protocol (buy the book here) and used it to successfully treat Tony's infection that we did not discover for several months. It took about 9 months to clear his body of symptoms but the protocol was generally easy to follow and quite affordable ($50-$100/month, depending on sales).
Because of the nature of long-term Lyme disease, it is difficult to know if treatment has completely eradicated it from the body or if treatment has strengthened the immune system enough to supress symptoms.
Salt-C Protocol
This protocol uses salt and Vitamin C to treat Lyme Disease. A family friend used this protocol to successfully treat her Lyme Disease. You can purchase this protocol in paperback here.
We have also used this protocol to treat Lyme symptoms that appeared whether from a new infection or from a reemergence of a previous infection. This protocol is a bit more gentle to the body than the Buhner protocol for my husband. (Although this may also be because treatment was started sooner and symptoms were more mild to begin with.)
Other options to consider
The book, New Paradigms in Lyme Disease, shares the protocols followed by 10 different doctors. While this book is very thorough, it is also quite technical and could be overwhelming. I chose to borrow it from our local library rather than purchase it.
The book, The Lyme Diet, gives guidance on nutrition choices to minimize inflammation, support immune function, promote healthy digestion, balance hormones, and detoxify the body. I also borrowed this book from the library.
The Lyme Solution: A Five-Part Plan is a book that is quite easy to read and understand and gives a good overview and plan for comprehensive treatments for Lyme Disease and other co-infections.
It addresses creating a healthy gut biome to boost the immune system, immune-boosting diet changes, herbal protocols to target active infection, reducing toxins in your surroundings to aid in healing, and reducing stress and increasing sleep to support the body. It covers the Zhang Protocol, the Cowden Protocol, and the Buhner Protocol.
There are many treatment options available for long-term Lyme Disease infection. Choosing which protocol to follow can be confusing and overwhelming on your own. I recommend consulting with an alternative/natural health care provider for guidance.
Other Tick-Borne Illnesses
An infection of Lyme Disease is often accompanied by other co-infections. Most treatment protocols offer ways to deal with these co-infections also. Some also suggest dealing with whatever is causing the majority of symptoms first and then continuing treatment as other symptoms present themselves.
While dealing with ticks and tick-borne illnesses, such as Lyme Disease, can be scary and overwhelming, knowing how to prevent infection, the signs and symptoms of infection, and the treatment options available empower us to make the best decisions for our family.
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Very thorough article with lots of helpful information.