Lyme disease is quickly becoming a medical concern in the United States, with the CDC estimating as many as 300,000 people get Lyme disease each year. Unfortunately, many of these people do not realize they have received a tick bite or are infected until symptoms begin to show. Because of flaws in the testing abilities for Lyme, many patients are often misdiagnosed or left to believe that the symptoms are all in their head. This lack of accurate testing often prevents early treatment which results in the best recovery outcome. For many people, Lyme disease is literally a TICKing time bomb in the body that must be defused. While early antibiotic treatment is beneficial, HBOT is proving a positive treatment option, regardless of how long a person has had Lyme disease.
Lyme Disease Testing and Patient Frustration
When it comes to Lyme disease, the current testing available falls short, often leaving patients and doctors stumped. With Lyme, some patients show the tell-tale target-like rash around the tick bite location and this can make diagnosis easier. For others, no rash surfaces and they come into the doctor with a variety of symptoms including flu-like symptoms, joint pain and stiffness, neurological symptoms, severe fatigue, and in severe cases, organ involvement. Unfortunately, these symptoms occur with a variety of medical conditions and, without a positive Lyme disease test, many doctors struggle to find a diagnosis. All the time, the patient continues to suffer from worsening symptoms.
So why is it so hard to diagnose Lyme disease? Current testing for Lyme disease looks at the blood and tests for antibodies to the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. You would think that sounds pretty straightforward. Unfortunately, many patients can be sick with Lyme disease long before their body ever starts producing these antibodies. In addition, even if your body produces antibodies, many people do not produce enough to show up on a test. Because of this, a patient can have active Lyme disease and won’t show a positive test for months or years, if ever. Unfortunately, this poses a real problem when it comes to treatment.
When Antibiotic Therapy Just Doesn’t Work
Traditional treatment for Lyme disease is a course or more of antibiotics administered early in the disease. For many that are diagnosed right away, this is perfect and often eliminates all symptoms. But, as we said, the majority of patients visit many doctors and often spend years before an official diagnosis is found. In these cases, even high dose intravenous antibiotic treatment is not enough to treat the symptoms, and many go on to suffer with no answers. And even in cases where antibiotics worked to start, patients can see a return of symptoms. When this happens, doctors diagnose them with Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome. In this case, doctors had no additional treatment options available. Until Now! HBOT is providing an alternative treatment option with great success.
For more information on how HBOT can help you battle your Lyme Disease, Contact our office today!
Lyme Disease and Serious Complications
As we said, Lyme disease is a TICKing time bomb. As the bacteria grow in your body, the symptoms can become more severe, cause new symptoms, and in some cases become life-threatening. Cases of sudden cardiac death have occurred when the bacterium infects the heart, resulting in Lyme carditis. Without working to kill the bacteria, they spread throughout the body, infecting more areas and causing more symptoms and complications. Often, antibiotics just aren’t enough, but something must happen to stop the spread and allow patients to get their life back. That is where studies have shown HBOT can really make a difference!!
Learn more about Lyme Disease and how Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy makes a difference by visiting HERE.
HBOT is Your Bomb Squad
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT, can help you diffuse the TICKing time bomb caused by Lyme disease. HBOT offers a unique and non-invasive treatment option that destroys the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease. High levels of oxygen can kill bacteria. HBOT floods the body with high concentrations of oxygen and this oxygen becomes your bomb squad, killing off and defusing the dangerous bacteria responsible for the disease.
In addition to killing off the bacteria, the high levels of oxygen from HBOT help to remove the bacteria and toxins from the body. Additionally, oxygen stimulates new stem cells, blood vessels, and white blood cells, aiding in recovery. In cases where Lyme has infected the brain or other organs, the increased oxygen starts the healing process. This allows for a return in cognitive brain function and normal organ function.
If you suffer from Lyme Disease, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, or HBOT, is a critical member of your medical arsenal. HBOT can really make a difference, giving you back your quality of life. Give our office a call today and schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Spiegel to see just how HBOT can help you diffuse your TICKing time bomb! Fill out our online information request form HERE.