Lyme disease is a nation-wide problem

   The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society published a brochure titled "Top Ten Tips To Prevent Chronic Lyme Disease". This brochure describes ways to recognize the signs of Lyme disease and ways of preventing yourself from getting it. Here are the top ten tips to prevent chronic Lyme disease:

1. Know that Lyme disease is a nation-wide problem - ticks known to carry Lyme disease have been identified in all 50 states and worldwide.

2. Check your tick facts - ticks can vary in size from a poppy-seed size nymphal tick to a sesame-seed size adult tick. 

3. "Wait and See" approach to treatment may be risky - up to fifty percent of ticks in Lyme-endemic areas are infected with Lyme or other tick-borne diseases. The onset of Lyme disease symptoms can be easily overlooked or mistaken for other illnesses. 

4. Show your doctor every rash - the bull's-eye rash is the most famous, but there are many other types of rashes associated with Lyme disease. 

5. Don't assume that you can't have Lyme disease if you don't have a rash - Lyme disease is difficult to diagnose without a rash, Bell's palsy, arthritis, or meningitis, but you can still have Lyme and not have any of those signs or symptoms. 

6. Do not rely on test results - currently, there is no reliable test to determine if someone has contracted Lyme disease or is cured of it. 

7. Know your treatment options - there is more than one type of antibiotic available, and longer treatment is also an option.

8. Be aware of similar conditions - chronic Lyme disease is called the "great imitator" because it is often misdiagnosed as another condition such as multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, or anxiety. 

9. Don't be afraid to get a second opinion - it is worth getting a second or even a third opinion, especially if you are symptomatic and your doctor advises not to treat, or symptoms recur or persist after treatment.

10. Finally, Expect success - you should expect to get better!

  The medical community has not agreed upon the one best treatment for Lyme disease. There are many different options and the debate is heated. The Midwest Lyme Foundation is a dedicated group of volunteers who strive to provide community awareness, information, and physician training for the treatment and management of Lyme Disease in the Midwest. On their website they provide information about Lyme disease including various Lyme Treatments: 

- Two schools of thought on Lyme treatment - one is two weeks of treatment for early Lyme, but it does not recognize chronic Lyme, and the other recognizes individualized treatment, based on patient response to treatment. 

- In early Lyme, aggressive treatment with antibiotics is necessary.

- In late Lyme, antibiotics are used and administered orally, by intramuscular injections, or intravenous options, or a combination of all three.

These are just a "few" of the antibiotics that Nicole has to take on a daily basis.

- antibiotics impact beneficial intestinal flora (bacteria) and interact with nutritional supplements and foods, so, it is important to take probiotics as well.

- The use of natural herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthen the body and treating disease.

- Acupuncture may help relieve pain, increase mobility, and reduce fatigue. Chinese herbal formulas, used by many acupuncturists, may help resolve joint, muscular, and neurological symptoms after many courses of antibiotics.