Lyme Disease is an infectious disease caused by the Borrelia bacteria, which is spread by Ticks. Not every Tick carries Borrelia. The most common sign of infections is an expanding area of redness on the skin, that appears at the site of a Tick bite a few days after the initial bite has occurred. The correct treatment at that time is an Antibiotic, preferably Doxycycline, and usually that causes no further problem.
Most Tick bites which carry Borrelia are not treated in this way, simply because the rash eventually goes away, and this can lead to a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This is what is often referred to as ‘Lyme Disease’.
Sometimes long-term antibiotics are prescribed for this, often after tests, but we have had very limited success with this approach. We use a range of approaches which we have used for several decades for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and have significant success with these approaches.
Testing for Lyme is controversial, as standard NHS tests often reveal nothing for Borrelia. We use a German laboratory for testing, which we find is more reliable, and that gives us a good idea of whether Lyme is present.
The occurrence of Lyme Disease is relatively common in the area of the country where our main clinic base is, as we are close to the New Forest, where Deer are common, these Ticks are often carried by Deer.
Dr Julian Kenyon
January 2020