Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Lyme Disease part 3 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I hope you have been enjoying this conversation on Lyme disease. I want to start today’s blog by talking about something that in my opinion doesn’t get enough attention, chronic Lyme disease. I am also going to …
Lyme Disease part 2 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND In the first part of our conversation on Lyme disease, we focused on the tick behind Lyme disease. We also did a review of all the most common symptoms of Lyme. Today we will delve even deeper …
Lyme Disease part 1
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Lyme disease is considered a complex topic for many reasons. To start off it can be difficult to accurately diagnosis the condition. This can be due to the fact Lyme disease can have many symptoms that mimic other illnesses. Your doctor may have to rule out different conditions before focusing on Lyme disease. To make matters even more complex not all Lyme tests give accurate results. In some case’s you may receive what is called a false negative. This means that proper diagnosis and treatment is often delayed. Another reason Lyme can be considered a complex illness is because of all the possible long-term complications that can occur even with treatment! Then there is issue of coinfections that often accompany Lyme disease. For right now I will be mostly focusing on just Lyme disease. What is Lyme disease? How do you get it? What are the symptoms of Lyme? These are just a few of the things I will be going over in this blog. Let us get into it, shall we?
Lyme disease is not caused by a virus like a cold or flu. It is caused by a bacteria called Borrelia Burgdorferi. The way that humans get infected is via a tick bite. What happens is that a tick that is infected with the bacteria bites a person and that induvial gets infected with the bacteria and develops Lyme disease. The ticks most commonly associated with Lyme disease are the Blacklegged tick or deer tick. If you live in the Northeast, Midwest, or Pacific coast it is important to always check for ticks after being in the woods or grass. Normally it takes 24 hours or longer of being attached to you for a tick to spread the infection. If you remove the tick before you get the infection it can help keep you safe. (1, 2) I am sure you are thinking but Dr. Claire what does a deer tick even look like? For those who are squeamish I am sorry, but I have included a picture of what different ticks look like. (3)
While tick bites can happen at any time you are more at risk of becoming infected with Lyme when the deer ticks are most active. This typically occurs in the warmer months of the year. This is usually between April- September. However, I do want to point out if the warmer weather comes early or stays late the ticks will stay active longer than expected. (2)
Now I bet I know what you are about to say, why all this emphasis on yucky ticks? That is an easy question to answer. Ticks transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. This is how you get Lyme disease. By knowing what deer ticks look like, where they live and when they are most active you can hopefully reduce your expose to bacteria. In this way you can reduce your overall risk of developing Lyme disease. Exposure to the ticks that cause Lyme is the determining factor for Lyme disease risk. This means that anything that increases your risk of exposure to ticks can increase your risk of Lyme disease. This includes outdoor activities such as gardening, hunting, hiking or even walking on the high grasses where ticks live. (4)
The symptoms of Lyme disease are usually separated into 3 stages. These are stage 1, 2 and 3. One of the most well-known symptoms of Lyme disease is the bull’s eye rash. While not everyone will develop a rash, I have included a picture since it is quite common. (1) In fact, up to 70-80% of those infected with Lyme DO get the rash. So, it is important to know what it looks like.
I’ve included a chart to help organize the symptoms of Lyme disease. (1-5)
| Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 |
| · A red rash called erythema migrans (EM).
· Fever and chills · Headache. · Extreme tiredness. · Joint stiffness. · Muscle aches and pains. · Swollen lymph nodes.
|
Stage 2 may include the stage 1 symptoms and the following:
· Muscle weakness on one or both sides of the face.
|
Stage 3 may include the stage 1 and 2 symptoms and the following:
· Pain, swelling or stiffness may last for a long time. Or the symptoms may come and go. · Acrodermatitis chronic atrophicans.
|
In our next blog we will focus on testing for Lyme and why in some cases you can get a false negative. I also want to get into why accurate and rapid disease diagnosis is so important.
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Do you struggle with always having low energy? Are you tired of being tired? Well listen now to Amanda Williams, MD, MPH podcast about ways to help rejoice with energy again!
fatigue
Written by Melissa Bistricer, RDN
For further questions or concerns email me at mbistricer@invitehealth.com
Why feel fatigued and sluggish every day when you can feel alive and energized? Enhance your body’s energy levels with a balanced diet and clinically-studied nutrients.†
Fatigue occurs when an individual feels almost constantly tired, either physically or emotionally. Individuals who experience fatigue daily can see negative impacts in their lifestyles. This can impact their quality of life, work efficiency, social life, and overall health. “Fatigue affects more than 20% of people worldwide, which is usually associated with physical and/or psychological (mental) weakness.”† 1
Factors that are common that can contribute to fatigue are medical conditions, unhealthy lifestyle choices, workplace problems, or stress.2 Medical conditions related to fatigue can be an underlying illness resulting in extreme tiredness such as thyroid disease, heart disease, or diabetes.2 Lifestyle choices can be related to alcohol or drug abuse, or lack of consistent exercise. Lastly, fatigue is a common factor in mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, or grief. This can also result in symptoms of lack of motivation or irritability.†
Some symptoms to be aware of if you feel you are experiencing fatigue can be blurry vision, headache, dizziness, poor concentration, low motivation, or chronic sleepiness.†2
Fatigue can oftentimes be correlated with pro-inflammatory status. Pro-inflammatory status is the ability to promote inflammation in the body. This is when the cytokines act to make a specific disease worse rather than reducing inflammation. Fatigue is not directly driven by inflammation but can be a multifactorial syndrome.3 Multifactorial syndrome is when more than one factor is contributing to the condition, in this case, inflammation can be one component of why an individual may feel fatigued. Other factors previously discussed can be medical conditions, unhealthy lifestyles, workplace problems, or stress.†
The Mediterranean Diet may be beneficial for patients experiencing fatigue related to inflammation. This diet consists of high consumption of whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish, lean meat, olive oil, fruits, and vegetables. The Mediterranean Diet is a high-quality fatty acid diet, providing omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acids, fibers, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Although studies vary on the full potential benefit of the Mediterranean Diet there is a relationship between following a Mediterranean Diet and taking two beneficial supplements called Alcar + ALA and CoQ10 + Coenzyme 1 (NADH).†
KETO DIET VS MEDITERRANEAN DIET – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 525. Listen Now>>
Acetyl-L-Carnitine (Alcar) is the short-chain ester of carnitine which is synthesized in the mitochondria known as the “powerhouse” of the cells.4 Alcar participates in energy metabolism which can be supportive in energy, focus, healthy brain development, and memory.†
Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA) is an organosulfur component in plants, animals, and humans. In the Krebs cycle, ALA plays a role in chemical reactions, with some enzymatic complexes involved in acting as energy for the cells. 5 ALA is known as a fat and water-soluble antioxidant, providing benefits to tissues.†
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) also referred to as ubiquinol is important in the body for energy-releasing nutrients produced naturally by the body. This supplement allows calories from food to be absorbed and utilized as energy which can be beneficial for individuals who often feel fatigued. NO energy will be made without ubiquinol!†
Coenzyme 1 (NADH) is a stabilizer form of nicotinamide, which is known to be a powerful B-vitamin. NADH is needed to create energy and helps to recycle ubiquinol to support energy.†
Alcar + ALA – energy-producing nutrients involved with energy metabolism, support energy function and superior benefit for a variety of tissues†
CoQ10 (Ubiquinol) + Coenzyme 1 (NADH) – supports muscle function and most of the body’s energy needs†
For further questions or concerns related to dietary and nutritional supplement recommendations email me at mbistricer@invitehealth.com
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