Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Lyme Disease - Don't Suffer Longer Than You Should

By Jennifer King

If you've ever caught Lyme disease from an infected tick bite, then you appreciate how irritating the illness can be. Most people don't realize just how aggravating and painful the disease can be for those afflicted by it. Joint and muscle agony that could last for many days or weeks at a time, numerous trips to the health practitioners office, misdiagnoses and ineffective cures all can create an awfully stressful period of time.

Coping with Lyme disease can be notably unpleasant because oftentimes the disease is misdiagnosed, which leads to attempted cures that don't work, and you then having to put up with continuous illness and pain from the disease. Because there is no absolute test to resolve whether or not you have Lyme disease, an incorrect diagnosis is common. This can be particularly notably aggravating for people that are told that their symptoms are "all in their mind," and then the sufferers are prescribed anti-depressants. There are over 100 different symptoms of Lyme disease, that will make it very hard for doctors to narrow down the symptoms into one illness. The disease is also regularly misdiagnosed as something else such as arthritis, and so the sufferer will not get the correct treatment.

If you are coping with Lyme disease as an everyday occurrence, following are some tips that could aid you as you fight the disease:

Gain as much familiarity as you can about Lyme disease. Educate yourself on the facts of Lyme disease, like its causes, symptoms, how it is diagnosed and prognosis of the disease. Lyme disease evolves from the bacteria Borrelia, which is ordinarily transmitted by way of the bite of a deer tick. Once the bacteria has invaded your body you'll most likely begin to suffer from the symptoms within a matter of weeks. Symptoms include a bulls-eye shaped reddish rash, fever, fatigue, and arthritis-like muscle and joint pain. Living with Lyme disease and its many symptoms is definitely not enjoyable, but by examining your symptoms and your medical history, your health practitioner will hopefully be able to make a appropriate diagnosis.

Once a proper diagnosis is made, treatment can begin. This will regularly include either oral or IV antibiotics to kill the bacteria in your body. Understanding the illness and what it does to you is significant part of coping with the disease.

Speak with your doctor about the different cures that could be available. Antibiotics are frequently used to fight the disease. However, you have other remedies available. These natural cures aid you in curing your illness without the use of medicines and drugs that might cause other problems later, and could, in the long term, become expensive.

The most difficult thing to do when you're feeling terrible is be patient, but it's very important when coping with Lyme disease. You must give your body the opportunity to be cured and react to treatments, and becoming apprehensive over the time it's taking or thinking about how awful you feel will not give you relief any quicker. In fact, it's more likely to slow down your recovery. So just try and relax - you will cure yourself in time. - 16004

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