Lyme Time

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" HSI - Jenny Thompson " <HSIResearch

HSI e-Alert - Lyme Time

Wed, 29 Jun 2005 12:00:00 -0400

HSI e-Alert - Lyme Time

 

Health Sciences Institute e-Alert

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June 29, 2005

 

Dear Reader,

 

A friend of mine named Kathy recently came down with the flu. The flu?

In June? Well, the flu's the flu, whatever month is on the calendar.

Not much you can do but to keep the nutrients coming and ride it out.

 

But it wasn't the flu.

 

After several days with no improvement Kathy's son took her to the

emergency room. She was diagnosed with a bladder infection and sent

home with antibiotics. When her condition didn't improve, she returned

to the hospital a few days later and was finally diagnosed with lyme

disease.

Those who have never experienced lyme disease or known anyone who's

had it might be surprised to find out that Kathy spent the next 10

days in the hospital. She's now home, but getting around with great

difficulty and pain, and she'll need to receive daily antibiotics via

IV for several weeks. Most disturbing: Her doctors predict she won't

feel completely recovered for six months to a year.

 

Take heed, you pioneers of the garden and the great outdoors: Do not

underestimate the unforgiving dangers of lyme disease.

 

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Shape shifters

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Unless you're reading this e-Alert in an igloo, deer tick season is

now at its peak and will last through early fall. But despite what you

may have heard, deer ticks are not the only carriers of lyme disease;

mosquitoes, fleas, mites and gnats are also carriers.

 

Another myth about lyme disease concerns the rash that develops in the

image of a bulls-eye. True, a tick that carries lyme disease may

prompt the rash, but the infamous bulls-eye appears in fewer than half

of all cases of the disease. This is just one of the reasons why lyme

is so difficult to diagnose.

 

Once a diagnosis is made, then the real work begins.

 

The bacteria that causes lyme disease is a classic spirochete form,

that is; it's a spiral shape that aggressively embeds in muscles,

tendons and even the heart and brain. What's worse, the lyme

spirochete is pleomorphic, meaning it can change shape, making it hard

for the immune system to detect it.

 

Antibiotics provide the standard treatment for lyme disease. And as

always when antibiotics are used, acidophilus and other probiotics are

helpful in keeping the beneficial gut flora in the intestines alive.

Also, because the immune system is seriously stressed by lyme,

nutrients (such as antioxidants) and personal habits (such as stress

reduction) that enhance immune system function are very important. And

sugar intake should be avoided for two reasons: 1) sugar impairs the

immune system, and 2) lyme disease spirochetes thrive on sugar.

 

A controversial natural treatment for lyme disease calls for

injections of bee venom. Some anecdotal evidence indicates this

regimen may be effective, but according to an excellent article about

lyme disease by D.J. Fletcher and Tom Klaber (available on Dr. Joseph

Mercola's web site), physicians who deviate from the established

protocols for lyme care apparently put themselves at risk for

investigation by state licensing agencies.

 

In any case, lyme disease is obviously a condition that should be

taken very seriously, whatever course of treatment is pursued.

 

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Protect yourself

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I don't know about you, but I've now been sufficiently impressed (not

to mention scared) into taking the necessary precautions to avoid lyme

disease.

 

In a 2004 Health eTips e-letter, Amanda Ross (Managing Editor of Dr.

Jonathan V. Wright's Nutrition & Healing newsletter) offered these

pointers on how to avoid the deer tick:

 

* Wear protective clothing - long sleeved shirts, and tuck your

pants into your socks

* Always check your body for ticks after outdoor activities such

as gardening or hiking

* Some aromas that will repel ticks and other bugs include

lavender oil, citronella, cedar oil, rose geranium oil, American

pennyroyal oil (also called tickweed), eucalyptus oil and tea tree oil

( " For a good home brew you need to start with the essential oils of

any of these, and then mix 10-20 drops with a carrier oil, such as

jojoba or safflower. You have to apply the mixture fairly often, but

it should offer good results. " )

* Some commercial insect repellants with all-natural ingredients

draw mostly from the list above

* Eating garlic or taking garlic pills will help keep ticks away

(and garlic has antibacterial properties as well)

 

Amanda notes that while a garlic regimen may repel ticks, it may also

repel friends and loved ones. This problem can be easily solved by

chewing parsley, which is abundant in chlorophyll, a natural breath

freshener.

 

Finally, be aware of lyme disease warning signs. If, like my friend

Kathy, you come down with flu symptoms in the summertime, that's a red

flag that you should see a doctor immediately. Other symptoms include

unusual joint and muscle pain, stiff neck, confusion, severe headaches

and heart palpitations.

 

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....and another thing

 

As the saying goes, " Sometimes I sit and think, and sometimes I just sit. "

 

Summertime is perfect for just sitting. So if you happen to find

yourself whiling away a summer afternoon loafing on a porch swing,

I've got an amusing diversion for you - no thinking required.

 

A friend of mine named David sent me an e-mail that began: " Subject:

Right foot - Do it! It's mad! " And it just might drive you mad...

 

How Smart is Your Right Foot?

 

1. While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot off the floor and

make clockwise circles.

 

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number " 6 " in the air with your

right hand. Your foot will change direction.

 

And there's nothing you can do about it!

 

To Your Good Health,

 

Jenny Thompson

Health Sciences Institute

 

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Sources:

 

" Lyme Disease: The Unknown Epidemic " D.J. Fletcher and Tom Klaber,

Mercola.com, 7/25/01, mercola.com

" Ticked Off " Amanda Ross, Health eTips, 8/12/04, healthiernews.com

 

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