All About Lyme Disease Prevention
Lyme Disease has become an epidemic. The CDC states that 30,000 cases are discovered each year, but it’s estimated that the number is much higher, with as many as thousands going undiagnosed, misdiagnosed and untreated.
Here's what I've learned about prevention.
The Best Prevention Is a Healthy Immune System
Build a healthy, strong gut and immune system. Just like other bacteria and viruses, lyme can only really affect you if your immune system is weak. If you have a strong immune system and you do get infected, it will lie dormant in your system and you may not experience symptoms at all. Significant stressors such as emotional or physical trauma, a moldy building, a chronically poor diet, toxin or heavy metal exposure and more can suppress the immune system and trigger activation.
Protect Yourself
Protect yourself with tick repellents such as oil of lemon eucalyptus, backed by the CDC. Wear long clothing when going in wooded areas or tall grass, and ideally avoid these areas during peak tick seasons - spring and fall.
Have a Tick-Check Party
Check yourself, family members and pets thoroughly for ticks after being outside. Think warm areas, crevasses, scalp, behind the ears, etc.
Proper Tick Removal
How you remove the tick is VERY important, as improper removal can result in the release of toxins and infections. Use a tick removal device or needle point tweezers and grab the head as close to the skin as possible, removing slowly. Do NOT smoother the tick with any substance or burn it. Save the tick for testing.
Act Immediately
I'm not one to encourage regular antibiotic use, as they are extremely over-prescribed, but Lyme is not something to take chances with. If you do get a tick bite, it's important to consult your doctor about starting antibiotics immediately. According to Dr. Horowitz, leading Lyme Disease Expert and Doctor of Internal Medicine, after 72 hours, borrelia will be in a more chronic stage and antibiotics will NOT be nearly as effective (if at all). Lyme Disease in the acute stage is much easier to treat than in the chronic stage, so the sooner you catch it, the less likely it’ll become problematic.
Rebuild Your Gut & Immune System
Anytime you are treated with antibiotics, it's CRITICAL to start the work of rebuilding the gut microbiome, which is where over 70% of the immune system is located. Even a single round of antibiotics significantly disrupts the delicate balance of microorganisms within the gut. Nutrition through a whole-food, anti-inflammatory diet, proper supplementation, stress management and lifestyle changes can make all the difference on how well you bounce back after a treatment and minimize the affects on your health long-term. Did you know your gut plays a BIG role in immune function? Learn more about the immune-gut connection & how to improve immunity here!
What's Next If You Suspect Lyme Disease?
One of the most important things you can do if Lyme has affected your life is first, believe that you CAN heal, it just may take some time. And second, keep an open mind when it comes to your path of treatment.
There are many methods for healing the body from Lyme and Co-Infections and it takes a holistic approach to do so. Find a practitioner in your area that specializes in Lyme and chronic infections. Some treatments that are often used include:
IV nutritional therapies like vitamin C
Ozone therapy
Infrared sauna & hot/cold treatments
Herbal protocols
Bioenergetic therapies
It's also important to note that Lyme is not everything! Just going after the bug, without supporting your system as a whole will NOT work. There are many other factors and layers that need to be addressed and healing requires a full body, mind and spirit approach.
If you didn’t catch my first article What You Need To Know About Lyme disease, head on over and take a read!
Asher Kleiber
Registered Holistic Nutritionist™
Sources:
Why Can't I Get Better: Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease by Dr. Richard Horowitz, MD
Lyme Disease has become an epidemic. The CDC states that 30,000 cases are discovered each year, but it’s estimated that the number is much higher, with as many as thousands going undiagnosed, misdiagnosed and untreated…