Lyme disease is one of the bacterial infections out there that's actually pretty hard to diagnose. It's triggered by Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacterium. That's because it's generally caused by not just any tick bites, but particular ones. There's also chronic Lyme disease, which is rooted in the same thing. In a nutshell, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sees around 30,000 reports of Lyme Disease a year, but many are still unaccounted for.
Lyme Disease
Lyme disease in any form is a major hit to a person's quality of life because it's essentially debilitating.
Over 300,000 Americans are diagnosed with Lyme disease on a yearly basis, but as previously mentioned, it's hard to diagnose. It's also actually pretty difficult to treat. Unfortunately, getting it is easy: just passing through an area with ticks gives prime opportunity for at least one to latch on skin or clothing.
A carrier tick that's not removed in a timely fashion can end up transmitting Lyme disease. It does so by settling into the skin through a bite. Avoiding tick-prone areas is a great way to prevent Lyme disease from spreading. Animals that tend to have Lyme disease-laden ticks include, but are not limited to, white-footed field mice, deer, horses, opossums, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, foxes, skunks, weasels, and shrews.
Symptoms
Early on, certain symptoms of Lyme disease can manifest, like:
Chills
Fatigue
Fever
Headaches
Joint pain
Joint swelling
Muscle aches
Sleep disturbances
Stiff neck
Swollen lymph nodes
A rash could also show up around the bite: big and with a tendency to spread out even more. More progressive cases include heart problems, arthritis, nerve problems, and neurological symptoms. There are also cases of neuropsychiatric Lyme disease, though those are far and few between. Symptoms on that end include mania, paranoia, hallucations, and even obsessive-compulsiveness.
Ketamine Treatment
A good way to treat Lyme disease pain is through IV ketamine therapy. The Food and Development Authority (FDA) initially approved the use of ketamine as an anesthetic. It can now be used for the treatment of both psychiatric and physical disorders.
Chronic pain management can be done through ketamine's N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-inhibition mechanism. It's a receptor that binds glutamate to manage the brain's pain center: the thalamus. Ketamine treatment protocol ends up blocking the receptors so that chronic and acute pain alike can be relieved. It's a natural Lyme disease treatment that, as previously mentioned, is delivered intravenously.
Patients that get IV ketamine have reported feeling considerable improvements in pain from the first treatment session alone. It's a proven treatment method best for patients whose conditions involve chronic pain. It's also ideal for people that cannot take on opiate medications and need an alternative.
Conclusion
Chronic Lyme disease and Lyme disease alike are caused by ticks that are carriers biting into the skin and settling there. It's a debilitating disease that can heavily affect a person's entire way and quality of life. Ketamine in itself was originally approved as an anesthetic by the FDA. Ketamine infusion therapy through intravenous means is a huge help for pain relief.
Learn more about holistic medicine and ketamine treatment with Dr. Stephanie Lyn Coleman MD.