A stroll through the park sounds like an excellent way to spend an afternoon and then, you return home to find a tick imbedded in your skin. These tiny arachnid creatures are prevalent in grassy and wooded areas and especially around conifer and cedar trees. If that tick is a nymph, you run the risk of becoming infected with Lyme disease.
Lyme Disease & Its Symptoms
A nymph is a tick in the immature stage of its development and is the about the size of a poppy seed. Once it attaches itself to the host (you or your pet) and the longer it remains there, the higher the risk of contracting Lyme disease assuming the tick is a carrier. Ticks carry some twenty diseases.
This perplexing disease presents itself through symptoms similar to the flu virus. You can experience aches and pains throughout your body along with a fever, nausea, and even joint pain. Additional symptoms include a rash in the shape of a bull’s-eye that appears in the area where the tick bite took place.
Not all lyme disease sufferers have the appearance of a rash. Therefore, if you’ve been bitten by a tick you need to be on the lookout for the following symptoms in the coming days.
- Stiff neck
- Dizziness
- Heart palpitations
- Painful, swollen joints
- Numbness or tingling of the nerve endings
- Swollen lymph glands
Lyme disease does not focus on one particular area of the body and spreads by traveling through the body’s blood stream. As a result, it tends to affect more than one part of the body at a time. If left untreated, Lyme disease can enter into a late-stage disease or become a chronic illness. In a small percentage of cases, after treatment the symptoms may linger for up to six months. However, rather than being labeled chronic this condition is better referred to as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS).
Why Antibiotics Are Used
Antibiotics are often used to treat Lyme disease and with good reason. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has funded several studies that show most patients in the early stages of Lyme disease recover rapidly and completely after having taken doctor prescribed antibiotics by mouth for a few weeks. Nevertheless, there are natural treatments that work well when done in conjunction with antibiotics that can help you during recovery.
Natural Health and Lyme Disease
Strengthening the immune system is paramount in fighting the effects of Lyme. Probably the most effective way to accomplish this is through diet. A healthy diet is crucial to getting healthy, feeling better and being better.
Diet for Lyme Disease
The first step to establishing a healthier diet is cutting back on eating so many processed foods and those with high sugar content. Whole foods, fresh veggies and natural herbs along with fresh organic foods are all healthy alternatives. Homemade salads are great because you can add all your favorite stuff.
There are also platters of delicious and healthy salad dressing recipes available online that you can make at home. Try something tasty and new! Release those pleasure-generating endorphins!
Eliminating unhealthy junk food from your diet will help your body on many levels. It is a fact, the less refined sugar you consume the better and healthier you’ll be. See our article on foods to avoid when you have Lyme disease for more info.
Beverages
Hydration is essential when treating Lyme disease naturally in conjunction with the proper medication. Water consumption is the best option for this. Spring water is great as it is chocked full of natural minerals necessary for proper body function. Natural fruit juices like lemonade and cranberry, apple and essentially any flavor you like are really good for your body. Juicing is a great option and a delicious fruit smoothie is hard to beat.
Treating the effects of Lyme disease naturally is a wholesome approach and treats the entire body. Proper diet and exercise in conjunction with medical treatment works to restore the body’s natural state while placing a person on an overall healthier approach to life and good living.
Supplements
The jury is still out on vitamins. Some people swear by them while others say they are ineffective. It’s a personal choice. Wormwood, barberry root, aloe leaf and garlic are supplements reported to eliminate harmful bacteria and restore balance to the gut.
By taking a good multi-vitamin rich in minerals coupled with a good diet and mild exercise and you won’t be able to keep from feeling better!
This is just the start of what you need to know about Lyme disease. Take a look at our Lyme disease topic page to get a fuller education on the subject.