Lyme disease, a risk that grows every day

Every day, there is more talk about Lyme disease. However, it remains a difficult disease to diagnose, and only specialized doctors such as those at Biosalud Day Hospital can treat it effectively.

Actors Richard Gere and Alec Baldwin, singers Avril Lavigne and Thalia, and athlete Delle Done are the famous faces of Lyme disease, a condition that thousands of people contract every year. In Europe alone, an estimated 100,000 people are infected annually by tick bites and other insects that transmit the infectious bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. And this number is growing every year.

 The testimony offered by internationally renowned individuals helps raise awareness of the disease, enabling us to recognize the symptoms of borreliosis and identify them in the early stages. Most patients are diagnosed years after the first symptoms appear. During this period, the disease progresses, promotes the development of co-infections, and becomes chronic, incapacitating those who suffer from it.

But if more and more people are becoming infected, why isn't it being diagnosed early? It is true that this infection is difficult to detect. In fact,it is called "the great imitator" because its symptoms initiallyresemble those of the flu, or chronic fatigue in more advanced stages, among other conditions. In addition, tests often yield false negatives at all stages of the disease.

The study of the behavior of this infection through analysis and more than six years of experience treating patients from around the world has allowed us to develop a test for Lyme disease and innovative, highly effective antibiotic treatments. Biosalud Day Hospital is now an international center of excellence in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

In addition to these innovative techniques, at Biosalud we stand out as specialists in biological medicine, which allows us to approach the treatment of the disease from two perspectives: on the one hand, antibiotic treatment slows down and eliminates the infection. On the other hand, we repair and rebalance the body that has been damaged by Lyme disease and its co-infections.

The reality is that if the disease is very advanced, it is difficult for the patient to recover completely. However, experience tells us that our patients recover a significant part of their functionality and, in most cases, can live independently. In any case, we insist on the need for early detection of the disease, which greatly improves the chances of cure.

Characteristics of Lyme disease

• The first sign of Lyme disease may be a circular or bull's-eye rash that appears hours after the bite. It is very characteristic but does not always appear.
• The symptoms of the disease worsen depending on when the disease appears: days after the bite, one or two months later, and chronic Lyme disease, which can take years to appear. Sometimes the infection is dormant and a weakened immune system can cause it to appear.
• Antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease is appropriate and should be complemented with biological medicine treatment to regulate the body.
• Most tests produce false negatives, meaning that sick people may spend years trying to get a diagnosis. This poses a major health risk due to the progression of the disease itself.
• Borrelia infection occurs alongside other co-infections that must also be analyzed and considered in treatment.

Contact with nature, a risk factor

Anyone who suffers a tick bite that transmits the bacteria is susceptible to contracting the disease. However, increased contact with these mites of the ixodid family increases the risk. Outdoor sports and activities in nature, camping, or professions such as veterinary medicine, gardening, or botany are risk factors.

Preventing Lyme disease involves incorporating a series of habits into our outdoor activities:

• wear light-colored clothing
• Long pants and shirts. If possible, wear clothing that is tight around the wrists and ankles.
• Always check your body when you return home, especially in the most humid areas (scalp, armpits, and knees, and even the groin).