Tag: Lyme disease

Dr. Sonya Nobbe, ND

Summer is well underway and these past 4 weeks I’m beginning to address a variety of health concerns with symptoms that are remarkably similar to those of infections transmitted by ticks. Though most people who acquire an infection develop minimal symptoms and resolve the infection for good, this is unfortunately not everyone’s experience. Here are some important things to know about these infections:

1. Lyme Disease is not the only tick-borne illness to be concerned about. In fact, there are many “co-infections” (e.g. Bartonella, Ehrlichia, and Babesia infections), with unique symptoms. An infected person may not test positive for Lyme, but they may still have an active infection by one of these other microbes.

2. Initial symptoms often include flu-like illness, sometimes with

Please download this pdf we’ve created about Lyme disease symptoms, testing, and treatment options: Lyme Disease in Kingston

You can view our entire Lyme Disease in Kingston online e-newsletter, here.

~ Dr. Sonya Nobbe, ND

Understanding tick-borne diseases is not usually on our summer priority list, but times are changing. Ticks infected with Lyme disease-causing bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi) are present in Kingston and pose a risk for contraction of serious chronic illness. The Chief Medical Officer of Health in Ontario acknowledges that Lyme disease cases and the number of black-legged ticks that carry the illness are increasing. The illness cannot be diagnosed with lab testing alone and since symptoms vary widely between people, acquiring proper medical help can be difficult. Consequently, prevention and early treatment even before symptoms appear, is critical.

Ticks in Ontario that carry infections are usually reddish brown, 3 to 5mm small, live in wooded areas, and are active from early Spring to late Fall. Infected ticks may transmit bacteria to people through a bite, though most people exposed to these bacteria never contract a disease. Please see below for our Prevention Guidelines for more information on detecting and treating tick bites.

Many of the symptoms health practitioners are taught to look for, such as a non-itchy “bulls-eye” rash, may actually only occur in less than 50% of people with Lyme disease. The high variability of symptoms mimics many other diseases, including Multiple Sclerosis, Bipolar disorder, arthritis, and Fibromyalgia. The great variability may be explained by the bug’s suppression of the immune system, which allows inflammation or other chronic infections to attack the body according to the person’s individual genetic, lifestyle, and environmental exposure history. This change in immune function may also be why people with Lyme disease often develop additional chronic illnesses, including depression, thyroid conditions, and possibly Alzheimer’s or Inflammatory Bowel Disease.