Unspoken Truths About Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is purported to have claimed a life and it’s not how you might think.

Is Lyme disease fatal? Last week, a parent in Canada spoke about his daughter’s death. After suffering for years with what was originally un-diagnosed Lyme disease, Amelie Champagne took her own life. Her father says that Amelie’s eventual positive Lyme diagnosis came too late, as the disease had ravaged her body and mind. He credits the severe impact on Amelie’s brain resulted in her suicide at the age of 22.

Lyme disease is often misdiagnosed and not diagnosed at all.

As we well know, Lyme disease can result in maladies of the body and mind. Well-known cases, such as those of Kris Kristofferson and Justin Bieber shone a light on the condition. Mr. Kristofferson suffered for more than a decade with undiagnosed Lyme disease, and was misdiagnosed with Fibromyalgia and dementia. Joint pain and degradation of mental capacity are both Lyme symptoms. Justin, also a Canadian, released a statement in 2020, in which he said that Lyme had negatively affected his, “brain function, energy, and overall health.”

Is Lyme disease fatal if it is the cause for suffering that results in suicide?

Lyme disease is fatal if it affects someone’s body and brain so negatively that it leads to them taking their own life. Even though the infection does not kill, the effects of the disease surely take their toll. And while there is a growing awareness of Lyme disease, this is a case of the quiet parts being said aloud. More awareness about the effects of the infection must be made. Sadly, Lyme disease is treatable when it is diagnosed early. For a variety of reasons, the CDC believes that there are up to 10 times more cases of Lyme in the United States that what is actually documented.

Lyme disease can happen any time of year.

If you have been outdoors and have knowingly or unknowingly encountered a deer tick, you are at risk for Lyme infection. The risk is not relegated only to the springtime and summer. While nymph ticks are busying about in search of their blood meals in the springtime, adult ticks are equally as active in the fall. What’s more, if the temperatures are steadily above 45 degrees in the winter, ticks can quest for blood. Therefore, we must keep check on ourselves, our kids, and our pets after being outdoors any warm day – in any season.

Tick protection and control tips:

Wear long sleeves and pants outdoors
Perform a full-body tick check after being outdoors
Wear clothing treated with permethrin when hiking or camping
Call on the experts for Grafton tick control to protect your property all year long

Dave Macchia, tick control enthusiast — Dave Macchia, Central Mass tick control enthusiast

Lyme Disease, The Great Imitator

In recent years, Lyme disease diagnoses have become more prevalent. Still Lyme is commonly mistaken for other ailments.

What makes Lyme disease the great imitator? First of all, Lyme is one of those illnesses, which takes on many different shapes. Symptoms can vary from one person to the next. Children often have different symptoms than adults. It is also believed that Lyme is left undiagnosed in women more than men. As long as Lyme has been around, there is still so much confusion surrounding the disease.

Lyme disease great imitator — Lyme is often undiagnosed in women.

Lyme is mistaken for Alzheimer’s.

Kris Kristofferson has Lyme disease A few years ago, we learned that Kris Kristofferson had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He was treated for the disease for years, only to then be found to have Lyme disease. Once his Lyme was treated, he began to lose the Alzheimer’s symptoms. It’s not just Alzheimer’s, though! Lyme is often mistaken for rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Symptoms of Lyme mimic those of other illnesses, and many doctors are not informed enough to do proper testing to make a Lyme diagnosis.

Where you live could have an effect on your health when it comes to diagnosing Lyme disease.

Are tick borne diseases contagious? For a very long time, certain regions of the United States were not believed to have Lyme-carrying ticks. For this reason, many patients were never even considered for Lyme testing when they began to show symptoms that mimic other ailments. In recent years, especially with highly-publicized cases of misdiagnoses, doctors in these areas are starting to test for Lyme when symptoms common among other illnesses show up in patients. To say that there has been a learning curve in diagnosing Lyme is an understatement. People, who live in the south and other supposed less-affected areas might still find themselves fighting for proper Lyme diagnoses.

What can you do if you think you have Lyme symptoms?

What if you find a tick on you?

If you have been outdoors and believe you might have been bitten by an infected tick, and begin to show signs of illness, seek immediate medical attention. Explain your potential exposure or known exposure if you actually found an embedded tick. Look for the Lyme rash, which presents in bull’s eye pattern. Explain your symptoms to your doctor, and if they are not equipped to perform proper Lyme testing, ask help finding a practitioner, who is. If Lyme is diagnosed early, there is a great chance it can be cured with antibiotics. If you believe you suffer from chronic Lyme symptoms, also seek the aid of a Lyme specialist, who can properly diagnose and treat the disease.

What are common symptoms of Lyme, which mimic other diseases?

sleeplessness is a Lyme symptom Because Lyme symptoms range from extreme fatigue, headache, and joint pain to cognitive impairment, it can be mistaken for the disease mentioned above, as well as others. These include ALS, multiple sclerosis, and fibromyalgia. In children, hyperactivity and other cognitive impairments lead to misdiagnoses of ADD and even learning disabilities.

Also read: Lyme Disease in Children and Teens

Dave Macchia mosquito conrol and tick control enthusiast — Dave Macchia
Central Mass enthusiast for effective season-long mosquito and tick protection

Protect your home and family in Central Massachusetts with year-round tick control. This is your single best bet in prevention of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

Lyme Disease Diagnosis for Justin Bieber

Lyme disease, often mis-diagnosed, has taken a new very public victim. Justin Bieber speaks about his Lyme disease diagnosis in his new YouTube documentary.

Superstar, Justin Bieber, recently announced his very private battle with debilitating chronic anxiety, Epstein-Barr, and Lyme disease ahead of his new docuseries on YouTube. Leading a public life and being on tour brought his overall health and well-being to a halt, leading to the remainder of his last tour being completely canceled. All this prefaced him seeking medical help, and led to the eventual positive diagnosis. Justin says that he is, “battling and OVERCOMING.”

Lyme disease is often mis-diagnosed

Lyme disease bullseye rash — Bullseye rash after tick bite

Lyme symptoms are vast and varied! They are not the same for every person, and can be very different in children and adults. If a person is bitten, and contracts Lyme, the bullseye rash is not always present. Without the telltale rash, many victims of Lyme don’t even realize they have been bitten by an infected tick. All the while, the Lyme bacteria are spreading throughout the nervous system, joints, and even the heart. They might be asymptomatic for a very long time, or might present Lyme symptoms that mimic other diseases, such as arthritis and mental illness. Joint pain, fatigue, brain fog, and major behavioral changes are just a few of the vague symptoms of Lyme. Delayed treatment results in a lifelong battle for many. Treatment can also become a lifelong battle for those, who are diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease.

More information: Lyme Disease Treatment

children and teens with Lyme — There is much mystery surrounding Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment.

Like many sufferers of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, Justin has been harshly criticized for his appearance and mental state. This stigma causes many undiagnosed Lyme victims to suffer in silence. They are often doubted and ridiculed by family, friends, and even their doctors. “It’s all in your head,” is actually a fair statement in regards to Lyme. It can be “in your head” – meaning that chronic Lyme can most definitely present in extreme mood swings. Aided by the frustration of alienation before receiving proper medical care and a clear diagnosis, these behavioral symptoms can compound. Many PTLDS sufferers admit to having been suicidal – this is especially true in teens.

With the prevalence of ticks in Massachusetts, it is imperative that you protect your family from the threat of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses with year-round tick control and protection.

Lyme Disease in Children and Teens

With an estimated 300,000 newly reported cases of Lyme in the United States each year, 25% are children. Lyme remains so misunderstood and debated in the worldwide medical community, those numbers are believed to be even higher.

With much controversy surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease, children are caught in the shuffle, often falling in the cracks. Some are outright denied Lyme testing by doctors, who proclaim it is unnecessary, because the disease doesn’t occur where they live. Imagine if this were your child.

Facts about Lyme disease in children and teens:

There are an average of 205 reported cases of Lyme disease in children each day in the United States – 75,000 per year.
That’s more than all cases of pediatric cancer, epilepsy, type 1 diabetes, and Cystic Fibrosis diagnoses combined.

Children between ages 5 and 9 are at greatest risk for Lyme disease.
Kids are more active outdoors, and are closer to the ground. Boys are at greater risk than girls in this age group.

Children often do no present with the tell-tale bullseye rash.
Pediatric Lyme disease specialist, Dr. Charles Ray Jones, reports that less than 10% of his 15,000 pediatric Lyme disease cases actually had the bullseye rash.

Symptoms of Lyme disease in children are difficult to pin down.
There is no guideline for symptoms of Lyme disease in children, as they are sporadic, and can present in very different ways. Loss of focus, inability to sleep, fatigue, difficulty in school, behavioral changes, and joint pain are a few of the symptoms that kids might endure with Lyme.

Lyme disease in kids — Kids are more susceptible to neuropsychiatric Lyme symptoms.

It is suggested that children might be more susceptible to neurological symptoms of Lyme.
It is theorized that if children are bitten on the head and neck, that neurological Lyme can occur, since the bite is closer to the nervous system. Lyme infection can act as a trigger for neuropsychiatric disorders, which can cause OCD, Anorexia, nervous tics, and others.

Children and teens with Lyme suffer socially.
Illness and symptoms of Lyme, along with the stress they create for children and teens, will often lead to loss of friends. Depression is very common, and as many as 41% of children and teens with Lyme disease report having had suicidal thoughts.

Proper diagnoses require more than traditional Lyme disease testing for children.
Children are commonly mis-diagnosed, or not diagnosed at all because traditional testing methods can come back negative, even though Lyme is present. A Lyme specialist will order additional testing required for the proper diagnosis of Lyme disease in children.

As diagnosing and treating Lyme disease in children is an evolving science, it is incumbent on parents to advocate for their sick child to rule in or out Lyme. It is also important to protect our children from the threat of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses with professional tick control around our homes. The single best hope for our children is preventing Lyme disease in the first place.

Did the U.S. government use ticks as biological weapons?

On July 12, DC lawmakers passed the fiscal 2020 defense authorization bill, which contained an amendment that would require the Department of Defense inspector general to investigate and report whether ticks, mice, and mosquitoes were weaponized with diseases to be used in biological warfare from the 1950’s to the 1970’s.

Lyme disease as biological warfare

There will be an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 confirmed new reports of Lyme disease cases this year. Could our own government have played a part in the mutation and spread of Lyme disease? How can this be possible? Did scientists for the Department of Defense weaponize insects and animals, and were they purposefully or accidentally released into the American population?

Research, development, and possible deployment methodology in the towns of Frederick MD and Southold NY are in question.

Did this happen, and to what extent? Fort Detrick in Maryland housed a laboratory, whose focus was weaponizing insects, such as ticks and mosquitoes, to be used as biological weapons against U.S. enemies. Plum Island, the federally-funded animal disease research facility, is also implicated in the potential development of diseases and animals to be used in biological warfare.

Did the U.S. government weaponize diseased rats and mice?

In 1990, it was said that Fort Detrick had been accused in 1952, of infecting rats and insects, and releasing them in North Korea during the Korean war. At that time, it has since been reported that Fort Detrick labs had the capabilities to breed 130 million Yellow Fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) per month, and inject them with the disease. It is said that these diseased mosquitoes were proposed to be delivered across enemy lines via warheads.

Are Lyme infected ticks biological weapons? — Research into biological warfare could still be used to help protect our soldiers.

In 1969, President Nixon ended biological warfare research, but research in how to protect American soldiers against it could have continued.

Why do we need to know if ticks were used as biological weapons so long ago?

Understanding how Lyme disease might have been developed or mutated to further or more quickly pass to humans could hold the clues to tempering the spread of the disease. To truly grasp the disease we have today, we must understand its evolution. Congressional budget approval could make or break new research into Lyme and developments in how to lessen or eradicate spread of Lyme.

Protect your Central Mass family from the threat of Lyme disease.

Mosquito and tick-borne diseases are a true threat to our families. I always recommending protecting your home and family with Central Mass tick protection and mosquito control. Hire a reputable tick control company to allay your chances of a negative tick encounter, resulting in Lyme disease or other illnesses.

Lyme disease: scientific breakthrough lays groundwork for new Lyme treatment

Lyme disease treatment — *Treatment of persistent Lyme disease symptoms is a lifelong battle for some.*

There are 30,000 new reports of Lyme disease to the CDC each year in the United States, but that does not account for the annual estimated occurrences of Lyme. One CDC report estimates 329,000 Lyme disease diagnoses per year in a five-year span!

The higher incidence of Lyme is both due to higher tick populations, as well as improvements in diagnosis. But what happens after diagnosis? Do patients receive treatment, and go back to life as usual? Well, some do. Others, regrettably suffer from persistent Lyme disease symptoms, one of the most common is Lyme arthritis. Sufferers of Lyme arthritis endure a lifetime of joint inflammation and life-altering pain.

Lyme arthritis shows the presence of a particular cellular component of Lyme bacteria, called peptidoglycan.

Persistent Lyme arthritis is a lifelong battle for many, with life-altering pain. Some patients, who have tried all available medical treatments seek out holistic methods of pain relief, spending thousands of dollars out-of-pocket each year.

Thanks to Virginia Tech biochemist, Brandon Jutras, there is hope in treatment or even a cure for Lyme arthritis on the scientific horizon! Jutras has found that during the multiplication of Lyme-causing bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, it sheds a cellular component, peptidoglycan. Peptidoglycan exists in synovial fluid of Lyme arthritis sufferers, causing inflammation.

“We can actually detect peptidoglycan in the synovial fluid of the affected, inflamed joints of patients that have all the symptoms of Lyme arthritis but no longer have an obvious, active infection,” Jutras said.
Medical Xpress

The next phase of treatment of Lyme arthritis will be to find ways to destroy or eliminate the body’s response to peptidoglycan that comes from Borrelia burgdorferi, effectively eliminating Lyme symptoms!

While these scientific breakthroughs are spreading hope throughout the population of those, who suffer with persistent Lyme disease, there is but one sure method of Central Mass Lyme disease protection, and that is by prevention.

Tick control methods are available, and should be a top priority for Central Mass residents, to prevent ticks from invading their yards and homes. A barrier spray will eliminate ticks on contact, and an additional comprehensive tick tube treatment will further prevent ticks by eliminating them when they take their first blood meal from mice. Call a professional tick control company to protect your home and family!

Beach safety for the whole family, including tick protection

Sadly, we see social media posts like this one, recirculating from last year, which alert us of the potential dangers of a seemingly innocent day of fun at the beach with our children and pets. The beach can be a haven – a place of fun, sunshine, and respite…but we must be vigilant in following important safety tips, including those that protect us from tick bites.

Tick protection is essential – protect your kids and pets from ticks at the beach

*Tick protection is essential, even on the beach!*

It’s easy to assume that we won’t encounter ticks at the beach, as there might not be a lot of grass or wooded areas, but that assumption is incorrect. Ticks do live at the beach, carried there by wildlife, and waiting to take their blood meal from an unsuspecting victim.

Protect yourself, your children, and your pets from ticks at the beach by following these tips:

Do not sit among dunes or grassy areas on the beach
Use permethrin on your clothes, DEET on exposed skin
Keep long hair pulled back
Use tick prevention on your pets
Check towels, clothing, yourselves, your children, and your pets from head to toe when you are ready to leave – repeat when you arrive home
Baths and showers for everyone when you get home, including your pet

What do you do if you find a tick? — ***Here’s what to do if you find a tick !***

Beach safety tips for your dog

Pets can have a great day visiting the beach with us, but there are additional dangers that we might face when bringing Fido on a beach day. I want you to be aware that fleas and ticks are not the only hidden dangers on the beach, as the Facebook post above illustrates.

Have a happy and safe day of fun by following these tips:

Bring lots of fresh water, and a big bowl that won’t turn over
Be mindful of not allowing your dog to ingest saltwater during play (i.e. fetching the ball in the water)
Consider a life vest if your dog likes to go into the water
Bring a cooling mat or cooling vest for your dog, especially if they are a short-nosed (Brachycephalic )
Give your dog a thorough check for fleas and ticks when you are ready to go home
Bathe and re-check your dog when you arrive home, to rid his skin of itchy saltwater residue and irritating sand

*Give your dog a bath after the beach – even if he doesn’t enjoy it!*

Did you know that your dog can suffer paralysis from a tick bite?

As always, I am committed to spreading awareness about tick protection, and the prevention of tick-borne illnesses, such as Lyme disease, in Central Mass and beyond. I hope that you and your family have a fun, safe, and tick-free summer this year with professional tick control around your home and yard!

Climate change, the prevalence of Lyme, and nature’s ally in Lyme prevention.

I recently wrote about how opossums are an important part of tick prevention – nature’s not-so-cute ally in tick-borne illness avoidance. Opossums are more essential than ever before, but why?

tick population is spreading and ticks are living longer — *Engorged tick after a blood meal*

According to the CDC and Quest Diagnostics, tick prevalence has reached higher levels than ever, and they are attributing it to climate change. It is believed that higher temperatures are creating the “perfect storm” for the spread of tick populations. It is believed that ticks are living longer and spreading to areas in the United States, which they have previously not inhabited. If you ask me, opossums have their work cut out for them in Lyme prevention!

Where is Lyme disease most prevalent, and where is it notably increasing?

Tick-borne illnesses used to be concentrated mainly in the Northeast United States and upper Midwest. All 50 states and the District of Columbia now have reports of tick-borne disease. In 2017, Quest Diagnostics reports that 61% of Lyme cases were in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Though, notable increases were seen from 2015 to 2017 in Georgia, Arizona, Ohio, Texas, Tennessee, and Virginia.

prevalence of Lyme in the U.S. - Lyme prevention — *Lyme trends across the U.S.*

Nature’s little exterminator eliminates garden pests, worms, slugs, and disease spreading ticks – talk about natural Lyme prevention!

opossums are important for tick control and Lyme prevention in Central Mass — *Don’t harm opossums – let them do their job eliminating ticks from your property*.

I write about tick control and Lyme awareness, because it’s THAT IMPORTANT to Central Mass residents. Our state is among those with the most reported cases of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses. It is just as important that we spread the word of the importance of the opossum’s role in tick prevention.

Many of us see them as nasty rodent-like nuisances, but they are tick magnets! Ticks love to attach themselves to opossums, and opossums are big-time groomers. They can have up to 200 ticks on them at one time, attempting to attach for a blood meal. Opossums will effectively eat most of the ticks before they attach. Opossums prevent ticks in two ways. First, ticks are attracted to them, and try to infest them. Secondly, opossums devour the offending ticks. We need not attempt to eliminate opossums from our yards – shew them away if you see them, but do not harm them!

nature's tick protection — *Mother opossums carry their babies while foraging for food – tick exterminators in training!*

Plus, it could be argued that opossums are actually pretty adorable!

As always, I hope that you have considered the importance of tick control for your Central Mass home and family. There are EPA-registered and all-natural tick control methods available in our area, which will eliminate up to 95% of the tick population around your home for up to three weeks between treatments!

Ticks are much like Game of Thrones’ Night King!

Ticks are no good for ANYONE. They prey on our families, our pets, and even our livestock. Will you be stuck trying to remove a tick from yourself or a loved one this year, and hope that said tick has not left devastation behind?

As we inch towards the series finale of Game of Thrones, I started thinking about how I might compare Central Mass ticks to the once-feared, mysterious Night King. Here are some comparisons between the two!

Central Mass ticks and the Night King are u-g-l-y, and they ain’t got no alibi!

Most obvious of all, the Night King is hideous and scary looking. The same can be said of ticks! Not only are ticks gross on the outside, but they have a mouthful of hooks that allow them to DIG IN to your flesh, and borrow!

Your sacrifice is required for their reproduction, just like the Night King built his army of Wights!

Female ticks take a few blood meals during their life cycle. They require their last blood meal in order to reproduce, and create more blood-sucking, disease spreading ticks! In search of their blood meal, they will latch on to your flesh, sink their hooks in you, and can transfer very harmful diseases, like Lyme disease.

Tick bites are your blood sacrifice!
Your sacrifice could be Lyme disease!

Central Mass ticks can survive the winter, just like the Night King!

Contrary to popular belief, ticks do not die in winter. Reputable Central Massachusetts tick prevention professionals have solutions, such as tick tubes, which will continue to eliminate ticks “out of season” and control the tick population in your yard during the next spring and summer!

Do ticks survive winter? — Like the Night King, Central Mass ticks easily survive winter!

Don’t say, “Dracarys!” Fire will not help you remove a tick – just like dragonfire won’t kill the Night King!

You do NOT want to burn ticks to get them out of your skin. Never put yourself, your loved one, or your pet in harm’s way by trying to burn a tick to remove it. This cannot end well! How should your remove a tick?

Steel vanquished the Night King, and will help you vanquish your tick!

Tweezer tick removal — Proper tick removal requires tweezers.

Valyrian steel not required! For that matter, please not your most effective weapon will not be a dagger. All you need is a nice pair of tweezers to remove and dispose of your tick.

My goal is always to inform you about the dangers of ticks in Central Mass. The best way to control them, and to keep your family safe, is to prevent them in the first place. As they say, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Hello, May. Hello, Lyme Disease Awareness Month!

Central Mass Lyme disease prevention is critical, and that is not figurative language. Literally critical – urgent – dire!

May is a beautiful time of year in Central Mass, and with the warm weather folks begin to spend more time outdoors with their families. We begin to work in the yard, host cook-outs, and spend mild evenings relaxing on our back patios. Many across the U.S. get moving for the cause of Lyme disease. 5K runs in the name of Lyme? Yes, it’s that important! Why? See the trailer below for the critically acclaimed documentary, Under Our Skin!

See more about Under Our Skin.

In honor of Lyme Disease Awareness Month, I would like to cover some important aspects of Lyme.

Lyme Disease Symptoms

An estimated 30% to 80% of Lyme patients will develop a rash related to the disease. The bullseye rash is most commonly associated, but did you know that other rashes can be associated with Lyme? Did you know that some patients don’t develop a rash at all? In a CDC report, more than 40% of Lyme Carditis patients did not have Lyme related rash. Early symptoms include: fever, chills, nausea, sweating, and joint pain.

Read about 3 steps to determine your Lyme disease risk after you have been bitten by a tick.

Children and Lyme

*Central Mass tick protection is critical for your child*

Detecting Lyme disease in your child might be difficult, as symptoms can present behaviorally, without a prevalence of sickness symptoms. Children with Lyme can have insomnia, difficulty communicating thoughts, fatigue, short attention span, and severe mood swings. Because children as susceptible to tick bites, it is essential that you hire a licensed tick control company to spray your yard, your child’s playground. Check your child each day for ticks or tick bites, and if you find evidence of either, follow these tick removal instructions, and be vigilant in watching for symptoms, including those mentioned above.

Pets and Lyme

Your pets are also extremely susceptible to ticks and tick bites. They too, can get Lyme disease. In addition to tick protection for your yard, please check your dogs, cats, and horses for ticks regularly, and watch for symptoms, such as lethargy, and unexplained limping.

Check out this video to learn how to properly check your pet for ticks.