Hello To All My AdlandPro Friends and Family!
Reminder: This forum is a NO advertising forum. Sig files are fine and if you know of any natural home health remedies or herbal remedies, and would like to share them with us, please feel free to do so. We would love to hear about them. Thank you!
Today's article is about Lyme Disease.
LYME DISEASE - WHAT IS IT?
Pliny the Elder, a Roman naturalist of the 1st century A.D. made no attempt to hide his loathing: "Ticks are the foulest and nastiest creatures that be," he said. So just imagine how much contempt he'd have today for the deer ticks that are now known to be carriers of Lyme disease.
Lyme disease, named for the town of Old Lyme, Connecticut, where it was first identified about 20 years ago, is a zoonosis, or a human infection caused by an animal-borne pathogen or infectious agent. How did this relatively new disease appear? Blame it on real estate development. More and more housing is being built in and around wildlife areas, bringing deer and people closer together.
Lyme disease is one of those illnesses to which it is easy to underreact and overreact. It's difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are not only vague, but also similar to those of other diseases, especially the flu. Moreover, there are no definitive laboratory tests for Lyme disease.
The disorder progresses in three seemingly unrelated stages. The first appears as a bull's-eye rash three days to four weeks after the tick bite. The rash may be accompanied by headache, fever, chills, and a feeling of tiredness. One key to diagnosis is noticing both the rash and the flu-like symptoms at the same time.
The second stage, which begins weeks to months later, brings pain in the joints and muscles, along with meningitis, irregular heartbeat, or inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart. When this stage occurs, the victim may have forgotten the first stage.
Finally, months or even years later, the third stage begins. It's characterized by more severe problems affecting the skin, nervous system, and joints.
As frightening as all this is, Lyme disease is usually over-diagnosed. Full treatment is often given to any patient suspected of having Lyme disease because the full-blown symptoms are so serious. Although this is an effective means of prevention, it results in the overuse of antibiotics. It may also mean doctors are missing other serious health problems because they're prepared to see only Lyme disease.
HERBAL REMEDIES -
There are no researched herbal treatments for Lyme disease, but it is suggested to take herbs that boost the immune system along with antibiotics, or taking just the herbs if you're not certain the bite was from a deer tick.
If you do take antibiotics, you will certgainly need to replenish the beneficial bacteria that help your body digest food and fight off less harmful "bugs." So if your doctor prescribes antibiotics, eat yogurt containing active cultures or take a probiotic supplement containing "Lactobacillus acidophilus" and/or "Bifidobacterium bifidum." Take as directed on the label.
* LICORICE - This herb contains the most anitbacterial isoflavonoid compounds of any herb. Licorice is highly recommended for bacterial conditions such as Lyme disease. TYPICAL DOSAGE: 5,000 to 6,000mg of the dried, powdered root in capsules per day; or 1 to 2 cups of tea per day (simmer 1 tsp of dried, chopped root in 1 cup of hot water for 30 minutes). ****CAUTION*** DO NOT use for more than 6 weeks unless under the supervision of a qualified practitioner. Not for use by those with heart disease, liver disease, or high blood pressure, or by women who are pregnant.
* GARLIC - Louis Pasteur was the first to describe the antibacterial effect of garlic juices. This herb yields odoriferous oils, most notably allicin, that offer proven antibiotic activity against a wide range of bacteria and fungi. The oils have not been tested specifically against the bacteria causing Lyme disease, however. TYPICAL DOSAGE: capsules that are equivalent to 1,200mg of fresh garlic per day. If ingesting fresh garlic, you need between 5 to 15 cloves average-size cloves per day. It's hard to get that much fresh garlic down though, but juicing it with carrots works quite nicely.
* ECHINACEA - The root of this purple wildflower is the most well-known immune-stimulating herb. It can be taken along with garlic. You should start taking echinacea at the first sign of any symptoms and take it frequently until symptoms have subsided, for up to 8 weeks at a time. TYPICAL DOSAGE: 400 to 800mg in capsules per day, more may be taken for Lyme disease (up to 2,700mg per day if you so desire); or 60 drops of tincture 3x's per day, (add a dropper or two of tincture to juices or beverage teas.)
* MOUNTAIN MINT - This plant is used as a tick repellant. Take the leaves and crush them down and rub your legs with the juice, which is well-endowed with the bug and tick repelling compound pulegone. ***CAUTION*** DO NOT use this herb on your skin if you're pregnant.
SUPPLEMENTS TO BE TAKEN -
The following supplements may help you recover from an encounter with Lyme disease, actual or probable. If it turns out to be a false alarm, the supplements are also good for overall health.
* ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS - Plant sources include evening primrose oil, black currant seed oil, borage oil, and flaxseed oil. These oils can benefit many symptoms associated with Lyme disease, including fatigue, arthritis, heart disease and neurological problems. TYPICAL DOSAGE: 1,400 to 3,000mg per day of evening primrose oil, black currant oil, or borage oil. The less expensive option is to take 2 Tbsp per day of flaxseed oil.
* COENZYME Q10 - Also called ubiquinone, this enzyme is an anti-oxidant and immune stimulant. It may improve stamina and general well-being. TYPICAL DOSAGE: 60 to 200mg per day, divided into 2 doses if you are not a vegetarian. (Because coenzyme Q10 is present in high amounts in vegetables, vegetarians already get enough.)
* B-COMPLEX VITAMINS - These vitamins are necessary for efficient nerve and immune function. Vegetarians in particular may want to take a B-complex supplement to treat the neurological symptoms of Lyme disease. TYPICAL DOSAGE: 1 or two 50mg B-complex capsules per day. Make sure they include 50mg of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6, and pantothenic acid, plus 50mcg of B12 and biotin and 100mcg of folic acid.
* MAGNESIUM - This mineral is an important component of many cellular functions, including energy production. TYPICAL DOSAGE: 400mg per day.
Written By: Marilyn L. Ali
This concludes this article on Lyme Disease. I hope that this information will be helpful to some people here. If there is any type of disease, or ailment, that you would like to have information about, please feel free to either contact me through my message box, or leave it here in your response to me. I will then write an article on the subject, and then put it here in the forum for everyone to learn from.
God Bless and Good Health To Everyone!
Marilyn