More than 30 years after it was first diagnosed, Lyme disease remains one of our most misunderstood illnesses. This frequently misdiagnosed infection is spreading at an alarming rate and, if not treated early, can cause debilitating symptoms. More than 1.7 million people in the United States, and many others in Europe and Asia, currently have Lyme and are unaware or can't find the right treatment. Finally, Beating Lyme offers those who struggle with it the guidance to get the help they need. A respected health author and educator, Constance Bean is an authority on this elusive illness. In 1993 she was diagnosed with Lyme and has spent the past 14 years researching its treatments and diagnoses. In Beating Lyme readers will find comforting, hard-won advice on such topics as: • what Lyme is and how to recognize the symptoms • what to do after a tick bite • how to protect family and friends • how to get the best treatment and what to do if insurance won't cover it • living with long-term Lyme disease Compassionate and thoroughly researched, this is a book that will help both doctors and patients understand and conquer this complex illness.
Author(s): Constance A. Bean, Lesley Ann Fein
Edition: 1
Publisher: AMACOM
Year: 2008
Language: English
Pages: 305
Cover......Page 1
CONTENTS......Page 10
Preface......Page 13
Acknowledgments......Page 18
CHAPTER ONE
The Hidden Epidemic......Page 20
CHAPTER TWO
“Have We Aways Had Lyme?”
Discovering Infectious Disease,
Environmental Change, and the Surge of Lyme Disease......Page 46
CHAPTER THREE
Discovering Lyme Disease......Page 72
CHAPTER FOUR
“Is It Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?”
“Is It Fibromyalgia?”
Diagnosis of Lyme and Other Tick-Borne Diseases......Page 86
CHAPTER FIVE
“There Must Be Tests”......Page 116
CHAPTER SIX
“If It Isn’t Lyme, What Is It?”
The Consequences of Not Diagnosing Lyme Disease,
Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s Disease, Lupus, and More......Page 131
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Where Are the Doctors?”
The Politics of Lyme......Page 153
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Will I Ever Get Well?”
Treating Persistent Lyme Disease
The Jarisch-Herxheimer Reaction......Page 182
CHAPTER NINE
Living with Persistent Lyme Disease
Insurance and Lifestyle Issues......Page 204
CHAPTER TEN
“What About Antibiotic Resistance?”
“Aren’t Antibiotics Dangerous?”
Antibiotics Used for Treating Lyme Disease......Page 219
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“What Do the Studies Say?”
The Experts Speak......Page 231
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Whatever Happened to the Lyme Vaccine?”
Lessons Learned About Medical Research......Page 247
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Preventing Lyme Disease
What to Do After a Tick Bite
It’s More Than Tucking Your Pants into Your Socks......Page 267
Appendix: List of Symptoms......Page 282
Resources......Page 284
Notes......Page 290
Index......Page 296
About the Authors......Page 304
