Here’s what’s behind that recent SPIKE in Lyme disease cases

April 11, 2024

Lyme cases SKYROCKETED nearly 70% in 2022 [Here’s why]

If you grew up in the 1950s… ’60s… or even early ’70s… 

You could FROLIC in the tall grass… RUN through the fields… and EXPLORE the local woods…

With ZERO fear of catching a disease!

But then Lyme stepped onto the scene in 1975… caused by strain of bacteria (known as Borrelia burgdorferi)…

And carried by black-legged tick (a.k.a. a “deer tick”).

And ever since, it’s posed a GROWING threat.

Lyme cases DOUBLED between 1990 and the year 2000, according to an EPA report. 

And according to the CDC, Lyme cases in this country SKYROCKETED in 2022… by almost 70%!

It turns out there’s a good reason for that… but first, a little background.

See, when Lyme first emerged… health officials actually thought it was a form of arthritis. 

Folks with the disease developed PAINFUL, SWOLLEN joints… and ACHING and WEAK muscles… 

And they were SAPPED of their energy. 

But then experts discovered a telltale sign that the symptoms could be Lyme from a tick bite… and that’s a red rash that looks like a bullseye. 

Unfortunately, that rash could appear on your back… or somewhere else on your body that you can’t easily see.

Even worse, the rash doesn’t ALWAYS appear. 

And because that’s what helps identify the disease in its EARLY stages… the ABSENCE of a rash gives time for the infection to progress… and WORSEN. 

In the meantime, the symptoms too easily get MISDIAGNOSED as something else. 

If it happens to you… your doc might think you have the flu… or something FAR worse, like a neurodegenerative disease.

I’m talking MS… ALS… or even Alzheimer’s.

Now, the good news is that the feds have ACKNOWLEDGED the problem of too many Lyme cases crawling under the radar…

And in 2022, they STEPPED UP their surveillance of the disease… and made it EASIER for docs to report positive test results. 

The result? That huge spike in cases I mentioned earlier. 

That’s a good thing, because the HIGHER the numbers of cases… the MORE the medical mainstream will pay attention to them. 

Too many docs don’t even THINK to screen their patients for Lyme…

Or take a NEGATIVE blood test as gospel… and don’t consider that Lyme could be a hidden culprit still LURKING in the body, undetected. 

Even with this IMPROVED system for monitoring the disease… the sad truth is, MOST Lyme cases are NEVER reported. 

Now, the best way to get a “leg” up on these ticks… and Lyme disease… is to REDUCE your exposure risk. 

We’re in PEAK Lyme season (which runs March through May, and then again from August to November)… 

So here are some common-sense measures you can take:

  • SWAP shorts and T-shirts for pants and long sleeves during outdoor activities
  • STAY on the center of a trail, away from overgrowth that may be harboring ticks
  • WASH yourself off in the shower when you return home
  • CHECK your full body for ticks, including in any folds (like behind your knees or in your armpits)

You may have heard about some bug sprays that can keep ticks away… especially if you apply it to your clothing…

But no matter how SAFE those products say they are… the science says OTHERWISE. 

A 2021 study showed that using a class of pesticides known as pyrethroids was linked to increased risk of heart disease and death. 

The Environmental Working Group actually recommends picaridin and DEET…

But while that second one is considered HIGHLY effective… it’s NOT completely without risk. 

I like essential plant oils… and research shows that certain ones can REPEL ticks, like oregano, thyme, and clove bud oils… as well as citronella.

In pursuit of the truth,

Dr. Marc S. Micozzi, M.D., Ph.D.

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