Lyme disease, a bacterial infection transmitted by ticks, has been the subject of extensive research and discussion for the past few decades. This disease is particularly intriguing because of its ability to remain dormant in your body. But what exactly does that mean, and what consequences does it have for those who are infected?
What Causes Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. This microbe can be transmitted through the bite of a specific variety of ticks called Ixodes.
The disease hasn’t always been as widespread as it is today. In fact, Lyme disease wasn’t described in the U.S. until the 1970s, though areas of Europe had reported on it long before that. Today, however, Lyme disease is reported in over 80 countries.
Lyme disease either stays localized in the affected area of the skin or spreads rapidly throughout the body after an Ixodes tick bite. The disease unfolds in reaction to your body’s inflammatory response.
When Lyme disease becomes present in the skin, it can cause a round or oval red rash that looks similar to a bull’s-eye. The bacteria can then spread through the bloodstream into different areas of the body.
As it spreads, Lyme disease can cause arthritis in the joints and heart arrhythmias. In some cases, the symptoms of Lyme disease can become life-threatening.
How Lyme Disease Stays Dormant
Lyme disease can manifest with different symptoms at different times. Some people with Lyme disease feel ill quite quickly, but others don’t experience symptoms until years after infection.
This is because the bacterium Borrelia burgodorferi can evade the immune response, allowing it to remain dormant for extended periods of time.
Treating Lyme Disease
Patients who receive treatment promptly after infection tend to recover fully. But when the infection isn’t caught early enough, the illness can become prolonged, laying a path for uncertain treatment.
Some Lyme patients receive treatments via antibiotics, but they aren’t always effective.
Regenerative Medicine and Lyme Disease
Another promising treatment option for those with Lyme disease is regenerative medicine, particularly in the form of stem cell therapy. Stem cell therapy could help relieve some of the chronic symptoms of Lyme disease, like fatigue, joint pain, and neurological issues, by promoting the repair of damaged tissues.
Lyme disease is also highly inflammatory, but regenerative medicine can have anti-inflammatory effects. Stem cell therapy can help modulate the immune system in order to reduce the inflammatory response of your body.
Regenerative medicine holds a lot of promise for those who have Lyme disease and whose symptoms were not caught and treated early on. If you’re living with Lyme disease and its myriad symptoms, you may find relief and proper management through regenerative medicine techniques.
This post was written by a medical professional at Stemedix Inc. At Stemedix we provide access to Regenerative Medicine. Regenerative medicine has the natural potential to help improve symptoms sometimes lost from the progression of many conditions. Click here to learn more.
