If you ask the average person what they know about Lyme disease, they will likely say that it comes from a tick bite and is treated with antibiotics.

It’s not exactly that simple.

Unfortunately, Lyme disease continues to affect hundreds of thousands of Americans each year, its early signs can be easy to miss, and some people experience symptoms that linger long after their initial treatment.

Here’s what I mean—this is what you should know about Lyme disease.

In the beginning

Lyme disease was first recognized as a distinct illness in the United States in 1975, following a cluster of unusual arthritis cases in and around Lyme, Connecticut.

Within a few years, researchers connected the illness to bites from blacklegged ticks.

Then in 1982, medical zoologist Willy Burgdorfer, Ph.D. and his colleagues identified the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease. It was later named Borrelia burgdorferi in his honor.

Today, Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States—and it can be particularly challenging because its symptoms and severity can vary so much from person to person.

It starts with a tick bite—but you may never know you were bitten!

Lyme disease is transmitted through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick, commonly called a deer tick. Ticks can pick up the bacterium when feeding on infected wildlife, including rodents and birds, and later transmit it to humans.

Despite the name “deer tick,” deer aren’t necessarily the biggest culprit when it comes to spreading the Lyme bacteria among ticks. Small mammals—particularly white-footed mice—are important reservoirs for Borrelia burgdorferi and can infect ticks that feed on them.

And here’s part of what makes Lyme tricky: You may never realize that you were bitten.

Young blacklegged ticks, called nymphs, can be about the size of a poppy seed. That makes them extremely easy to overlook, especially when they attach in less visible places on the body.

Once bitten, twice miserable

One of the earliest and most recognizable signs of Lyme disease is an expanding skin rash called erythema migrans (EM).

You’ve probably seen pictures of the classic “bull’s-eye” Lyme rash, but don’t rely on that appearance alone. An EM rash can take on different appearances and doesn’t always look like a bull’s-eye.

And some people never develop a noticeable rash at all!

Other early symptoms of Lyme infection can include:

• Fever, fatigue, chills and sweats

• Muscle and joint aches

• Headache and neck stiffness

• Swollen lymph nodes

As the infection progresses, additional symptoms can develop, including more severe joint pain, neurological symptoms and heart-related complications.

The numbers and geography

Lyme disease is far from rare.

CDC estimates based on insurance records suggest that approximately 476,000 people are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease in the United States each year.

Although cases have been reported across the country, Lyme disease is much more common in certain areas. The greatest concentration of cases occurs in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and Upper Midwest, particularly in states including Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

As far as testing goes, timing matters.

The standard blood tests for Lyme disease look for antibodies your immune system produces in response to the infection. But antibodies take time to develop.

That means testing too soon after infection can produce a negative result even when Lyme disease is present. Antibody tests become more reliable several weeks after infection.

So especially in its early stages, Lyme disease isn’t always as simple as getting bitten, getting tested and getting an immediate answer.

Symptoms can become long-term

Most people who develop Lyme disease and receive appropriate antibiotic treatment recover completely.

But not everyone does.

Some people continue to experience fatigue, body aches, joint or muscle pain, difficulty concentrating and other symptoms for months after completing treatment. This is commonly referred to as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, or PTLDS.

These lingering symptoms can have a significant impact on quality of life.

Another challenge is that many symptoms associated with Lyme disease overlap with those seen in other conditions. Fatigue, joint pain, headaches, difficulty concentrating and brain fog certainly aren’t unique to Lyme.

That can make identifying what’s actually causing someone’s symptoms particularly challenging.

Prevention first!

As is the case with most health problems, prevention is always preferable to dealing with the problem after it develops.

If you spend time outdoors, be especially careful in wooded, brushy and grassy areas where ticks are commonly found. When hiking, walk in the center of trails whenever possible and avoid brushing against tall grass and vegetation.

Check for ticks daily on yourself, children and pets.

Bathe or shower after coming indoors and do a full-body tick check, paying particular attention to hidden areas such as the scalp, behind the ears, under the arms, around the waist, behind the knees and between the legs.

And don’t forget your clothing! Ticks can hitch a ride indoors on clothes and gear. Putting dry clothing in a dryer on high heat for about 10 minutes can kill ticks; damp clothing may require additional drying time.

If you find an attached tick, remove it promptly with fine-tipped tweezers, grasping it as close to the skin as possible and pulling upward with steady, even pressure.

Other ways to support your body

Avoiding tick bites is your first line of defense against Lyme disease. But good nutrition also gives your body the nutrients it needs to maintain healthy immune function and support your overall health.

1- Engage the power of a whole foods diet

Nourishing your body with a healthy diet of real foods is number one.

Having a nutritious diet rich in whole foods helps create a healthier gut environment. And since a large portion of your immune system is associated with your gut, supporting gut health is also an important part of supporting healthy immune function!

Plus, antioxidant vitamins and minerals help protect your cells against oxidative stress, while the many beneficial plant compounds found in fresh fruits and vegetables provide even more reasons to pile your plate high with colorful whole foods.

A nutrient-rich, whole foods diet should always be your foundation. But even a healthy, varied diet may not provide optimal amounts of every nutrient your body needs each and every day.

In addition to a healthy diet, Super Core multivitamin and mineral formula can help fill nutritional gaps and provide a broad spectrum of vitamins, minerals and whole food nutrients to support healthy immune function, antioxidant protection and overall wellness.

Think of it as another way to give your body the nutritional tools it needs to function at its best.

2- Support healthy immune function and your gut microbiome

Your immune system relies on adequate nutrition and a healthy internal environment to function at its best—and your gut microbiome plays an important role in that relationship.

Probiotics can help support a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract, which in turn supports healthy digestive and immune function.

Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula provides a full-spectrum blend of 15 probiotic strains and 15 billion CFUs to help maintain a healthy, balanced gut microbiome.

This can be especially helpful after taking antibiotics, which don’t discriminate between harmful bacteria and the beneficial bacteria residing in your digestive tract. Supporting the return of a healthy microbial balance afterward can be an important part of restoring gut health.

3- Additional helpful foods

Here are some other foods worth including regularly as part of an immune-supportive diet:

• Garlic, leeks and onions contain beneficial sulfur compounds and other phytochemicals.

• Herbs and spices including thyme, fennel, clove, cayenne pepper and ginger provide a variety of beneficial plant compounds.

• Mushrooms including cordyceps, reishi and maitake contain compounds that have been studied for their effects on immune function.

• Bone broth provides protein and amino acids and can be an easy-to-digest addition to a nutrient-rich diet.

Lyme disease can be complicated, but prevention doesn’t have to be. Protect yourself from tick exposure, check yourself carefully after spending time outdoors and give your body the nutritional support it needs to function at its best.

To your health,

Sherry Brescia