One of my patients — a woman in her early 40s — described her pain like this: “It feels like someone’s zapping me with a cattle prod. Just for a second — but it shoots down my spine and makes my whole body jump.” She wasn’t exaggerating. These weren’t cramps or muscle spasms. They were […]
Electric Shock Sensations in Lyme Disease Explained Read More »
Some patients with Lyme disease develop vestibular migraine—also referred to as vestibular syndrome—during the course of their illness. In others, vestibular migraine may be an early neurologic manifestation or even a presenting complaint before Lyme disease is recognized. Symptoms may include vertigo, imbalance, sensitivity to light or smells, motion intolerance, and worsening with stress or
Vestibular Migraine in Lyme Disease: Persistent Dizziness Read More »
When Your Nerves Set Off Alarms One of the most common — and most confusing — symptoms I see in Lyme disease patients is a burning or tingling sensation in the hands and feet. For many, it feels like the nerves are on fire, especially at night. Others describe it as pins and needles, crawling
Burning or Tingling in the Hands and Feet? It Could Be Lyme disease. Read More »
Lyme Carditis: When Heart Symptoms Can’t Wait Chest pain in a Lyme disease patient isn’t “just anxiety.” Lightheadedness after a tick bite isn’t deconditioning. And palpitations that started with flu-like symptoms aren’t panic attacks – no matter how many times you’ve been told otherwise. Lyme carditis occurs when Borrelia burgdorferi invades the heart tissue, triggering
Lyme Carditis: When Heart Symptoms Can’t Wait Read More »
Lyme disease eye pain can feel frightening — especially when eye exams and imaging come back normal. This symptom is common in neurologic and autonomic Lyme disease and is frequently misunderstood. Patients frequently describe deep pressure, aching, stabbing discomfort, or soreness behind one or both eyes. The pain may worsen with eye movement, mental effort,
Lyme Disease Eye Pain: Why Tests Are Often Normal Read More »
Many people with Lyme disease describe the same confusing experience: their joints don’t feel reliable. Knees may buckle, ankles feel loose, or hips seem unable to track smoothly during movement. At the same time, balance feels off — especially on uneven ground or in low light. These Lyme disease balance problems are more common than
Lyme Disease Balance Problems and Joint Instability Read More »
Many patients with Lyme disease report symptoms that feel disconnected and unpredictable—heart racing, dizziness, digestive slowing, anxiety-like sensations, and sudden crashes after stress or exertion. While these experiences are often grouped together under the term dysautonomia, the underlying physiology is frequently misunderstood. This article focuses on how Lyme disease disrupts autonomic regulation at a mechanistic
How Lyme Disease Disrupts Autonomic Regulation Read More »
Babesia blood supply safety is one of the most overlooked public health issues in tick-borne disease. While most people associate Babesia with tick bites, this malaria-like parasite can also spread through blood transfusions, blood donations, and even from mother to child during pregnancy. Over 200 cases of transfusion-transmitted babesiosis have been reported in the United
Babesia and the Blood Supply: What Patients Need to Know Read More »
Tick Bites: Easy to Miss A patient once told me, “I check myself carefully — I would have seen a tick.” This is a common belief. But actually, tick bites are very easy to miss. The ticks that most frequently spread Lyme disease aren’t large or obvious — they’re nymphs, smaller than a poppy seed
Most Tick Bites Go Unnoticed Read More »
Ticks may seem unstoppable as their range expands and encounters become more common. But nature does have built-in defenses. Long before chemical sprays or treated clothing existed, ecosystems relied on animals that eat ticks as part of natural tick control, helping limit tick populations at different stages of the life cycle. These natural defenses do
Animals That Eat Ticks: Nature’s Role in Tick Control Read More »
