Lyme Science Blog

How to Test for Lyme Disease: Why Standard Tests Can Miss It When patients ask how to test for Lyme disease, they’re often surprised by the complexity—and the limitations—of the current testing system. While laboratory tests can be helpful, they do not tell the whole story. Clinical judgment is often just as important, especially when […]

Is It Too Late to Treat a Tick Bite? What Patients Need to Know Is it too late to treat a tick bite? Many patients worry the answer is yes—especially when symptoms appear months or even years after exposure. This concern is understandable, but the answer is often more reassuring than patients expect. It is

One-Sided Symptoms in Lyme Disease: Why One Side of the Body Feels Different One-sided symptoms in Lyme disease can mimic serious neurologic conditions. Patients may experience weakness, numbness, heaviness, or altered sensation affecting one side of the body. These symptoms often fluctuate, worsening during flare-ups and improving between episodes. One-sided symptoms in Lyme disease can

Lyme Misdiagnosis Apology: When Silence Hurts More Than the Mistake My patient couldn’t understand why an “I’m sorry” never came. His experience captures the need for a Lyme misdiagnosis apology—the simple act of acknowledgment that can mean more than any prescription. Too often, persistent Lyme disease misconceptions lead to years of suffering before patients receive

Lyme Disease Second Opinion: What to Do When Specialists Disagree When specialists disagree about Lyme disease Patients are often left coordinating care alone A second opinion may help reconnect the pieces When specialists disagree about Lyme disease, patients ask me this question every week: should I get a second opinion? It usually comes at a

Is It Menopause—or Lyme Disease? Night sweats, fatigue, anxiety, and brain fog are often blamed on menopause. But hormonal transition is not the only possible explanation. Some overlapping conditions may go unrecognized for months or years. A woman in her mid-40s noticed worsening fatigue, disrupted sleep, night sweats, palpitations, and rising anxiety. Brain fog interfered

Lyme Disease and IBS: When It’s Not Just IBS IBS symptoms and Lyme disease can overlap. Digestive symptoms may reflect multisystem illness. Some patients deserve a broader evaluation. IBS symptoms and Lyme disease are not usually discussed together, yet gastrointestinal complaints are among the most common reasons patients are reassured rather than fully evaluated. A

Teenage Lyme Disease: When Symptoms Don’t Match SYMPTOMS DON’T MATCH LYME DISEASE? IN TEENS, THE PATTERN IS OFTEN MISSED A teenager develops headaches, fatigue, and joint pain—but is told, “This doesn’t look like Lyme disease.” Tests are normal. Imaging is normal. The explanation becomes stress, anxiety, or school-related pressure. But what if the symptoms don’t

Chronic Lyme Disease Debate: Why Patients Are Still Left Without Answers Why are patients still sick after Lyme disease treatment—and why do doctors disagree? Quick Answer: The chronic Lyme disease debate reflects differing views on why symptoms persist after treatment—ranging from immune dysfunction to possible ongoing infection. Clinical Insight: These differences affect real patients. When