Lyme Science Blog

Chronic Lyme Disease Misdiagnosis: When Occam’s Razor Fails In medicine, Occam’s razor teaches that the simplest explanation is often the right one. But chronic Lyme disease misdiagnosis often reflects a deeper problem: the simplest explanation may be overlooked. In chronic Lyme, this idea is sometimes used against patients. Ongoing symptoms are too quickly explained away […]

Do Ticks Survive the Winter in the Northeast? Quick Answer: Yes. Ticks survive winter in the Northeast by sheltering under leaves, soil, and snow. They can become active on mild days above 35–40°F, so Lyme disease risk continues year-round. The Winter Myth That Puts People at Risk Many assume freezing temperatures wipe out ticks. As

Lyme Antibiotic Resistance: What to Know Why Lyme Antibiotic Resistance Matters Lyme antibiotic resistance is an emerging concern in patient care. While resistance is often discussed in the context of hospital-acquired infections or global health, it also affects those with tick-borne diseases. Patients with Lyme sometimes require multiple antibiotic courses, especially if the infection is

Lyme Symptoms in Adolescents Can Be Missed Lyme disease in adolescents doesn’t always start with the classic bull’s-eye rash. Rashes can appear as solid red patches or unusual shapes, sometimes mistaken for spider bites, eczema, or skin infections. Teens may also show signs like fatigue, irritability, headaches, or limb pain. Because symptoms vary so much,

Chronic Lyme Disease Pain: Why It Feels Different For a full overview of symptoms, see our Lyme Disease Symptoms Guide. Pain in Lyme disease may also reflect tick-borne coinfections or overlapping inflammatory and neurologic mechanisms, particularly when symptoms are widespread, shifting, or difficult to explain. Chronic Lyme disease pain is often described by patients as

Spinal Taps for Lyme Disease: Do You Really Need One? Spinal Taps: A Troubling Trend I’ve noticed a troubling trend in Lyme disease care. Some patients are being told they need a spinal tap (lumbar puncture) to “rule out neurological Lyme disease.” While spinal taps are important in cases like suspected meningitis, their role in

Lyme Rash Misdiagnosis: Not Always a Bull’s-Eye A bull’s-eye rash is often associated with Lyme disease, but the opposite problem is common — Lyme rash misdiagnosis. Many patients with Lyme disease never develop the classic bull’s-eye pattern. When clinicians rely on that textbook image alone, early infection can be overlooked. When people search for “bullseye

Why Medicine Must Not Abandon Lyme Patients This discussion highlights ethical failures that occur when patients are dismissed in the face of diagnostic uncertainty. Abandoning Lyme patients violates the core principles of medical ethics. A woman in her 40’s came to me after months of searching for answers. She had been a successful business executive,

Lyme Disease and Exercise Intolerance: How to Start Safely Exercise intolerance in Lyme disease occurs when physical or mental activity leads to worsening symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, or pain—often hours after exertion rather than during it. Quick Answer: Exercise with Lyme disease must be approached carefully. Starting too aggressively can worsen symptoms,

Gender bias in Lyme disease What gender bias in Lyme disease can look like She first came to me after two exhausting years of symptoms that refused to show up on routine tests. Her knees and shoulders ached unpredictably. Her neck was stiff. The fatigue hit her like a wall every afternoon—“bone-deep,” she called it.