Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is a rare red blood cell disorder that occurs when antibodies directed against a person’s own red blood cells cause them to burst, leading to insufficient concentration in the blood. The disorder has only rarely been associated with a Babesia infection. An elderly man, with an intact spleen, was admitted to […]
Babesia Anemia: When Infection Destroys Blood Cells Read More »
Rocky Mountain spotted fever symptoms can be atypical and challenging to diagnose. Rocky Mountain spotted fever was initially identified in the Rocky Mountain region. However, RMSF cases are now reported throughout the nation, with higher incidence in the southeastern and south-central regions. In their article, “Unconventional Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Presentation From Kentucky: A Compelling
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Symptoms: Atypical Case Read More »
1) What does a Lyme flare up feel like? When a Lyme disease flare occurs, patients will notice a return of the symptoms they have experienced before or a worsening of existing symptoms. Some patients may also develop new symptoms. A flare-up can come and go and vary in intensity. What does a Lyme flare-up
Top 10 Lyme disease blogs for 2023! Read More »
In their article, “Medical Gaslighting and Lyme Disease: The Patient Experience,” Fagen and colleagues examine the extensive range of gaslighting techniques experienced by chronic Lyme disease patients.¹ And, explore the demographic variables (i.e., geographic location) that may be associated with higher rates of medical gaslighting. These dismissive patterns often stem from widespread Lyme disease misconceptions
Chronic Lyme disease patients dismissed by medical community Read More »
In their article “Isolated Sudden Bilateral Neurosensory Hearing Loss as a Presentation of Lyme Neuroborreliosis: A Case Study,” Rochd et al. discuss the case of a 23-year-old woman who “presented with a 2-month history of temporal headache, tinnitus, and instability, which was followed by sudden bilateral hearing loss without any other associated symptoms.”¹ The woman
Hearing loss – a complication of Lyme disease Read More »
Lyme carditis syncope episodes indicate severe heart block requiring immediate medical attention. A 26-year-old man who fainted three times overnight was found to have third-degree heart block from a tick bite one month earlier. His case demonstrates how quickly Lyme disease can disseminate from initial infection to life-threatening cardiac complications – and why fainting spells
Lyme disease causes heart block within one month of infection Read More »
In their article, “An analysis of companion animal tick encounters as revealed by photograph-based crowdsourced data,” Kopsco and colleagues found, “The percentage of reports of ticks found on companion animals is more than doubled in the fall and winter seasons from what was reported in the spring and summer seasons.”¹ Between January 1, 2014 and December
Can pets harbor ticks, even in the winter? Read More »
Borrelia mayonii is a recently discovered species that causes Lyme disease with atypical features. Since the species was first identified 7 years ago, there have been only 7 reported cases of Lyme disease caused by Borrelia mayonii. In Open Forum Infectious Diseases Correspondence, McGowan and colleagues describe the recent case of a Borrelia mayonii infection
Borrelia Mayonii: Atypical Lyme Disease in the Midwest Read More »
The case involved a 46-year-old man with Lyme disease who presented to the clinic with cardiac complications, which initially manifest as palpitations. The patient lived in a Lyme endemic region and reported that one month earlier, he had a “pinching sensation in his right thigh with an associated macular erythematous rash,” according to the authors.
Lyme disease causes cardiac complications Read More »
Bartonella psychiatric symptoms can include agitation, panic disorder, and treatment-resistant depression. In their 2007 article, “Do Bartonella Infections Cause Agitation, Panic Disorder, and Treatment-Resistant Depression?” Schaller and colleagues describe three patients with acute psychiatric symptoms associated with Bartonella-like signs and symptoms. Each patient was exposed to ticks or fleas and manifested symptoms consistent with Bartonella
Bartonella Psychiatric Symptoms: Case Reports Read More »
