Recovering from Lyme disease can be a challenging journey. One significant obstacle to full recovery is the appearance of new or different symptoms that may occur. Some researchers believe that intracellular microbes have a natural affinity for different types of cells in the body. The result can be coinfections at a time when your body is struggling to reclaim its health.
For instance, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease in the U.S., Borrelia burgdorferi, prefer to congregate in the collagenous tissues in your body. It makes sense that the symptoms resulting from a borrelia infection affect areas with high concentrations of collage: the muscles, joints, brain, etc.
However, some patients have other symptoms that occur due to a Lyme coinfection (simultaneous infection). Pinpointing the offending microbe can be very difficult primarily because testing for Lyme disease and coinfections lacks a high degree of accuracy.
An Overview of Lyme Disease Coinfections
Borrelia is the common bacteria that causes Lyme disease; however, most patients with chronic symptoms have multiple microbes producing symptoms. In addition to Lyme, the primary coinfections typically found in patients include Bartonella, babesia, and mycoplasma.
Here are descriptions of the three coinfections:
1. Bartonella: This is spread by biting insects including fleas, ticks, mosquitos, lice, mites, scabies, biting flies, chiggers, sandflies, and louse-eating spiders. Over 12 different species of Bartonella can negatively impact your health, which is why scientists recognized an umbrella category called Bartonella-like organisms (BLO).
2. Babesia: Babesia is a parasite and protozoa typically spread by black-legged ticks. It is distantly related to malaria.
3. Mycoplasma: Mycoplasma is tiny. In fact, it is the smallest bacteria. It has no cell wall, which enables it to change its shape and migrate to areas of your body that other microbes cannot do. It is spread by biting insects – fleas, mosquitoes, ticks, and biting flies – and through contaminated food, airborne droplets, or sexual contact. Most people encounter some exposure to mycoplasma in their lifetime, although not everyone contracts an infection.
So, if you are experiencing symptoms from Lyme and coinfections, you may have multiple microbes causing problems. Each person experiences symptoms differently because of the wide spectrum of microbes found in the body.
It is crucial to understand the primary characteristics of these common coinfections. Without that understanding, your physician will have more difficulty designing the appropriate treatment. Determining if you have babesia or Bartonella will help guide the decision-making process for remedies, herbal therapies, or other treatment plans.
We have compiled the various symptoms of the coinfections and added graphics to help you during your journey towards complete recovery. These graphics detail the differences, similarities, and indicative signs that help you distinguish between Bartonella, babesia, and mycoplasma. These are the most common coinfections in patients with Lyme disease.
Final Thoughts
When you suffer from chronic Lyme disease, achieving complete recovery and regaining your health may seem elusive at times. The broad array of symptoms is frustrating. Breaking down the symptoms is a start. Then use these graphics to differentiate the overlapping symptoms and those that are caused by specific microbes. Along with your physician’s guidance, integrate this information with a targeted natural protocol to address each coinfection. Soon, you should be on the path to thriving and better health.