Lyme disease is a tick borne illness that is becoming more commonly diagnosed every year. According to the CDC, there are approximately 30,000 new cases of Lyme reported each year. However, not every case is reported to the CDC and studies suggest the number should be closer to 300,000 (i). People from all around the world are being diagnosed with Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is primarily spread by deer ticks. Small and blacklegged, these ticks feed on human blood. Infected deer ticks can spread the disease via deer, birds, mammals and even pets. Mosquitoes and other insects have also been known to spread the disease. The American Lyme Disease Foundation, Inc. (ALDF) reports that 90 percent of cases will present with the bullseye rash (ii), however not all patients will present with this rash.

 

Detection

Lyme disease symptoms vary significantly and mimic other ailments. Patients all over the world have been wrongly diagnosed with other illnesses. Most blood tests are not an accurate form of testing for the Lyme bacterium because they only test for the antibodies that the body has made in response to the infection. These antibodies may not have developed yet when the blood test is performed as they can take up to two months to be detected. If a patient has presented to their doctor with symptoms similar to Lyme and felt no improvement or perhaps even worse, it is recommended that they make an appointment to see a doctor who specializes in Lyme disease.

 

How does it affect the body? Often, early symptoms do not appear so the disease lies dormant if left untreated. The infection spreads through the bloodstream and lymph nodes within days to weeks. Lyme can affect the body in many ways. Symptoms include severe joint pain, body aches, brain fog and depression. The list of symptoms is extensive which is why many doctors not familiar with Lyme disease will misinterpret these for other illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s, etc.

 

How is Lyme treated with conventional medicine? Conventional doctors treat Lyme disease with a course of antibiotics for up to four weeks. If someone is experiencing Lyme symptoms after a tick bite, it is essential that they see their doctor as soon as possible. Symptoms develop within a few days or weeks and antibiotics can be effective at this stage. It is imperative to get treatment right away to try and prevent the development of Lyme disease. In some cases, patients won’t experience any symptoms relating to Lyme for years when the disease is misdiagnosed due to its imitation of other illnesses. At this stage, conventional doctors may prescribe antibiotics but their effectiveness to kill the bacteria will be greatly reduced.

 

LifeWorks’ Solution

LifeWorks Wellness Center offers several therapies to treat patients with Lyme disease. Ozone therapy is an excellent treatment to help heal a body that is infected. Since oxygen (O2) is made up of two atoms, the three atoms in ozone (O3) supercharge the oxygen in the body to help it heal. Ozone treatments can kill viruses and bacteria, boost the immune system, detoxify the liver and improve overall circulation.

LifeWorks has been treating patients with Lyme disease for more than 17 years. Most of the Lyme patients we see have been suffering with the disease for many years due to misdiagnosis. We use a lab that specializes in testing for Lyme and find their results to be most accurate. We offer ozone therapy to heal the body of the disease, including intravenous (IV) ultraviolet blood irradiation therapy (UVBI) and major autohemotherapy (MAH) as well as HOCATT.

 

UVBI IVs

UVBI utilizes ultraviolet light which has been used to treat diseases all the way back to the 1870’s. Mainstream doctors have been using antibiotics and vaccines to treat patients since the 1950’s but a lot of infections and viruses are resistant to these. Accordingly, practitioners around the world had to find other forms of treatment. Photo-oxidation therapy has become more prevalent in treating patients. The UVBI IV is similar to the MAH. A patient will have a small amount of blood removed into a sterilized IV bag. The bag will be mixed with saline and ozone. As the blood is administered back into the patient’s body, it will be exposed to the UV light. 

 

MAH IVs

MAH is an ozone IV which takes 30 to 60 minutes to administer. The patient will have 100 to 250 milliliters of blood removed into a sterilized IV bag which will then be injected with ozone. With each treatment and depending on the patient’s symptoms, we may increase the dosage of ozone in the bag. The bag is gently shaken to enable the blood cells to absorb the ozone. The ozonated blood is then administered back into the body via an IV drip.

 

HOCATT

Hyperthermic Ozone and Carbonic Acid Transdermal Technology (HOCATT) is a popular treatment with our Lyme patients. The HOCATT is an ozone steam sauna where a patient sits comfortably inside with their head exposed to the air. The patient relaxes during the 30-minute treatment. As the sauna heats up to a comfortable temperature, carbonic acid (carbon dioxide) is infused. This opens up the body’s pores to allow the ozone to penetrate. After a few minutes, the carbonic acid is removed and the sauna is infused with ozone. As the sauna fills with steam, the photon infrared light helps to increase blood flow and circulation, enabling the body to accelerate its healing while providing faster pain relief. The HOCATT also helps to increase the patient’s blood oxygen level and metabolism, detox the body and increase energy.

 

Many patients with Lyme disease have been helped at LifeWorks. For more information, call 727-466-6789 or visit LifeWorksWellnessCenter.com. See ad page 2.

 

Dr. David Minkoff is co-founder and medical director of LifeWorks Wellness Center, one of the foremost alternative health clinics in the U.S.

 

(i)cdc.gov/lyme/stats/humancases.html

(ii)aldf.com