Health Information
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Understanding This Symptom
Medical Definition
Subject Matter Expert Verified
Lyme Disease is a tick-borne bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi and related Borrelia species, transmitted through the bite of infected Ixodes ticks.
It typically begins with an expanding "bull's eye" rash called erythema migrans, and if untreated, can spread to the joints, heart, and nervous system, causing arthritis, carditis, and neurological complications including meningitis and facial paralysis (Bell's palsy).
Quick Facts
What Optimal Health Looks Like
Understanding how your body functions when healthy helps identify dysfunction
In a healthy immune system, the innate immune response immediately recognizes and responds to foreign pathogens through macrophage activation, neutrophil recruitment, and cytokine signaling.
The adaptive immune system develops targeted antibodies (IgM followed by IgG) to neutralize specific pathogens like Borrelia burgdorferi.
The complement system opsonizes bacteria for phagocytosis while natural killer cells destroy infected cells.
A healthy nervous system maintains proper neuronal signaling with intact myelin sheaths, normal glial cell function, and balanced neurotransmitter production.
Healthy Function
Your body is designed to maintain balance and self-regulate
How This Develops
Bacterial Invasion - Borrelia burgdorferi enters the skin at the tick bite site, migrates through tissues, and disseminates via bloodstream to distant organs; (
Immune Evasion - The spirochete's outer surface proteins (OspA, OspC) undergo antigenic variation,躲避 immune detection; it can form cyst forms and biofilms that resist antibiotics; (
Inflammatory Cascade - The bacteria triggers massive cytokine release (IL-
Neurological Involvement - Spirochetes can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, causing meningitis, encephalitis, and peripheral neuropathy; (
Cardiac Involvement - Borrelia can infect cardiac tissue, causing Lyme carditis with AV block, myocarditis, and pericarditis; (
Joint Involvement - Persistent synovial inflammation leads to Lyme arthritis, particularly in knee joints, with pannus formation and cartilage erosion; (
Molecular Mimicry - Bacterial proteins resemble human tissue proteins, potentially triggering autoimmune responses that persist after bacterial clearance (PTLDS)
Understanding the mechanism helps us target the root cause rather than just treating symptoms.
What Happens If Left Untreated
Understanding the consequences helps you make informed decisions about your health
Short-Term Consequences
Days to weeks
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Time Matters
Don't wait for symptoms to worsen. Early intervention leads to better outcomes.