Arthritis Treated with Alternative Medicine

Treatment of Lyme Disease

Lyme disease, or borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia.[1] Borrelia burgdorferi is the predominant cause of Lyme disease in the U.S., whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii are implicated in most European cases.Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system.

You're more likely to get Lyme disease if you live or spend time in the grassy and heavily wooded areas where ticks carrying the disease breed. It's important to take common-sense precautions in areas where Lyme disease is prevalent. If treated with appropriate antibiotics in the early stages of the disease,

Causes of Lyme Disease

Ticks feed on blood, attaching to a host and feeding until they're swollen to many times their normal size. During feeding, ticks that carry disease-producing bacteria can transmit the bacteria to a healthy host. Or they may pick up bacteria themselves if the host is infected. In areas where Lyme disease is common, as many as 50 percent of deer ticks may carry Correlative burgdorferi.

Location – Some states have a higher incidence of Lyme disease than others. The 10 states that have the most reported cases of Lyme Disease yearly include New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Maryland, Delaware, New Hampshire, and Maine. Increased risk in these areas can be attributed to a greater amount of wooded areas and a larger quantity of deer.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease

Human Lyme borreliosis generally occurs in stages, with remissions and exacerbations and different symptoms at each stage. The first stage of Lyme disease is a rash known as erythema migrans (EM), which usually occurs several days to a month after the tick bite, and consists of a small red lesion that later expands to form a ring-shaped rash – "bull's eye" – a bright red ring encircling the bite and a clear area at the center. Symptoms of Lyme disease are diverse and often occur in early and late phases. They vary widely from person to person. Any one symptom may fail to appear, and symptoms may overlap in various combinations. Death from Lyme disease is very rare and occurs only in a few cases in which the heart is severely affected.

How is Lyme disease treated

Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics. Early-stage Lyme disease responds very well to treatment. In most cases, 14 to 30 days of treatment with an antibiotic kills the bacteria. Your doctor will tell you how many days to take the antibiotic. It's important for you to take all the medicine your doctor prescribes to prevent the spread of Lyme disease to your joints, nervous system or heart.

Intravenous antibiotics

If the disease has progressed, your doctor may recommend treatment with an intravenous antibiotic for 14 to 28 days. This is effective in eliminating infection, although it may take some time to recover symptomatically. Intravenous antibiotics can cause various side effects, including a lower white blood cell count, gallstones and mild to severe diarrhea.

Alternative method of treatment. Matthew Wood US herbalist  has successfully cured five cases of  diagnosed Lyme disease with Dipsacus sylvestris ( Teasel root) Ref. The Book of Herbal Wisdom

The Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation points out that 90% out of 4 million patients who have the disease are women, since older women beyond menopause are susceptible to it. Sjogren's syndrome affects moist and lubricated eyes and mouth by damaging related glands, resulting in dry eyes.

Other symptoms of Sjogren's syndrome include unusual dryness in the vaginal area, dry sinuses and frequent sinus infections, dry and sore mouth, inability to chew and swallow properly, dry and sore skin etc… Burry vision, eye burning sensation, grittiness and light sensitivity are also possible signs of Sjogren's syndrome.

There are still various side effects caused by Sjogren's syndrome. Extreme eye dryness may damage surface tissue of cornea and conjunctiva, leading to scarring and infection. Blepharitis can be caused by irritation and inflammation of the eyelid glands. Dry mouth can lead to rapid tooth decay or loss, unless you use artificial saliva lubricants to moisten your mouth. Other potential diseases that can be caused by Sjogren's syndrome include lymphoma, swollen or enlarged lymph nodes and vasculitis.

In its secondary form, Sjogren's syndrome is always accompanied by other autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus and thyroiditis, which cause inflammatory effects in different organs. These abnormal immune responses may be inherited or caused by viral or bacterial infections. Sjogren's syndrome is sometimes associated with celiac disease. Other reasons that may contribute to dry eye include an arid environment, certain medications and improper memory metal eyeglasses.

The diagnosis of Sjogren's syndrome involves various tests. A five-minute testing of the tears amount of the eye using a strip of test paper in the corner of your eye can evaluate the degree of dry eye. Vital dye staining can also measure eye dryness. Antinuclear antibodies such as SS-A and SS-B can be discovered using a simple blood test if a patient has Sjogren's syndrome. A tissue sample from a salivary gland of your lip can be used to analyze the amount and quality of saliva produced in your mouth.

Prolonged artificial tears or ointments treatments can ease dry eye caused by Sjogren's syndrome. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen can be used to treat pain or inflammation, and immunosuppressant will be effective for extreme Sjogren's syndrome.

Symptoms of Sjogren's syndrome can be relieved in various ways. Different parts of the body need different solutions: water and sugarless gum for moist mouth, artificial tears for wet eyes, saline spray for nose, and humidified air for moist skin.

:http://vision.firmoo.com/eye-diseases/overview-sjogrens-syndrome.html