Is Lyme Disease old news?
My friends are organizing a panel discussion after a screening of the film "Under Our Skin" at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts on August 9th. When they contacted another friend who is a PR professional, they were informed that Lyme Disease is old news.
But how many people think Lyme is something you only get in a rural or suburban setting? Did you know that people in Manhattanare coming down with Lyme Disease? (Only 94% of cases in Manhattan were contracted outside of the city.)
Read on to see how much you might not know about Lyme Disease....
If you live in a city, how much do you know about Lyme Disease?
So many of us are told that Lyme is hard to get and easy to cure. With 60% of the tick population carrying the spirochete that causes Lyme, how hard can it be?
Did you know that the CDC estimates there are over 200,000 new cases of Lyme Disease each year?
Did you know that of those with Lyme Disease, only about 1/3 of the people recall being bitten by a tick?
Did you know that the famous rash is seen in only 50% of people with Lyme Disease?
Did you know that the Elisa test used to screen for Lyme has as much as a 55% inaccuracy rate and that if you test negative, there is a 35% chance that the result is incorrect?
Did you know that it can take up to 8 weeks for your body to generate enough Lyme antibodies to show up on a test?
Did you know that if you delay treatment for 8-10 weeks, you risk having the disease spread into your brain, your heart and your joints?
Did you know that delays in treatment can raise your treatment failure likelihood from 5% to 62%?
Did you know that after the recommended treatment over 25% of patients will face chronic symptoms?
Did you know that people acquire auto-immune disorders as a complication of Lyme Disease?
Did you know that people die from Lyme Disease?
Did you know that while doctors argue over whether these chronic symptoms are an active infection, a post-infection syndrome, or Lyme-generated complications that insurance companies use that medical debate to deny testing and treatment for suffering patients?
Did you know that doctors fear treating Lyme patients with chronic symptoms because doctors with opposing opinions, along with insurance companies, will threaten their licenses by reporting them to medical boards for "over-treating"?
Did you know that both CT & RI have passed laws to protect doctors who want to treat patients with chronic symptoms related to Lyme Disease? We need this in every state!
How much of this did you know? Would you know to demand a prophylactic course of antibiotics if you've been bitten by a tick? It could literally save your life. Is that "old news?"
I live in Boston and I'm talking to people here all the time. Frankly, they know diddly about Lyme Disease. So, it's time to educate them. Hence, our new web site and blog.