![]() ![]() Ideally, the diagnosis will be confirmed for treatment to continue.A complete Western blot that used lipoic acid to show the proteins. The tests that look for Lyme disease aren’t foolproof, so your doctor may decide to start you on treatment based on your symptoms and the likelihood you’ve been exposed to ticks. This type of doctor is skilled in both diagnosis and treatment. If you think you have Lyme disease, it’s a good idea to see a board-certified infectious disease specialist. Your doctor may also want to do more blood or imaging tests to rule out: Other tests: Lyme disease is called “The Great Imitator” because it mimics so many different health conditions. You may be told that you have Lyme disease when you don’t. Studies also show that the results often aren’t correct. These methods aren’t approved by the FDA. There’s a chance that you could get a “positive” result from one and a “negative” result from another.Īlso, some labs offer a test for Lyme disease using your urine or other body fluids. Still, not all labs have the same standards. This is then compared to the pattern of people known to have Lyme disease.Īt least five band matches means that you have Lyme disease. Whether your ELISA test comes back positive or negative, your doctor will need to do this blood test, too.Ī Western blot uses electricity to split certain proteins in your blood into patterns. This will give you a “negative” result even though you do have Lyme disease. On the other hand, if you have it done too soon after you’ve been infected, your body may not have developed enough antibodies for the test to detect them. It can sometimes give false “positive” results. The ELISA test checks for those antibodies.Īlthough it’s the most common way to check for Lyme disease, the ELISA test isn’t perfect. Once Borrelia burgdorferi gets into your blood, your body begins to make special proteins called antibodies to fight it off. It can only look for your immune system’s response to it. This test can’t check for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. The results are most precise a few weeks after you’ve been infected.ĮLISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test. These will look for signs that your body is trying to fight it off. If your doctor suspects that you have Lyme disease, they may order two blood tests. They will also depend on the stage of the disease. Symptoms that come and go are common with Lyme disease. Facial palsy (Drooping or loss of muscle tone in your face).Additional rashes on other parts of the body.Symptoms that show up in the weeks to months after a tick bite include: Rash at the site of the tick bite that may look like a “bull’s-eye”.These details are crucial to making a diagnosis of Lyme disease.Įarly symptoms that usually occur within the first month after a tick bite can include: They’ll also want to know about the symptoms you’re having. If you’ve been outside in an area where ticks are known to live, you should tell your doctor. If not found and treated, Lyme disease can lead to problems with your joints, heart, and nervous system. But the longer a tick stays attached to you, the more likely it is to transmit Borrelia burgdorferi (the bacteria that causes Lyme disease), if the tick is a carrier. These eight-legged creatures, about the size of a poppy seed, can be found in wooded and grassy areas throughout the United States, especially in New England and the Rocky Mountains.īecause these ticks are so small, most people don’t realize when they’re bitten. This bacterial infection is spread through the bite of a young deer tick or black-legged tick. Because of this, you could be told you have Lyme disease when you don’t. Plus, the tests that check for it aren’t exact. The ticks that spread it can pass other diseases on to you at the same time. The signs and symptoms can look like many other health problems. ![]()
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