Lyme Disease - Diagnosis
How was your case of lyme disease diagnosed?
MedicineNet appreciates your comment. Your comment may be displayed on the site and will always be published anonymously.
How is Lyme disease diagnosed?
In early Lyme disease, doctors can sometimes make a diagnosis simply by finding the classic red rash (described above), particularly in people who have recently been in regions in which Lyme disease is common. The doctor might review the patient's history and examine the patient in order to exclude diseases with similar findings in the joints, heart, and nervous system. Blood testing for antibodies to Lyme bacteria is generally not necessary or helpful in early stage disease, but it can help in diagnosis in later stages. (Antibodies are produced by the body to attack the bacteria and can be evidence of exposure to the bacteria. These antibodies can be detected using a laboratory method called an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA].) Antibodies, however, can be false indicators of disease, since they can persist for years after the disease is cured. Moreover, false-positive tests in patients with nonspecific findings (those that are not specifically suggestive of Lyme disease) can lead to confusion. Currently, the confirmatory test that is most reliable is the Western Blot assay antibody test. More accurate tests are being developed.
Generally, Lyme blood testing is helpful in a patient who has symptoms compatible with Lyme disease, who has a history of a tick bite at least a month prior, or who has unexplained disorders of the heart, joints, or nervous system that are characteristic of Lyme disease.
See what others are saying
I noticed what I thought was a spider bite in July of 2007 on my lower abdomen. A couple of days later, I noticed a small, red rash (in the vicinity of the bite but not around it) that was hot to the touch and itchy. I spent a lot of time on the Internet looking for information on spider bites because I never saw a tick. However, over the next week, it progressively grew larger and developed a bull's eye-look. I had also been suffering from very painful joints since the rash appeared. Finally alarmed, I went to the doctor and was immediately diagnosed with Lyme disease. Since that time, I have gone through two treatments of antibiotics. The second was prescribed months later because I still suffered from joint pain. To this day, I still suffer joint pain in my hips, and the pain is worse some months than others. However, I think I am luckier than about half of those afflicted. If you are reading this (I really worried at all the horror stories when I was diagnosed), don't expect to be healed totally, just be thankful that it isn't worse.
Six years ago, I began experiencing severe headaches and visual disturbances. Whenever I stood up my vision would either go black or I would see swirling colors. My doctor said it was migraines and left it at that. Upon visiting my eye doctor for a routine check-up, he saw that my optic nerve was swollen and raised and that I had hemorrhaging in my brain. I was told to get to the neurology center of a very good hospital right away. It was there that I found out I had viral meningitis and received a spinal tap that lasted 45 minutes. My spinal pressure was 400 (normal is 100) and they drained 30 CCs of fluid. A few days later, I got a call saying they tested my spinal fluid for Lyme disease and it turned out positive. I was then started on IV antibiotics for 28 days.
Stay Informed!
Get the latest health and medical information delivered direct to your inbox FREE!
