Lyme Disease Awareness Month

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Trellie

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Lyme disease is the fastest growing disease in America. The CDC raised the number of new case each year to 300,000, a tenfold increase from the previously reported 30,000 per year.

Over the last five years, PA ranked #1 for reported cases of Lyme in the US. The PA Department of Health reports there were 7400 new cases in 2014 which is a 25% increase from 2013. Experts believe the actual number of cases is at least 10 times higher than reported which means new cases in PA to be 74,000 year.

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Despite my niece having Lyme Disease, I never knew that fact that it is the fastest growing disease in America. I wonder if it is actually that the disease itself is growing, or if we are just getting better methods of identifying the disease. I think that for such a long time, Lyme Disease was a bit of a mystery - I have heard so many stories of people being misdiagnosed multiple times before doctors finally came to the conclusion that it was Lyme.

Awareness is a wonderful thing, and I think the fact that there is a Lyme Disease awareness month will serve to heighten understanding of it.
 
I really don't know to be honest, we do have tests that can detect it when you have gotten infected recent enough, but still not that trustworthy :/ The other day I was reading about a new testing method discovering by a university student, but I am surprised to see they are not talking so much about it. It's supposed to be a trustworthy test, and can be used to detect several diseases, not only Lyme.
 
I never new it was the fastest growing disease in the USA. I guess I'll have to read the article and check it's sources before I take that at face value. It's possible anyway. I didn't know there was an awareness month for it either to be honest. So many diseases and causes have taken up awareness months and weeks that it all gets drowned out and diluted unfortunately.
 
Yes, please check it out. We need to spread awareness among the public in general, as well as the medical community, because to be honest I feel like we aren't doing enough. Specially when it comes to accurate testing of this disease :( We are still in the stone age when it comes to that.
 
Well, It seems that is becoming pretty much critical to raise awareness among people about lyme disease. Otherwise, the neglect only will increase even further the already high figures we read here If everyone is not putting any effort to increase the awareness.
 
Yeah, specially in areas that have a high density of deer population. It's easier to prevent a diseases, rather than treat it, and this is very true when it comes to Lyme. That is the sad reality. I feel so sorry for those who have the chronic version of it... Specially those who suspect something might be wrong, but haven't been able to get the right diagnosis. It's for those persons we need to raise awareness... specially among doctors.
 
Well, It seems that is becoming pretty much critical to raise awareness among people about lyme disease. Otherwise, the neglect only will increase even further the already high figures we read here If everyone is not putting any effort to increase the awareness.

Yes, I feel specially bad for those who know something is wrong, but due their doctor's lack for awareness they haven't gotten a clear diagnosis. Some doctors went as far as basically saying my cousin had a mental issue, and that she was making everything up. That her pain was all in her head. That was so taxing to her, but what she didn't know is that those people had no idea what they were doing, they just didn't know.
 
Yeah, specially in areas that have a high density of deer population. It's easier to prevent a diseases, rather than treat it, and this is very true when it comes to Lyme. That is the sad reality. I feel so sorry for those who have the chronic version of it... Specially those who suspect something might be wrong, but haven't been able to get the right diagnosis. It's for those persons we need to raise awareness... specially among doctors.

Do you think doctors need to be more aware too? Maybe, as they are the one making the diagnosis right?
 
Do you think doctors need to be more aware too? Maybe, as they are the one making the diagnosis right?

Well, yeah, most people suffering from this have gotten all sorts of diagnosis before finally being diagnosed with this. So many misdiagnosed patients out there, mostly because the doctors were clueless. Believe me I've met loads of doctors like that... I should know, in the last 4 years I've been seeing 4 or 3 doctors almost every month. Finding a doctor who knows what he is doing is tough... I've yet to find a decent neurologist.
 
So true, misdiagnoses is terrible, so I wish proper tools existed to diagnose Lyme.

The reason it's pretty hard to diagnose Lyme disease is because the signs and symptoms of the disease are often found in other conditions so when you a doctor examines you, first thing they'll think of is some condition that is more common. Add to it the fact that it is infectious and we certainly do have a problem.
 
I think this is a very complicated issue :( I strongly beleive we need to spread more awareness towards this disease, because if we did people in countries like Canada wouldn't have to be traveling to the US in order to get an accurate Lyme diagnosis.
 
The reason it's pretty hard to diagnose Lyme disease is because the signs and symptoms of the disease are often found in other conditions so when you a doctor examines you, first thing they'll think of is some condition that is more common. Add to it the fact that it is infectious and we certainly do have a problem.

Exactly, something being infectious and hard to diagnose can result in the propagation of the disease.
 
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