Synopses & Reviews
Review
"With summer approaching, this is a useful book for anyone planning to spend time outdoors. Recommended for public and consumer health libraries." --Library Journal
Review
“The authors’ recommendations for avoiding exposure to deer ticks, as well as detailed information on diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical treatments, will prove useful to readers and medical personnel in Lyme-endemic regions.” —Publishers Weekly
Review
“Public health workers, teachers, parents, and those who suspect that they may be afflicted with Lyme disease must read this valuable book and share it with their medical practitioner. If the doctor proves resistant to the information, reader may avail themselves of other resources provided by the authors to obtain the care that will bring them relief.” —ForeWord Magazine
Review
"With summer approaching, this is a useful book for anyone planning to spend time outdoors. Recommended for public and consumer health libraries." --Library Journal
“A new book, called Beating Lyme: Understanding and Treating This Complex and Often Misdiagnosed Disease, provides insight into the arguments that supporters of the chronic Lyme viewpoint make in favor of aggressively treating the condition. The book recounts the experiences of those who say they have long-lasting and at times debilitating symptoms of the condition years after being bitten by a tick.” —U.S. News & World Report
“The authors’ recommendations for avoiding exposure to deer ticks, as well as detailed information on diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical treatments, will prove useful to readers and medical personnel in Lyme-endemic regions.” —Publishers Weekly
“Public health workers, teachers, parents, and those who suspect that they may be afflicted with Lyme disease must read this valuable book and share it with their medical practitioner. If the doctor proves resistant to the information, reader may avail themselves of other resources provided by the authors to obtain the care that will bring them relief.” —ForeWord Magazine
Review
“A new book, called Beating Lyme: Understanding and Treating This Complex and Often Misdiagnosed Disease, provides insight into the arguments that supporters of the chronic Lyme viewpoint make in favor of aggressively treating the condition. The book recounts the experiences of those who say they have long-lasting and at times debilitating symptoms of the condition years after being bitten by a tick.” —U.S. News & World Report
Synopsis
More than 30 years after it was first diagnosed, Lyme disease remains one of our most misunderstood illnesses. This frequently misdiagnosed infection is spreading at an alarming rate and, if not treated early, can cause debilitating symptoms. More than 1.7 million people in the United States, and many others in Europe and Asia, currently have Lyme and are unaware or can’t find the right treatment. Finally, Beating Lyme offers those who struggle with it the guidance to get the help they need. A respected health author and educator, Constance Bean is an authority on this elusive illness. In 1993 she was diagnosed with Lyme and has spent the past 14 years researching its treatments and diagnoses. In Beating Lyme readers will find comforting, hard-won advice on such topics as:
• what Lyme is and how to recognize the symptoms
• what to do after a tick bite
• how to protect family and friends
• how to get the best treatment and what to do if insurance won't cover it
• living with long-term Lyme disease
Compassionate and thoroughly researched, this is a book that will help both doctors and patients understand and conquer this complex illness.
Synopsis
More than 30 years after it was first diagnosed, Lyme disease remains one of our most misunderstood illnesses. Finally, Beating Lyme offers those who struggle with it the guidance to get the help they need. A respected health author and educator, Constance Bean is an authority on this elusive illness.
Synopsis
More than 30 years after it was first diagnosed, Lyme disease remains one of our most misunderstood illnesses. Finally, this book offers those who struggle with it the guidance to get the help they need.
This frequently misdiagnosed infection is spreading at an alarming rate and, if not treated early, can cause debilitating symptoms. More than 1.7 million people in the United States, and many others in Europe and Asia, currently have Lyme and are unaware or can't find the right treatment. A respected health author and educator, Constance Bean is an authority on this elusive illness.
In 1993, she was diagnosed with Lyme and has spent the past 14 years researching its treatments and diagnoses. In Beating Lyme, you will find comforting, hard-won advice on such topics as:
- what Lyme is and how to recognize the symptoms
- what to do after a tick bite
- how to protect family and friends
- how to get the best treatment and what to do if insurance won't cover it
- living with long-term Lyme disease
Compassionate and thoroughly researched, Beating Lyme will help both doctors and patients understand and conquer this complex illness.
About the Author
Constance A. Bean (Boston, MA) is the former coordinator of health education at MIT and is the author of six other books on health issues, including the classic Methods of Childbirth. Lesley Ann Fein, M.D., M.P.H. (Caldwell, NJ) is active in the Lyme disease community. She has served on a New Jersey Legislative Task Force and is Medical Director for the Pennsylvania Lyme Disease Society and the Greater Hartford (Connecticut) Lyme Disease Support and Action Group.
Table of Contents
CONTENTS
Preface xii
Acknowledgments xvii
CHAPTER ONE: The Hidden Epidemic 1
CHAPTER TWO: “Have We Aways Had Lyme?” Discovering Infectious Disease, Environmental Change, and the Surge of Lyme Disease 27
CHAPTER THREE: Discovering Lyme Disease 53
CHAPTER FOUR: “Is It Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?” “Is It Fibromyalgia?” Diagnosis of Lyme and Other Tick-Borne Diseases 67
CHAPTER FIVE: “There Must Be Tests” 97
CHAPTER SIX: “If It Isn’t Lyme, What Is It?” The Consequences of Not Diagnosing Lyme Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s Disease, Lupus, and More 112
CHAPTER SEVEN: “Where Are the Doctors?” The Politics of Lyme 134
CHAPTER EIGHT: “Will I Ever Get Well?” Treating Persistent Lyme Disease--The Jarisch-Herxheimer Reaction 163
CHAPTER NINE: Living with Persistent Lyme Disease--Insurance and Lifestyle Issues 185
CHAPTER TEN: “What About Antibiotic Resistance?” “Aren’t Antibiotics Dangerous?” Antibiotics Used for Treating Lyme Disease 200
CHAPTER ELEVEN: “What Do the Studies Say?” The Experts Speak 212
CHAPTER TWELVE: “Whatever Happened to the Lyme Vaccine?” Lessons Learned About Medical Research 228
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Preventing Lyme Disease--What to Do After a Tick Bite--It’s More Than Tucking Your Pants into Your Socks 248
Appendix: List of Symptoms 263
Resources 265
Notes 271
Index 277
About the Authors 285