Have you heard of stevia sweeteners that do not contain calories? Some sweeteners in this category are considered low calorie, while other types do not contain any calories. Does stevia aid in your healing journey?
Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria, “Borrelia burgdorferi”, that are spread through a tick bite. Antibiotics and lifestyle modifications play an important role in treating the clinical symptoms of Lyme disease. In this blog, we will explore how stevia can contribute to the healing of Lyme disease patients.
What are the clinical symptoms of Lyme disease?
The early clinical signs of Lyme disease occur within a period of 30 days after the bite of an infected tick. Initially, erythema migrans/skin rashes appear that affects around 70-80% of people. These rashes appear at the site of the tick bite and gradually expand in size. The rashes can be itchy and feel warm to touch. In the later stages, the patient can suffer from
- Facial nerve paralysis
- Stiffness in the neck region
- Headache
- Trouble breathing
- Neuropathic pain
- Palpitations
- Numbness or tingling sensation in the upper and lower extremities
How does stevia help in eliminating the bacteria that cause Lyme disease?
Studies have estimated that stevia has the potential to hamper the growth of the bacteria, particularly when placed in alcohol-containing formulas. Borrelia burgdorferi forms protective biofilms that prevent the action of antibiotics, which can lead to chronic infections.
Stevia extracts have the ability to disrupt bacterial biofilms, which makes the bacteria susceptible to immune destruction. Stevia has the ability to eliminate the forms of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
Stevia has a synergistic effect when combined with traditional antibiotics. Hence, it can be used as a natural adjunctive treatment of Lyme disease that can lead to a better prognosis.
What are the diagnostic tests used to detect Lyme disease?
The diagnosis of Lyme disease can get complicated due to a variety of symptoms that accompany the disease and tend to confuse it with other illnesses. Diagnosis is most often made by a combination of clinical assessment, exposure history to tick bites and laboratory testing.
The most common approach is the two-level serologic method suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) identifies the antibodies (IgM and IgG) against Borrelia burgdorferi.
As ELISA can give false positive results, a Western blot test is performed to confirm specificity. Western blot detects antibodies against individual Borrelia proteins. These two tests rely on the immune response of the body. Hence, it cannot indicate the infection at an early stage before the development of antibodies. Clinically, erythema migrans can be used as a diagnostic aid for identifying Lyme disease.
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can help in detecting Borrelia DNA in the blood or cerebrospinal fluid. Though PCR is very specific, it is not sensitive and cannot be applied to any patient.
Early and precise diagnosis is vital since immediate treatment leads to significant improvement in prognosis and diminishes the possibility of developing complications in the long term.
