When a Lyme disease test comes back negative
this might not be the case. Tests for this disease come back with false
negatives from many common circumstances that you need to be aware
of.
When bitten by a tick a red bull's eye rash developing is a good indication that you have contracted Lyme disease. This easy way to help in the diagnosis unfortunately does not occur with many of the Lyme disease cases. A tick bite can even go undetected due to the painless nature of one of these parasites latching on to you. Lyme disease can manifest for years with symptoms that go unexplained.
Numerous reasons exist for a false negative in a blood test for Lyme disease. The bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, are transmitted into your blood stream through a tick bite. The blood work that is done for this disease tests for antibodies against these bacteria. If they are present you will be diagnosed for Lyme disease and if they are not present, the test is negative. The antibodies not present in your blood stream can be for many other reasons leaving you with a false negative test and rendering you untreated for this disease.
Here are a few of the most common reasons for a false positive blood test for Lyme disease:
You have recently taken antibiotics
The antibodies for Lyme disease are in undetectable amounts in your blood.
You have taken anti-inflammatory drugs recently.
Your immune system is not reacting to the bacteria and in turn not producing the antibodies.
The bacteria have changed in makeup and your body's immune system does not recognize this and does not produce the antibodies.
For these common reasons many cases of Lyme disease have gone undetected and have become serious health problems.
The beginning stages of Lyme disease are flu like symptoms. Fever, chills and lethargy are just a few of these symptoms. This will come and go and many people believe they just have "the bug" that is going around.
As Lyme disease progresses it mimics arthritis by attacking your joints and causing painful movement. It can be any of the joints but most commonly it attacks the knees. Because it resembles arthiritis, you may be tested for this disease. When tests for arthritis are negative, many people will see numerous doctors for another diagnosis to no avail.
Lyme Disease untreated in later stages can cause neurological problems with memory, concentration, sleep, limb numbness, bells palsy, along with other symptoms. No organ is spared from this disease. It can cause heart palpitations or a heart block leading to a heart attack. Bladder infections have also been contributed to Lyme disease. Late stages of this disease can mimic MS.
Many people have suffered for years with Lyme disease symptoms and have not been diagnosed. They have gone a number of doctors searching for a reason that their bodies are in pain, they are drained of energy and have a constant array of unexplainable symptoms.
Lyme Disease is most prevalent in the north east section of the country, but it now seen in almost every state. It is a relatively young disease and has only been diagnosed in the last thirty years. Much is still unknown about the different strains and origins of this disease and this too might play into the false positive Lyme disease findings.
If you live in an area where Lyme disease has been detected and you are suffering from a variety of symptoms for which there has been no diagnosis, this is something you might want to talk to your physician about.
References:
Guide to Lyme Disease from Lymnet.org
Reasons For False Negitive Lyme Disease Test from Anapsid.org
http://voices.yahoo.com/false-negati...801.html?cat=5
When bitten by a tick a red bull's eye rash developing is a good indication that you have contracted Lyme disease. This easy way to help in the diagnosis unfortunately does not occur with many of the Lyme disease cases. A tick bite can even go undetected due to the painless nature of one of these parasites latching on to you. Lyme disease can manifest for years with symptoms that go unexplained.
Numerous reasons exist for a false negative in a blood test for Lyme disease. The bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, are transmitted into your blood stream through a tick bite. The blood work that is done for this disease tests for antibodies against these bacteria. If they are present you will be diagnosed for Lyme disease and if they are not present, the test is negative. The antibodies not present in your blood stream can be for many other reasons leaving you with a false negative test and rendering you untreated for this disease.
Here are a few of the most common reasons for a false positive blood test for Lyme disease:
You have recently taken antibiotics
The antibodies for Lyme disease are in undetectable amounts in your blood.
You have taken anti-inflammatory drugs recently.
Your immune system is not reacting to the bacteria and in turn not producing the antibodies.
The bacteria have changed in makeup and your body's immune system does not recognize this and does not produce the antibodies.
For these common reasons many cases of Lyme disease have gone undetected and have become serious health problems.
The beginning stages of Lyme disease are flu like symptoms. Fever, chills and lethargy are just a few of these symptoms. This will come and go and many people believe they just have "the bug" that is going around.
As Lyme disease progresses it mimics arthritis by attacking your joints and causing painful movement. It can be any of the joints but most commonly it attacks the knees. Because it resembles arthiritis, you may be tested for this disease. When tests for arthritis are negative, many people will see numerous doctors for another diagnosis to no avail.
Lyme Disease untreated in later stages can cause neurological problems with memory, concentration, sleep, limb numbness, bells palsy, along with other symptoms. No organ is spared from this disease. It can cause heart palpitations or a heart block leading to a heart attack. Bladder infections have also been contributed to Lyme disease. Late stages of this disease can mimic MS.
Many people have suffered for years with Lyme disease symptoms and have not been diagnosed. They have gone a number of doctors searching for a reason that their bodies are in pain, they are drained of energy and have a constant array of unexplainable symptoms.
Lyme Disease is most prevalent in the north east section of the country, but it now seen in almost every state. It is a relatively young disease and has only been diagnosed in the last thirty years. Much is still unknown about the different strains and origins of this disease and this too might play into the false positive Lyme disease findings.
If you live in an area where Lyme disease has been detected and you are suffering from a variety of symptoms for which there has been no diagnosis, this is something you might want to talk to your physician about.
References:
Guide to Lyme Disease from Lymnet.org
Reasons For False Negitive Lyme Disease Test from Anapsid.org
http://voices.yahoo.com/false-negati...801.html?cat=5
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