What patients need to know about the differences between acute and chronic Lyme disease

The Lyme literate practitioners at our functional medicine clinic near Milwaukee understand the differences between acute and chronic Lyme disease. Many conventional medical practitioners do not even acknowledge that chronic Lyme disease exists. Our experienced staff has seen thousands of patients with Lyme disease, both acute and chronic, and they know how to diagnose and treat this complicated and misunderstood condition.

It’s important to understand the differences between acute and chronic Lyme disease

When a patient is seeking a diagnosis, it’s crucial to see a Lyme literate provider who has a complete understanding of the differences between acute and chronic Lyme disease. When a person receives treatment within six to eight weeks of exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi or, to Borrelia mayonii, and suffers no residual effects after treatment, the diagnosis is acute Lyme disease. Patients who are not treated at least two months after exposure and harbor the untreated disease for months or even years often develop chronic Lyme disease.

There are two problems that the conventional medicine community doesn’t recognize regarding the differences between acute and chronic Lyme disease.

• Even patients who are treated for acute Lyme disease in a timely manner may go on to suffer from symptoms of chronic Lyme disease.
• Many patients do not seek treatment or receive an accurate diagnosis in time to receive treatment for acute Lyme disease, and that leads to chronic symptoms.

Untreated and undiagnosed chronic Lyme disease can cause serious health problems

When patients consult medical practitioners who are not familiar with Lyme disease, they are often misdiagnosed. The chronic symptoms of Lyme disease resemble many other conditions, and inexperienced providers who do not recognize the differences between acute and chronic Lyme disease often misdiagnose these patients and treat them for conditions like fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis or mental illnesses. These patients experience a variety of symptoms that get worse the longer they are left untreated, including serious neurological symptoms.

Patients who come to our functional medicine clinic near Milwaukee can rely on the fact that our medical team is on the case. They are experts at uncovering and diagnosing conditions that other medical providers miss, and they fully understand the differences between acute and chronic Lyme disease. Contact us for an appointment.