Looking at some healthy updates, Lyme disease is a debilitating condition. It is an infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garniii cause most European cases.
The disease is named after the towns of Lyme and Old Lyme, Connecticut, in the US, where a number of cases were identified in 1975. Although it was known that Lyme disease was a tick-borne disease as far back as 1978, its cause remained a mystery until 1981 when Borrelia burgdorferi was identified by Willy Burgdorfer.
This disease is far more common than official figures suggest. In fact, just 10 per cent of people who develop the disease each year are ever diagnosed.
Around 30,000 new cases are reported each year across the US, but the true number of new infections is around 300,000, say America’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. It is even speculated that up to a third of multiple sclerosis diagnoses are, in fact, Lyme disease.
The earliest and most common symptom of Lyme disease is a pink or red, circular rash that develops three to 30 days around the area of the bite.
The rash is often described as looking like the bull’s-eye on a dartboard. The sufferer may also experience flu-like symptoms such as tiredness, headaches and muscle or joint pain.
The disease is far more common than official figures suggest
If Lyme disease is left untreated, further symptoms may develop, months or even years later and can include: muscle pain, joint pain and swelling of the joints, neurological symptoms, suchastemporary paralysis of the facial muscles, and heart and nervous system issues.
Lyme disease in its late stages can trigger symptoms similar to those of fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. This is known as chronic Lyme disease, although more research into this form of Lyme disease is needed.
A person with Lyme disease is not contagious because the infection can only be spread by ticks. The best orthodox treatment is high-dose antibiotics.
Unless in its early stages when a rash is present, diagnosing Lyme disease is often difficult, as many of the symptoms are similar to those of other conditions.
If Lyme disease is suspected, blood tests may be able to confirm the diagnosis, but they often need to be carried out a few weeks after infection to reduce the risk of false-negative results.
Moving on to sun safety, sunscreens are not always the safety factor we intend them to be. Common sunscreens can cause skin cancer when exposed to the sun’s rays, research has suggested. Cosmetics have the same effect, as it is all down to the titanium dioxide most of these products contain.
Titanium dioxide triggers a series of toxic effects (including skin cancer) when exposed to ultraviolet light, which is found in the sun’s rays. But even indoor lighting, which uses very little ultraviolet light, can release free radicals in the skin that are precursors to cancer and also linked to skin ageing.
Researchers at Luxembourg University tested two types of titanium dioxide on pigskin and exposed it to indoor lighting. One form, rutile, had almost no damaging effects, but the other, anatase, triggered the free radical process.
Millions of tons of titanium dioxide are produced every year for use in cosmetics, sunscreens, toothpaste and food products. The compound is considered safe in skincare products because it doesn’t penetrate the skin, but it becomes toxic when exposed to ultraviolet light.
The researchers, led by Francesco Turci, urge manufacturers to start using rutile, the safer form of titanium dioxide (Chem. Res. Toxicol., 2013).
Finally, some good news for anyone with a family history of heart disease and stroke. You can change your genetic inheritance if you ensure you follow, and continue to follow, a healthy diet. This has been confirmed by scientists.
A Mediterranean diet that officially includes olive oil, fish, complex carbohydrates and nuts can overwrite the genetic coding that dramatically increases the risks of heart disease and stroke, say the researchers at Tufts University. They made the discovery while testing the impact of the Mediterranean and low-fat diets on around 7,000 men and women and how it affected their chances of developing heart disease over a five-year period.
About 900 of the participants had genetic variations that made them more susceptible to heart disease, which is usually preceded by type 2 diabetes. However, this increased risk was eliminated in those following the Mediterranean diet, putting them on an even playing field with everyone else (Diabetes Care, 2013).
It is important to identify the correct Mediterranean diet and not one that includes a high level of sugar in the form of cakes and desserts.
kathryn@maltanet.net