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Lyme disease can affect people in several ways, symptoms groups include:
central nervous system damage, nerves becoming numb, especially in the face
meningitis symptoms
a rash around the bite site, growing larger
Lyme arthritis, with inflammation and pain in joints, most commonly knee, shoulder, elbow, foot
and hip. However it is the fourth group of symptoms which will be most familiar to those of us
with ME and FMS:
flu-like symptoms, drowsiness, headaches, mild fever, joint and muscle pains, and swollen
lymph glands.
Dr Gow, from Glasgow, who is developing a genetic test for ME, found that a significant
percentage of his trial subjects were actually suffering from Lyme disease and not M.E.
have been exposed to tick bites, This is something we should be aware of and we should consider
the possibility, especially if we have been exposed to tick bites.
An enlarged tick
after its blood meal
The local press has recently been reporting on the increased risk
of Lyme Disease in our region.
The illness is triggered by a bite from an infected tick. Cases in our region
have been rising along with the number of ticks.
Although still relatively rare, a study by Dr Gordon Baird, a GP from
Sandhead of farmers, forestry workers, and gamekeepers in
Wigtownshire found 11% had evidence of the Lyme disease bacterium.
Lyme Disease Warning
Eating small amounts of dark chocolate every day can help combat a chronic illness, it has
emerged. The specially formulated chocolate helped reduce the symptoms of ME. Researchers
at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust found. People who took part in the study
reported feeling significantly less fatigue after eating 1.5oz (45g) of the chocolate every day for
eight weeks. They also reported feeling more fatigue when they stopped eating the chocolate and
were receiving a placebo instead.
Professor Steve Atkin, who conducted the study, said: "No-one has examined the effects of
chocolate on CFS before and so this is a very exciting and interesting result for us.
"The participants in this study were taking 45g of specially formulated chocolate for eight weeks
then having a two-week period of rest before then taking a simulated dark chocolate,
low in polyphenols, for another eight weeks.
"In the test period they reported feeling less fatigue and once they moved on to the placebo
chocolate they began feeling more fatigue again.
"Interestingly they didn't experience any significant weight gain either, which is an extra
positive." The formulated chocolate contained 85 per cent cocoa solids and was rich in
polyphenol flavonoids, which have been reported to reduce the risk of death from coronary heart
disease, cancer and strokes. Chocolate is also known to increase neurotransmitters like serotonin,
which is associated with regulating mood and sleep.
[From The Mail on Line]
Chocolate Helps ME Symptoms
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