Your Ears and Lyme Disease

Ring, ring, ring!  No it isn't your phone. It's Lyme disease calling.  As if the joint pain, swelling, and fatigue weren't enough, tinnitus often accompanies other Lyme symptoms.  Sometimes it will go away with antibiotic treatment.  I have symptoms of tinnitus that fluctuate in volume and intensity.  Occasionally, the symptoms will disappear completely for a day or a few hours.  Sometimes it will only be in one ear, but most days it is both ears.  I am trying an herbal that has helped some with this problem.  I have also read that zinc supplements often help.  For some reason, my tinnitus seems to go away for a short time just after drinking coffee.  I don't know if it is the caffeine or the warmth of the coffee that offers temporary relief.  So far, nothing that I have tried is offering permanent cure.

Here is an article related to tinnitus that may help:

http://sinusitisblog.com/2014/09/mystery-lyme-disease/

Aa link to a Facebook page that has Yoga poses for tinnitus, herbal remedies, oils, and other tips for curing tinnitus is below.

https://www.facebook.com/Help-Each-Other-Tinnitus-1536106870000040/timeline/

How to improve hearing loss and tinnitus symptoms:

http://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/these-natural-remedies-will-improve-your-hearing/

Your Spleen and Lyme Disease

One of the first symptoms that I had with Lyme disease, is a large cyst on my spleen.  (called a splenic cyst) At the time, I did not know that this was being caused by Lyme disease.  I had gone to several doctors complaining of a sore and stiff neck and a frozen shoulder.  I became desperate for relief, so I decided to see if a local chiropractor could help me with this condition.  He took some x-rays and discovered a cyst on my spleen.  I asked every doctor if the cyst on my spleen and my other symptoms could be related.  Every doctor said, "No, and we don't treat those.  They will disappear on their own."

Well, I am here to tell you that Lyme disease does cause cysts and enlarged spleens.  It is a very common problem for those with Lyme disease.  The lymph system, the spleen, and lymph nodes are a key part of the immune system.  This can become disrupted by Lyme disease.  Many who have Lyme, do have this same condition.  The spleen is part of your lymph system.  It acts as a filter for bacteria.  Guess what is probably inside of that cyst?

I had other cysts form throughout my body.  I also had enlarged lymph nodes, and some have still not resolved.  These swollen nodes are an indication of a lingering infection.  They can cause fatigue.

Swollen lymph nodes and poor lymph fluid drainage seems to be a common complaint for many Lyme patients, including myself.  It may account for some of the swelling, pain, and a sudden weight gain that I experienced with this disease.  My doctor recommended getting a rebounder or mini-trampoline for pushing the fluid out of my legs.  I also went to a massage therapist for a Lymphatic massage.  As frustrating as this problem is, it will eventually go away and limbs will return to their normal dimensions.

Just got my latest blood test from the Lyme doctor and it indicates that my lymph# is 0.9.  I am not sure what that indicates.  I will have to ask at the next appointment.  It does say that normal is 1.0-4.8.  It says that it is a low number.  I am not sure of the significance of that figure.  Here is one possible explanation, according to HealthMD.com:

Causes of Low Lymphocyte Count

There are a number of factors that can contribute to a low lymphocyte count. The causes can be classified into general causes, acquired causes, or inherited causes.

General Causes

• The body fails to produce an adequate number of lymphocytes.
• The body produces a sufficient number of lymphocytes, but they are destroyed.
• The lymphocytes become trapped in the spleen or lymph nodes.

Acquired Causes

The acquired causes are related to underlying medical conditions or responses to medical treatments. Some examples of acquired causes are:

• infectious diseases
• autoimmune disorders
• steroid therapy
• blood cancers and blood diseases
• radiation/chemotherapy

Inherited Causes

The inherited causes are related to defects in the genes that play a role in lymphocyte development. Some key examples of these diseases are:

• DiGeorge anomaly
• Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome
• Severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome
• Ataxia-telangiectasia

Some other tips for endema or fluid retention:



Burdock root is a diuretic, and can help you eliminate fluid if you have edema. You can drink it as a tea for a milder effect. If you cool the tea, and apply it topically with a compress, it helps with psoriasis, eczema or other skin irritations. 

I recently found an article that spells out the connection to enlarged spleens and Lyme disease.  I am including a link to the article here:

http://lyme.ehoow.org/?p=107

Chinese pressure points for lymph drainage:
http://healthycures.org/keep-pressing-this-point-for-2-minutes

How to drain your lymph system:
http://healthywildandfree.com/10-ways-to-empty-your-lymphatic-system-from-toxins-causing-you-to-feel-sick-fat-and-weak-immunity/#sthash.JmMvD1eB.dpbs

How to give yourself a lymphatic massage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA-wi0d7-Ro

https://www.facebook.com/815902161806363/photos/a.815999451796634.1073741828.815902161806363/943028699093708/?type=1&theater

Anti-Malarials

At what I thought would be my last visit to the Lyme disease specialist, I was told that my lingering symptoms are not due to Lyme disease, but due to a type of malaria called babesia that is carried by ticks.  I am 90% well at this point.  I feel almost normal.  The lingering symptoms are: some mild joint pain, (no more swelling) tinnitis in both ears, thrush, dry mouth, and night sweats with vivid dreams.  I am taking an antimalarial, along with a cocktail of herbals, probiotics, and anti-fungals.

A new symptom that has popped up recently was purpura on one of my wrists.  I googled searched purpura+Lyme disease to see if anything came up, and sure enough it did.  There must be others out there experiencing this symptom with Lyme disease.  In case you have never heard of it, purpura are purplish-red spots appearing on skin or mucus membranes anywhere on the body.  These spots are actually tiny, broken blood vessels just below the skin.  My google search indicated that these spots could be the result of a bacterial infection, low platelet counts, or they could be caused from medication side effects.  They could also be a sign of another serious disease.  If you have these spots, definitely bring them to the attention of your doctor so that you can rule out something more serious.  My doctor is taking the precaution of retesting my platelet count, which was normal at the last office visit.  Fortunately, these spots are temporary, and have already decided to fade away on their own.

I never thought that I would get Lyme disease and I never thought that I could get something like malaria (babesia) living in the United States.  Going through Lyme disease and the 2 co-infections that came with it definitely has been a learning experience for me.  I won't need to visit the doctor for another 16 weeks.  Hopefully, that will be my last visit.  At that point, I will have been in treatment for just over a year, and living with this illness for over 2 years.

Below is a link to a Good Housekeeping magazine article that parallels my own experiences with Lyme disease and the struggle to get properly diagnosed:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/a33353/chronic-lyme-nearly-ruined-my-life/?src=spr_FBPAGE&spr_id=1443_209788223