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Ko je toplo, več ljudi raje preživlja čas na prostem in uživa v naravi. Še posebej pomembno je, da se zavedate možnosti klopovih ugrizov, če načrtujete pohodniški izlet ali kampiranje. Za klope je znano, da so prenašalci borelioze. Ta lahko vodi do številnih zdravstvenih težav, ki se morda na prvi pogled ne zdijo povezane z boleznijo - nekateri simptomi vključujejo izpuščaje, omotico, zvišano telesno temperaturo, glavobole in utrujenost.
Majhen ugriz, potencialno velik problem
Nekateri ljudje imajo boreliozo več let, ne da bi vedeli zanjo. Morda so dolgo časa trpeli zaradi nepojasnjenih zdravstvenih težav, od vrtoglavice, omotice, možganske megle, poskušanja najti besede, ko govorijo, bolečine v prsih, artritis - seznam se ne konča.
Kaj je borelioza? Razumevanje s strani sodobne medicine
Boreliozo povzroča bakterija Borrelia burgdorferi in se prenaša na ljudi z ugrizom okuženih klopov vrste Ixodes scapularis. Tipični simptomi vključujejo zvišano telesno temperaturo, glavobol, utrujenost in značilni kožni izpuščaj, ki se imenuje eritema migrans, kateremu lahko čez tedne ali mesece sledijo nevrološke, srčne ali sklepne nepravilnosti. [1]
Simptomi Lymske borelioze
Simptomi Lymske borelioze se razlikujejo od osebe do osebe. [2] Zgodnji bolezenski znaki in simptomi se običajno pojavijo po 3 do 30 dneh od klopovega ugriza oz. okužbe. Kmalu po ugrizu večina ljudi doživlja simptome, podobne blagi gripi, medtem ko lahko le peščica ljudi kaže resne simptome, včasih tudi tedne po ugrizu.
Zgodnji znaki in simptomi Lymske bolezni lahko vključujejo:
izpuščaje, včasih v obliki tarče (Erythema migrans),
zvišano telesno temperaturo,
mrzlico,
otečene bezgavke.
Če jih ne zdravimo, se lahko pojavijo hujši simptomi, ki lahko trajajo od mesecev do več let.
Hudi simptomi lahko vključujejo:
hude glavobole,
dodatne kožne izpuščaje (E. migrans),
obrazno paralizo (npr. Bellova paraliza),
srčne motnje (razbijanje srca, nenormalni srčni utrip), znano kot Lymski karditis,
nevrološke motnje (vrtoglavica, duševna zmedenost ali nezmožnost jasnega razmišljanja in izguba spomina, vnetje možganov in hrbtenjače, živčne bolečine, otrplost ali mravljinčenje v rokah ali nogah),
artritis s hudimi bolečinami v sklepih in otekanjem, še posebej v kolenih in redkeje v drugih sklepih, kot so gležnji, komolci in zapestja.
Redkokdaj lahko Lymska borelioza povzroči smrt, običajno zaradi zapletov, ki vključujejo srčno okužbo.
Težave z diagnosticiranjem Lymske borelioze
Na endemičnem območju tipični eritem migrans običajno ne zahteva laboratorijske prilagoditve, vendar se včasih pri pacientih pojavljajo zgolj zgodnji simptomi, ki so podobni gripinim, vendar niso specifični. Kljub temu ostaja testiranje na Lymsko boreliozo težavno. Dokazali so, da imajo standardni krvni testi, ki testirajo le protitelesa (tista, ki jih proizvede telo kot odgovor na boreliozo), pogosto "napačno negativne" odčitke. Kadar pa bolniki kažejo druge nevrološke ali sklepne težave, obstaja dolg seznam diferencialne diagnostike, kjer je potrebno ločiti med boleznimi kot so Bellova paraliza, sindrom kronične utrujenosti, fibromialgija, revmatoidni artritis in multipla skleroza.
Kako lahko kitajska medicina pomaga pri zdravljenju Lymske bolezni
Alternativni pristop lahko zagotovi popolno izboljšanje bolezni s TKM. V preteklih letih moje prakse v Sloveniji so akupunktura in zeliščni dodatki pokazali velik vpliv na krepitev odpornosti in pospešitev okrevanja. [Preberi več: Za boljši imunski sistem - okrepite svoj Wei Qi]
Razumevanje Lymske borelioze s strani tradicionalne kitajske medicine
V teoriji tradicionalne kitajske medicine lahko bolezen izhaja iz zunanjega vira (patogena invazija) ali pa jo lahko povzroči notranje neravnovesje (nezadostna ali prekomerna energija v naših organskih sistemih). [Preberi več: Pomanjkanje Qi energije: kaj to je in kako jo obvladati?]
Patogeni vsiljivci iz zunanjega okolja vključujejo različne oblike in vrste bakterij, virusov, praživali, med drugim tudi kvasovke. Ko je bil pred štiri tisočimi leti napisan Kanon interne medicine Rumenega cesarja, TKM še ni vseboval koncepta o "mikrobih", kot ga poznamo danes; invazija je bila prej opisana in pripisana očitnim in prikritim manifestacijam bolezni, simptomi pa so bili podobni podnebju, to je toploti, mrazu, vlažnosti, vetru in suši. Tudi Shang Han Lun je ena izmed klasik TKM, ki je specializirana za nalezljive bolezni. Navedeno je, da obstaja 6 stopenj bolezni; poznejša kot je faza, globlje je poškodovan naš sistem.
Bakterija Borrelia burgdorferi je nedvomno močan vsiljivec.
Klop mu služi kot nosilec, tako da lahko prebije našo najmočnejšo obrambo- kožo, ki nas ščiti pred zunanjimi nevarnostmi. Za razliko od večine virusov in bakterij, ki vstopijo v naše telo iz stopnje 1 (s površine), bakterija borelioze vstopi v stopnjo 2 ali 3 zelo hitro. Ima tudi močno sposobnost prilagajanja proti imunskemu odzivu. Raziskava je pokazala, da ko ta bakterija napade naše celice, sprosti beljakovinsko snov, ki koagulira in sčasoma tvori to, kar se imenuje "biofilm". Služi kot mehanizem za zaščito pred antibiotiki kot tudi pred našimi imunskimi celicami, ki se borijo proti temu vdoru. Torej so kot trojanski konj, ki se skriva v našem telesu in čaka na napad. Ko končno napadejo, bi lahko bilo to na stopnji 4-6 po Shang Han Lunu, ki vključuje srce in možgane.
TKM zdravljenje Lymske borelioze
Pri zdravljenju Lymske borelioze (prav tako kot pri ostalih nalezljivih boleznih) je zelo pomembno, da uničimo patogen (npr. z antibiotiki) in istočasno podpiramo telesni imunski sistem. V nasprotnem primeru lahko s pretiranim uničevanjem škodujemo telesni obrambi in dolgoročno povzročimo več okužb.
Ker je bakterija borelioze močan in hitro prilagajoči patogen, mora kitajska medicina obravnavati predstavljeno sliko bolezni, tako da ni standardnega protokola za zdravljenje. Vsakega bolnika se zdravi glede na njegovo edinstveno sliko simptomov in telesno zgradbo, ki se spreminja s časom. Da bi preprečili bakterijsko odpornost in avtoimunske reakcije, je potrebno zeliščno formulo spremeniti na vsake 1-3 tedne.
Poleg zdravil rastlinskega izvora so tudi drugi koristni načini zdravljenja pri bolnikovem okrevanju:
akupunktura pomaga pospešiti imunski sistem, lajša bolečine v sklepih in mišicah ter pomaga pri kronični utrujenosti in počutju, saj je pri bolnikih z Lymsko boreliozo depresija pogosto problematična; [Preberi več: Akupunktura: pregled znanstvenih dokazov]
ventuze pomagajo pri lajšanju bolečine v velikih sklepih, hrbtenici in mišicah ter pomagajo razstrupljati telo;
pomembno vlogo igra tudi prehrana.
Za več podrobnosti si prosim preberite:
Lyme Disease - In Depth Protection Strategies with TCM
When the weather is warm, more people would spend time outdoors enjoying the nature. It’s especially important to be aware of tick bites if you plan to spend time hiking or camping. Ticks are known to carry Lyme Disease which could lead to several health problems that might not immediately seem related to the disease–some symptoms include a rash, dizziness, fever, headaches, and fatigue.
Small bite, potentially big problem
Some people could have had Lyme Disease without knowing it for several years. They may suffer from “unexplained” medical issues for many years, from dizziness, light headedness, brain fog, trying to find out words when they talk, chest pains, arthritis–the list goes on and on.
What Is Lyme Disease? The Understanding From Modern Medicine
Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected black-legged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans that may be followed weeks or months later by neurologic, cardiac, or joint abnormalities. [1]
Symptoms Of Lyme Disease
Symptoms of Lyme disease can be different from person to person. [2] Early signs and symptoms of Lyme disease usually start 3 to 30 days after you have been bitten by an infected black-legged tick. Most people experience mild flu-like symptoms soon after being bitten, while a small number may have more serious symptoms, sometimes weeks after the bite.
Early signs and symptoms of Lyme disease may include:
Rash, sometimes shaped like a bull's eye (Erythema migrans),
Fever,
Chills,
Swollen lymph nodes.
If left untreated, more severe symptoms may occur and can last from months to years.
Severe symptoms may include:
Severe headaches
Additional EM skin rashes
Facial paralysis (i.e. Bell's palsy)
Intermittent muscle, joint, tendon, and bone aches
Heart disorders (heart palpitations, abnormal heartbeat), known as Lyme carditis
Neurological disorders (dizziness, mental confusion or inability to think clearly, and memory loss, inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, nerve pain, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet)
Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling, particularly in the knees and less commonly in other joints such as the ankle, elbow, and wrists.
In rare cases, Lyme disease can lead to death usually because of complications involving infection of the heart.
The Difficulties With Diagnosing Lyme Disease
The typical erythema migrans in an endemic area usually do not require laboratory confirmation but sometimes patients only demonstrate early flu-like symptoms which is non-specific. Testing for Lyme disease, however, remains a challenging problem. The standard blood tests, which test only the antibody produced by the body in response to Lyme disease, have been shown to have many “false negative” readings. And when patients show other neurological or joint problems, there is a long list of differential diagnosis, like Bell’s palsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis to be distinguished from.
How Can Chinese Medicine Help Treat Lyme Disease
An alternative approach may provide a complete remission with TCM. Throughout my practice in Slovenia for the past few years, acupuncture and herbal supplements have been showing strong effect in supporting immunity and speeding up recovery. [Read more: Strengthen your Wei Qi for better immunity]
Traditional Chinese Medicine Understanding Of Lyme Disease
In the Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, illness can come from an external source (a pathogenic invasion) or it can be caused by an internal imbalance (deficient or excessive energy in our organ systems). [Read more: Qi deficiency: What is it and how do you manage it?]
Pathogenic invaders from the external environment include forms of bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and yeast, among others. Four thousand years ago, when The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine was written, TCM did not have a concept of “germs,” as we know it today; the invasion was rather described and attributed to the overt and covert manifestations of the disease, and its symptoms resembled the climates, including heat, cold, damp, wind, and dry. Shang Han Lun is also one of the TCM classics which is specialized in infectious disease. It stated that there are 6 stages of disease, the later the stage, the deeper of our system is damaged.
The bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi is with no doubt a strong invader. It has a tick as its carrier so it can break through our strongest defense--- skin, the wall protecting us from outside hazards. Unlike most viruses and bacteria which enter our body from stage 1 (the surface), the Lyme bacteria enter stage 2 or 3 very quickly. This bacteria also have strong adaptation ability to hide from immune attack. Research has indicated that as this bacteria invades our cells, it releases a protein substance that coagulates and eventually forms what is called a “biofilm”. It serves as a mechanism to protect itself from an antibiotic attack, as well as against our own immune cells from dealing with this invasion. So they are like trojan horse hiding in our body and wait for attack. When they finally strike for the attack, it could be stage 4-6 in the Shang Han Lun category, which involves the heart and brain.
TCM Treatment For Lyme Disease
It is very important that in treating Lyme disease (as well as other infectious disease), we need to both kill the pathogen (like antibiotics) as well as supporting the bodies immune system at the same time. Otherwise, over killing could harm the body’s own defense and actually cause more infection in the long run.
Since the Lyme bacteria is a strong, fast adapting pathogen, Chinese medicine needs to treat the presenting picture so there is no standard protocol for treatment. Every patient is treated based on their unique symptom picture and constitution which changes as time progresses. The the herbal formula needs to be modified every 1-3 weeks in order to prevent bacterial resistance and autoimmune reactions.
Besides herbal medicine, other modalities are also helpful in the recovery of the patient:
Acupuncture helps boosting the immune system, relieves pain in the joints and muscles and can help with the chronic fatigue and emotions as depression often is a challenge with Lyme patients; [Read more: Acupuncture: An Overview of Scientific Evidence]
cupping is helpful at relieving pain in the large joints, and spine and muscles and helps detox the body of toxins;
diet also plays an important part.
For more details, please read: