Allery Season is Starting Early This Year

I have a few patients who have started treatment for seasonal rhinitis earlier than usual this year.  Because of all the rain and snow this past winter and spring, the pollen count has been quite high.  Now that the end of summer is nearing, all those lovely flowers, shrubs, trees and plantings are going to seed (just like this lovely flowerbed I started this year).

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Be smart like my patients!  Start treatments today for what I believe will be a very tough allergy season this year.  Why suffer when you can enjoy the autumn summer symptom-free??  The combination of acupuncture and herbal pills can prevent the symptoms of seasonal rhinitis before they make you miserable.  Call or email today for an appointment.

Lyme Disease

Lyme disease has been identified as the fastest-growing infectious disease in the US. Lyme disease (LD) is a clinically diagnosed mélange of symptoms caused primarily by a spirochetal bacterium called borrelia bergdorferi. LD is transmitted by a tick-borne organism that transports itself to and from rodents, deer, pets, and humans.  LD is a tricky bugger (and known as ‘The Great Imitator‘), because it can present in the clinic with symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis & rheumatoid arthritis, just to name a few. Other bacterium (ehrlichiosis & babiosis) can be simultaneously transmitted via the same bite to complicate the situation. The borrelia pathogen attacks the B-lymphocytes, which are the cells responsible for making antibodies for the immune system.
So How Does It All Happen?
The tick must be attached to its host for at least 4 to 24 hours for the infection to spread. Ticks are traveling on ninety nine different species of migrating birds and more than 30 species of small mammals. Contrary to common belief, infection can occur during any month of the year. More than half the bitten victims do not recall being bitten because of the minute size of the tick and due to the fact that it injects an anesthesia while performing the bite. A ‘bulls eye’ - like rash usually forms at the site of the bite, but over 60% of victims do not present with the rash. Generalized and inexplicable malaise and fatigue with flu-like symptoms are most common. It can takes weeks to months for the spirochete to reproduce inside the body. This leads to insidious and chronic infection. Most tests have had only a 30 - 40% reliability rate.
The After Bite
The LD pathogen slowly makes its way through the body; the longer it remains in the victim‘s organism, the more severe the infection. The severity of the infection is categorized into three phases related to its progression in the body -- early disseminated (the most treatable phase), late disseminated, and chronic. Allopathic care includes immediate treatment with quinolone or cephalosporin antibiotics for a minimum of 6 weeks and is not a foolproof relief or cure. In reality, the side effects of the antibiotic therapy can make the patient feel worse. Persons with chronic LD can be severely debilitated neurologically and can experience dementia and delusions, confusion, loss of memory, all of which can lead to a complete neurological breakdown.
LD Signs & Symptoms - What To Look For
Head, Face, Neck: unexplained hair loss, headaches, tingling or stiffness and pain of head, neck, and jaw, facial paralysis or ‘tics‘ in the face.
Eyes/Vision: impaired vision, ‘floaters‘, pain and/or swelling in and around the eyes, and photophobia (light sensitivity).
Ears/Hearing: diminished hearing, pain, ringing and/or buzzing in ears.
G.I.: diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, and compromised urinary functions.
Musculoskeletal: muscle spasms, swelling, stiffness, heat and pain in the joints.
Respiratory and Circulatory: chest oppression and pain, shortness of breath, rib soreness, night sweats, heart palpitations, irregular heart beats.
Neurological: burning sensations, shaking or tremors, partial paralysis, numbness and weakness of limbs, poor balance, and lightheadedness.
Psychological: displays of hyper emotion, depression, bipolar-like behavior, weepiness, insomnia or inability to stay awake.
Mental Capability: confusion and memory loss that can mimic Alzheimer‘s, lack of concentration and difficult speech.
Reproduction and Sexuality: diminished sex drive and sexual dysfunction, difficult menses, breast tenderness and discharge, yeast infections, blisters and swelling of the genitals, testicular pain and generalized pelvic pain.
LD CAN be transferred from breast milk and via invitro!
Children cannot express what is wrong if they are too young and older children do not lie - SO LISTEN TO THEM!! Teenagers suffer because quite often, they are thought to have Epstein-Barr (Mono), depression, drug use, social and sexual difficulties, and hormonal issues. LD can be a killer for the elderly because their immune systems are compromised because of their age and are quite often misdiagnosed as having Alzheimer‘s.

Testing and Treatment
There are no CDC-approved screening tests that are accurate enough to be called definitive. Diagnosis is
determined by identification of clinical signs and symptoms. Diagnostic tests include blood tests for IgG and IgM antibodies, such as ELISA and Western Blot, but these tests show poor sensitivity and can be inconclusive.  Thus the diagnosis must be made from looking at history, taking symptoms and general patterns into account. Diagnosis is additionally hampered by the co-infection factor, which may create a host of other sometimes strange symptoms.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Can Treat the Symptoms of LD
Traditional Chinese Medicine treats all the symptoms of LD and does not discriminate this as a ‘singular disease‘. All body systems are addressed and treated. The body’s immune system must be ‘boosted’ by the use of acupuncture and herbal formulas, the generalized malaise, fatigue, muscular and neurological complaints are treated; simultaneously, the GI system must be protected from the harsh side effects of the powerful antibiotic regime given by the patient’s m.d. BY NO MEANS SHOULD ANY PATIENT STOP THEIR COURSE OF ANTIBIOTICS!!! Otherwise you will find yourself sicker and will have to begin the course of treatment from the start line!Most Chinese herbal formulas prescribed are very potent and effective heat-clearing herbs with well-demonstrated antibacterial qualities. This helps to dissipate the ‘steaming bone’ sensation of heat permeating from the body’s core out to the surface. These herbal formulas will boost the immune system, relieve joint pain, assist in the cessation of spasms and tics and clear the damp heat in the body (yeast infections, skin eruptions, etc.).  If LD is quickly diagnosed and treated aggressively with the combination of western antibiotics and Traditional Chinese Medicine, recovery can be achieved, although there is no proven test to indicate that a true cure has been achieved. If LD is not diagnosed and treated within a timely fashion, it can become a physically, mentally and socially debilitating life for the victim.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  If you have been experiencing any of the above-mentioned symptoms with no explained causes that you can recall, visit your m.d. and ask for a Lyme’s test to run out the possibility. Since this is a disease of exclusion, your doctor will then examine and test for what could be the root cause of your concern! If you don’t have an m.d., contact me, and I can refer a good western doctor.

Some Facts About Poison Ivy

Living in Manhattan, I only have to worry about the muggers, rapists and murderers...no problem; no big deal.  Going to the Catskills every weekend...well, it's a jungle out there!  Snakes, buzzards, lizards, bears, and POISON IVY!!!  Yikes!  Makes Manhattan look like the Land of Oz...
As we saw in yesterday's blog, the poison ivy leaf is know as the 'group of three' leaves.  Today, let's talk about what to do if you are exposed to this nasty plant.

This photo is what a typical rash looks like on the leg when exposed to poison ivy.  Yes folks, it feels exactly the way it looks.  Some individuals can be immune to poison ivy, but most people develop a rash after contact with poison ivy, poison sumac and poison oak. Be warned:  it could take many exposures before you begin to develop an allergic response to urushiol, the chemical in poison ivy that triggers the rash. Per the FDA, if you have come in contact with poison ivy, you should immediately clean the exposed areas with rubbing alcohol.  Wash the exposed areas with water only (no soap - it can spread the urushiol).  After cleansing, take a shower with soap and warm water. Once you're cleaned up, put disposable gloves on and wipe everything you had with you at the time of contact (shoes, tools,clothes) with rubbing alcohol and water.  Now, if you're like me and completely oblivious to the great outdoors and all the fun it brings, the urushiol has remained on your skin and you're bound for a rash. Better to scrub anyway. Over the counter products are available (Zanfel, Ivy Cleanse Towelettes, Tecnu Extreme Poison Ivy Scrub, Ivy Dry) if you don't want to use rubbing alcohol or bleach.  Poison ivy is not contagious; so tell your honey bunny that she or he will not get a rash if you want to be intimate....it's not the coodies!  I was very fortunate...a friend, who is highly allergic to poison ivy, was kind and gave me an extra bottle of Ivarest Medicated Poison Ivy Cleansing Foam.  This seems to be doing the trick for the itchy burning sensation on my legs.  I highly recommend it.  Jewel Weed (if you can get it), Oatmeal poultices, Gold Bond Anti Itch Powder and whatever else you can get your hands on will help as well.
In certain cases like mine, a diagnosis of poison ivy can be difficult because the rash can be insidous (sneaky) and not show for several days.  A person can completely forget any contact with a vine, bush or shrub that could be suspicious.  The initial signs might look like just a scratch or a few bug bites, then, in a matter of days, blisters can develop, and itchy, red bumps appear on the skin like a strand of evil red pearls.
Don't forget, if you have been in contact with poison sumac and poison oak, the symptoms and signs can be the same as poison ivy...ughh!  In the medical field, these rashes are called allergic contact dermatitis; a linear, puritic (pusy), erythematous (red), papulovesicular (pimpley-like) rash.  The bad news is this:  the rash becomes worse over the course of a few days if not treated, and typically does not disappear for up to three weeks after contact when it is treated!  Esthetically, it's not very attractive, ladies you won't be able to shave your hairy legs and people will look at you like you have something really awful.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Go online to the site I posted yesterday and educate yourself and your children on how to identify poisonous plants.  Note:  if you have a dog, you can contract a rash by brushing up against the pet.  Dogs are not affected by poison ivy, so if your family pet is exposed, get out the disposable gloves and throw away clothes.  Give the dog the bath of its life and save yourselves some misery.  Stay tuned tomorrow for more on poisonous plants!