steve1906
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16206
posted
This is a very good read...My body temp was 95-97 for years...better, but sill not norm.
Heat can be helpful for treating Lyme Disease because the bacteria appears to prefer a low body temperature and is vulnerable to high heat. There are many different sources of heat that can be used to treat this condition. People usually feel a worsening of symptoms before they feel an improvement with the use of heat. The theory is that this is because the heat stirs up the bacteria before it kills it off or triggers the immune system to kill the bacteria off. The use of saunas can be very useful. A far infrared heat lamp can be used on problem areas. Hot baths taken for forty minutes at 102-104 degrees Fahrenheit have been shown to enhance immune system response in people with infectious diseases and auto-immune disorders in a research study done at Bastyr University. A Chinese therapy called moxibustion can also be useful in warming problem areas. The use of cold packs or ice for pain in people with Lyme Disease, fibromyalgia, or CFS is not recommended as these therapies reduce circulation to areas where circulation is likely to already be compromised. Also, the bacteria that causes Lyme Disease appears to prefer a cool environment, so cold therapy may cause real problems in people with this condition. (1)
Many Lyme patients experience exquisite sensitivity to changes in weather patterns. They are sensitive to wind, cold, and humidity. Their body temperature can be generally low. If you take their temperature, it is often below the normal 98.6 degrees. They can have cold extremities, but they can have other parts of their body be cold for no explicable reason. For instance, one muscle group can be extremely cold to the touch, while the area surrounding it is normal temperature. (2)
Exercise will raise your core body temperature, and thereby aid in eradicating the Lyme infections. We know from research that borrelia, the lyme bacteria, thrives in certain areas of the body like the sinuses, collagen tissue underneath the skin, and joints and ligaments due to their scarce blood flow and lower temperature, (Dr. P). It is important not to push too hard when doing exercise. The point is to improve your health, and not to wipe yourself out more.
Another benefit of heat is detoxification-
Unlike most healthy people, Lyme Disease patients have burdened livers and kidneys due to the stress incurred by the inflammation and toxic burden created by a chronic infection. As a result, Lyme Disease patients often have very weak livers and kidneys. Because the liver and kidneys are the primary detoxification organs of the body, detoxification is often stagnant. This can lead to overwhelming symptoms of poisoning by the Lyme Disease neurotoxin.
Detoxifying through the skin (via sweat) lifts the burden from the liver and kidneys because it completely bypasses them. Sweat production allows toxins circulating in the blood to be excreted directly through the skin, removing the necessity for the liver and kidneys to process, store, and eliminate toxins. The vast surface area of the skin allows quick, efficient detoxification without placing a burden on other detoxification organs. (3)
Heat can be helpful for treating Lyme Disease because the bacteria appears to prefer a low body temperature and is vulnerable to high heat. There are many different sources of heat that can be used to treat this condition. People usually feel a worsening of symptoms before they feel an improvement with the use of heat. The theory is that this is because the heat stirs up the bacteria before it kills it off or triggers the immune system to kill the bacteria off. The use of saunas can be very useful. A far infrared heat lamp can be used on problem areas. Hot baths taken for forty minutes at 102-104 degrees Fahrenheit have been shown to enhance immune system response in people with infectious diseases and auto-immune disorders in a research study done at Bastyr University. A Chinese therapy called moxibustion can also be useful in warming problem areas. The use of cold packs or ice for pain in people with Lyme Disease, fibromyalgia, or CFS is not recommended as these therapies reduce circulation to areas where circulation is likely to already be compromised. Also, the bacteria that causes Lyme Disease appears to prefer a cool environment, so cold therapy may cause real problems in people with this condition. (1)
Many Lyme patients experience exquisite sensitivity to changes in weather patterns. They are sensitive to wind, cold, and humidity. Their body temperature can be generally low. If you take their temperature, it is often below the normal 98.6 degrees. They can have cold extremities, but they can have other parts of their body be cold for no explicable reason. For instance, one muscle group can be extremely cold to the touch, while the area surrounding it is normal temperature. (2)
Exercise will raise your core body temperature, and thereby aid in eradicating the Lyme infections. We know from research that borrelia, the lyme bacteria, thrives in certain areas of the body like the sinuses, collagen tissue underneath the skin, and joints and ligaments due to their scarce blood flow and lower temperature, (Dr. P). It is important not to push too hard when doing exercise. The point is to improve your health, and not to wipe yourself out more.
Another benefit of heat is detoxification-
Unlike most healthy people, Lyme Disease patients have burdened livers and kidneys due to the stress incurred by the inflammation and toxic burden created by a chronic infection. As a result, Lyme Disease patients often have very weak livers and kidneys. Because the liver and kidneys are the primary detoxification organs of the body, detoxification is often stagnant. This can lead to overwhelming symptoms of poisoning by the Lyme Disease neurotoxin.
Detoxifying through the skin (via sweat) lifts the burden from the liver and kidneys because it completely bypasses them. Sweat production allows toxins circulating in the blood to be excreted directly through the skin, removing the necessity for the liver and kidneys to process, store, and eliminate toxins. The vast surface area of the skin allows quick, efficient detoxification without placing a burden on other detoxification organs. (3)
Lyme organisms can infect every tissue in the body. A comprehensive treatment protocol should attack it from every possible angle to enhance the chances of success.
The best possible outcomes will happen if a patient is getting the optimal antibiotic and/or herbal treatment protocols from a Lyme-Literate Doctor (LLD) from ILADS, and is also optimizing their overall health by utilizing proper diet and nutrition, protecting their gastrointestinal health, and also using HBOT and FAR-IR Sauna therapy and heavy metal chelation provided at Optimal Health Spectrums.
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
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