References
Every symptom listed below appears in the published medical literature. Each disease section links to peer-reviewed articles on PubMed, the US National Library of Medicine's research database, so you can read the source yourself or share it with your doctor.
Borrelia burgdorferi and related species
Lyme can affect the skin, joints, nerves, brain and heart. The papers below describe the recognised clinical picture, the limits of testing, and persisting symptoms after treatment.
Borrelia in the nervous system
When Borrelia reaches the nervous system the symptoms can look neurological or psychiatric rather than infectious.
Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome
A significant group of people remain unwell after standard antibiotics. These papers describe that pattern and the research into why it happens.
Laboratory diagnosis
Standard antibody testing is indirect and its accuracy varies with the stage of illness and the test used — one reason a negative result does not settle the question.
Babesia spp.
A malaria-like parasite of the red blood cells, carried by the same ticks as Borrelia. Co-infection is linked with more severe illness.
Bartonella spp.
Bartonella is well documented as a cause of neurological, eye, skin and psychiatric symptoms — a pattern often mistaken for a mental health diagnosis.
Anaplasma, Ehrlichia
Acute, sometimes dangerous tick-borne bacterial infections that present as a severe flu with abnormal blood counts.
Mycoplasma spp.
A stealth bacterium without a cell wall, studied both as a respiratory pathogen with wide-ranging effects outside the lungs and in chronic fatigue research.
Mercury, lead and other metals
Metal exposure produces neurological and cognitive symptoms that overlap heavily with chronic tick-borne illness, and can keep people unwell when infection alone is treated.
Damp indoor environments, mycotoxins
Damp and mould exposure is linked with fatigue, respiratory and inflammatory symptoms, and is one of the most common reasons recovery stalls.
Take the free, confidential self-check. It takes around five minutes and your answers are reviewed by a practitioner.
Start my LymeCheckThese references are provided for information only. They are not a diagnosis and do not replace advice from a qualified clinician.