Lyme Disease Main Info Page

What Is Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness infectious disease transmitted to humans by a black-legged deer tick; these ticks may carry up to twenty diseases. It was first reported in 1975 in the town of Old Lyme, Connecticut in the United States. At that time, 39 children were diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and 12 adults were diagnosed of arthritis of an unknown cause.

Wilhelm Burgdorfer, a scientist who was studying Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, discovered the tick connection along with the bacterium, a spirochete, that causes Lyme. The tick becomes infected after feeding on infected mice or deer. The tick must be on the skin 24 to 48 hours to transmit the infection.

A Subset of PANS/PANDAS

Lyme is part of the larger umbrella of PANS/PANDAS, which stand for Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal Infections. These are conditions usually, but not always, characterized by a sudden onset of severe neuropsychiatric symptoms, including obsessive-compulsive behaviors and tics, often following infections. PANS is a broader term that includes various infections and toxic exposures, while PANDAS specifically relates to streptococcal infections.

Whack-A-Mole

Both Lyme disease and PANS/PANDAS are usually not caused by infection from a single pathogen. Instead, there are usually multiple pathogens at play. Patients and clinicians who dial in on a single infection with a singular type of therapy (often antibiotics) will often end up playing “Whack-A-Mole”, meaning that therapies that address one pathogen do not address symptoms caused by another pathogen, which may have come to the fore after its rival has been weakened or seemingly eradicated.

Ultimately, these pathogens can produce symptoms when the body’s innate immune system has been weakened due to acute and/or chronic stressors.

A Clinical Diagnosis

Both Lyme disease and PANS/PANDAS are clinical diagnoses, meaning that even if all tests for these pathogens have negative results, a child could still be diagnosed with either of these conditions because of presenting symptoms.

Only the Acute Phase, Not the Chronic Phase, Is Recognized by Mainstream Medicine

Mainstream medicine typically only recognizes the acute, initial phase of Lyme diesease (see discussion, below). However, because many people don’t understand these symptoms, they or their healthcare practitioners may dismiss the symptoms and/or treat only the acute phase with antibiotics for a short period of time. For patients presenting with an erythema migrans rash, the CDC recommends a 10- to 14-day course of oral antibiotics, typically doxycycline.

However, most people don’t develop a bullseye rash. At our 2023 conference, Tom Moorcroft DO explained that only half of his patients with Lyme disease developed a rash after a tick bite. In addition, “the bullseye rash is only present about 20% to 30% of the time when you actually have a rash.”

Thus, the disease often progresses to the chronic phase (discussed below). This phase is often under-recognized by mainstream medicine, and there is no standard-of-care protocol for it.

Antibiotics Have Limitations

As Teresa Holler PA-C explained in our interview of her, “The problem is when you put doxycycline on board, that (Lyme disease) spirochete is going to round itself up and hide in a ball, and that’s called a round body, which is a type of persister cell. And doxycycline has been shown to double the round bodies when you put it on board. So that’s why if I use doxycycline, I always partner with an herb that kills round bodies or just use the herb”. The role of herbal medicine is discussed in more depth below in the Lyme Disease Healing Checklist section.

Understand That the Goal Is Not to Kill Lyme and Lyme Co-Infections Pathogens

In our expert interview of Bill Rawls MD, he emphasized that trying to “kill the pathogens” as a sole approach is not effective for Lyme disease. Total eradication may not be realistic or even possible. He warned that antibiotics are toxic to cells in the body and that aggressive antibiotic regimens or other kill-focused treatments often make people sicker in the long run or provide only brief improvements, after which symptoms may return or worsen. In addition, he added that attempts to kill everything with therapies such as antibiotics and aggressive ozone can be futile for dormant or slow-growing microbes.

The Goal Is to Strengthen the Immune System to Maintain Suppression of Pathogens

Instead, the focus of treatment should be on restoring the body’s ability to contain and mute the effects of pathogenic microbes rather than waging war against them. Thus, it’s not about the microbes; it’s about the ability of the body to keep the microbes contained. Dr. Rawls believes that suppression of these microbes must be maintained rather than aiming for a once-and-for-all cure based on a “kill all the microbes” mentality.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease

Lyme disease occurs in three stages: early localized, early disseminated and late disseminated. Symptoms will depend on the different stages.

Stage 1: Early Localized Disease

Symptoms often begin to appear within one to two weeks of being bitten by the tick. One of the earliest signs is a bull’s-eye rash which means that the bacteria are multiplying rapidly in the bloodstream. The rash occurs at the tick-bite spot and is a red spot surrounded by a clear spot with red edges. It may be warm to touch but will disappear in about four weeks. The rash is called erythema migrans, and it is characteristic of Lyme; some people have a rash that is solid red, and others with olive tone skin may have a rash that resembles a bruise.

Stage 2: Early Disseminated Lyme Disease

This stage of the disease happens several weeks after the bite. Bacteria are spreading throughout the body, and many people begin to have flu-like symptoms:

• Vision changes
• Fatigue
• Muscle aches
• Headaches

There may be rashes appearing in other areas of the body. Neurological signs of Bell’s palsy or numbness and tingling may occur. 

Stage 3: Late Disseminated Lyme Disease or Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS)

When the disease has progressed and not been treated in the earlier stages, then more-severe symptoms may occur because the disease can spread to the nervous system, heart and joints:

• Numbness in extremities (arms, legs, hands and/or feet)
• Loss of motor coordination
• Severe muscle spasms
• Meningitis
• Intermittent paralysis
• Sensory processing issues
• Vision processing issues
• Auditory processing issues

Lyme Co-Infections

Co-infections are extremely common in Lyme disease and can cause consternation in treatment because as one infection is diminished, a co-infection takes over, leading to “Whack-A-mole” (mentioned above) and a recurrence of symptoms or emergence of new symptoms. These co-infections are important to consider and test for when testing for Lyme. Some possible co-infections include:

• Leptospirosis
• Pneumonia
• Coxsackie virus
• Chronic strep infections and their mutations
• Babesia
• Brucella
• Ehrlichia
• Anaplasma
• Bartonella
• Mycoplasma
• Rickettsia
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Babesia

Babesia is a piroplasm parasite rather than an infection and can be passed on from a mother to an unborn child or through blood transfusions. Blood banks do not screen for the presence of Babesia. Cucurmin is anti-inflammatory with antimalaria compounds and can help attenuate Babesia symptoms such as:

• Chest pain
• Muscle aching
• Excessive sweating (night sweats)

Bartonella

Bartonella is a form of bacteria that lives within the blood vessel linings of the body. The bacteria move through red blood cells, making it difficult to destroy; consequently patients suffer from relapse of symptoms such as:

• Strange, rash-like stretch marks
• Lymph nodes may swell
• Psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety

Ehrlichia

Ehrlichia is a general term to describe a host of bacterial diseases including anaplasmosis. Symptoms are similar:

• Severe conditions:
  • Low platelet count
  • Anemia
  • Kidney failure

Mycoplasma

These are very tiny bacteria – 4,000 of them can fit within a single red blood cell. Mycoplasma infection is one of the primary causes of rheumatoid arthritis. They can cause pneumonia and have been linked to:

• PANS/PANDAS
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Mycoplasma often provoke autoimmune issues and can be linked to magnesium deficiency. Symptoms of infection can include:

• Cough
• Sore throat

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF)

This tick-borne infection is caused by an interaction with the bacterium Rickettsia; the illness can be spread through the bite of various infected tick species including the Rocky Mountain wood tick. Symptoms include:

• Vomiting
• Conjunctival injection
• Lack of appetite
• Abdominal pain

This fever can be fatal if not treated within the initial few days of symptoms. These patients do not do well with sulfa drugs.

Epstein Barr Virus (EBV)

Up to 95% of the world population may be infected with EBV – a virus found within the herpes family. EBV uses DNA methylation to hide from the immune system and stays within the resting memory B cells. B cells change with the immune system, protecting the virus and allowing it to proliferate without being detected. Symptoms can include:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Possible jaundice

Human Herpes Virus-6 (HHV-6)

HHV-6 is a herpes virus discovered in the mid-1980s and is active in almost all Lyme disease patients. Even though HHV-6 is a co-infection, it is really an opportunistic virus waiting to strike. Symptoms can include:

• Memory issues
• Possible connection to cancer through protein P53

What Your Doctor May Tell You About Lyme Disease

Your child’s doctor will probably want to know the specific symptoms your child has experienced and your child’s complete medical history. Some doctors may not even consider Lyme disease or will misdiagnose it; this is a very common scenario. If your child has autism, PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) or PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome), it is most likely your doctor will not consider Lyme disease as comorbid with these diagnoses.

Typical Western Medicine Treatment of Lyme Disease

Mainstream medicine typically believes that Lyme disease is caused by a singular pathogenic infection, instead of the multiple co-infections often coming along for the the ride. To that end, typical treatments include:

Antibiotics

Antibiotics must often be given over several weeks or months to see improvement. Many children require multiple rounds of antibiotics, and some stay on antibiotics prophylactically for years. However, antibiotics can severely alter, often permanently, the microbiome in the gut, which is where most of the body’s immune system is.

In essence, giving antibiotics may “win the battle, but lose the war” because they can alter the body’s immune function and often cause an overgrowth of fungus, such as from Candida albicans. In addition, antibiotics only work against bacterial infection, so they won’t help in the case of viral, parastic or fungal infection as well as environmental toxic assault.

Steroids and NSAIDs

Both steroids and NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) have been documented to reduce symptoms in children with Lyme disease, which is a clue that inflammation is part of what’s behind the child’s symptoms. However, long-term use of either of these kinds of pharmaceuticals is hard on the body and can cause strain on the liver’s detoxification process as well as lead to nutritional deficiencies, thereby potentially leading to additional symptoms further on down the road. In addition, steroids can disrupt the microbiome in the gut, which can lead to more symptoms later on.

Antidepressants

Your child’s doctor may typically address your child’s behavioral and emotional symptoms with psychotropic pharmaceuticals such as anti-depressants. However, anti-depressants often have a “black box” warning against these medications for children because they can increase the risk of more aggressive behavior and suicidal ideation. If your child is taking anti-depressants, we recommend viewing any or all of our expert interviews about the subject:

• How Functional Psychiatry Can Lower Symptoms of Depression with James Greenblatt MD
• Teen Depression and Anxiety with Laurie Goldman MD
• Nutritional Supplementation for Neurodevelopmental and Mood Disorders with James Greenblatt MD

In addition, we recommend reading our review of James Greenblatt MD’s book, Finally Hopeful: The Personalized, Whole-Body Plan to Find and Fix the Root Causes of Your Depression. In addition, you can find our category page here for additional articles, interviews, success stories and suggested books.

Testing for Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease Specific Testing

If your doctor considers Lyme disease, they will likely use a common medical blood test that checks the antibodies to whatever Lyme disease bacteria your child has. The Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) is recommended by most doctors for Lyme disease, and the Western Blot antibody test is also given to confirm the results of the ELISA.

Your child may have to do other tests such as an MRI, EKG or spinal tap, depending on the areas affected by the Lyme disease. Conventional lab tests are not always reliable, however; for a more accurate lab test, consider the test from I-Genex Labs.

It is important to note that titers are NOT always indicative of an infection.

Titers are often only moderately elevated, or not elevated at all in some children with Lyme disease. Because lab tests are not always reliable, the diagnosis of Lyme disease is a clinical diagnosis. This means that your healthcare provider may base his or her diagnosis on your child’s history and symptoms.

PANS Specific Testing

Because PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) is the broader umbrella under which Lyme disease falls, additional testing may need to be done to check for:

• PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections)
• Specific viruses, especially herpetic viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus and herpes simplex viruses
• Pathogenic bacterial infection, such as Staphylococcus aureus
• Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection
  
• Influenza infection
• Heavy metals and other toxins
• Mold toxicity with a test from Mycometrics: mold-toxicity and Lyme symptoms are often the same. However, it is possible and common that a person with Lyme disease also has mold toxicity.

Please remember that is quite possible, and often common, for a child to have multiple infections simultaneously, so it is a good idea to test for all of the above triggers before deciding on a course of action.

Another Way to Think About Lyme Disease

Maternal Inheritance

Many cases of Lyme-induced autism and Lyme-induced PANDAS and PANS are occurring because a whole generation of women have been misdiagnosed with other autoimmune conditions instead of Lyme and are passing the infection on to their children in utero and during childbirth. Umbilical cords, placenta, fetuses and newborn infants have been found to have the same pathogens and co-infections causing Lyme.

Here are some of the overlapping symptoms of babies and children with Lyme, autism, PANDAS and PANS:

• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Upset stomach
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Change in bowel function (constipation, diarrhea)
• Abdominal pain
• Joint stiffness, pain or swelling
• Muscle pain or cramps
• Loss of muscle tone
• Arthritis that migrates from joint to joint
• Visual processing challenges
• Sensitivity to light (photophobia)
• Dizziness
• Poor balance
• Increased motion sickness
• Irritable bladder or urine control problems, bowel incontinence
• Delayed development in babies and toddlers

Lyme in these children can make them more fragile and vulnerable to environmental triggers such as injury or reactions to toxic exposures, EMF exposures, and co-infections. If your child has Lyme disease, we recommend that the child’s mother be tested for it as well.

Autoimmune Disorder

Lyme disease is an autoimmune disorder caused by an inflammatory infection. The strength of a person’s immune system is the most important factor in fighting this disease. The stronger the immune system, the more successful the battle. According to Columbia University Medical Center, not everyone who tests positive for the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria will experience symptoms of Lyme; infection depends on the strength of the immune system. Even the worst infections may not test positive for Borrelia burgdorferi; it might take the first treatment to show positive for Lyme. This is known as the “Lyme paradox”.

Ticks can transfer numerous diseases through co-infections. Sixty percent of ticks carry more than one disease-causing pathogen. Testing for co-infections is not always reliable, and therefore, an evaluation of symptoms and patient histories can help with diagnoses. Each pathogen transmitted through a tick bite develops its own set of unique features and symptoms.

It’s important to understand the unique complexities of each infection found with Lyme disease to know which co-infection might be present. Ticks host hundreds of different microbes and co-infections are a strong possibility. This is the reason why Lyme disease is so difficult to treat because of the potential for co-infection. A survey of over 3,000 patients with chronic Lyme disease found that more than 50% were affected by co-infections and at least 30% suffering from two or more infections.

Co-infections are the reason why some people remain chronically ill even after being treated for Lyme disease.

Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic resistance is extremely high with Borrelia burgdorferi and co-infection microbes; the longer the bacteria remain, the more resistant they become. Antibiotics destroy the microbiome, which are the intestinal flora that strengthen the immune system. Antibiotics in general kill both the bad bacteria and the good bacteria, thereby suppressing the immune system. Antibiotics increase infections from Candida and other fungi, reducing immune function and increasing antibiotic-resistant infection.

A recent study concluded that at least one-third of pediatric antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary and that antibiotics are responsible for about 70,000 visits to the emergency room by kids in the United States.

Lyme Disease Healing Checklist

Find a Lyme-Literate, Terrain-Based Practitioner That Doesn’t Solely Focus on Antibiotics

We advise caution on seeking out “Lyme-literate” doctors who only use antibiotics to treat Lyme because antibiotics may improve symptoms in the short term while destroying beneficial bacteria that are necessary for long-term immune function. Many Lyme-literate doctors have their patients on courses of antibiotics for years at a time.

Instead, we recommend working with a practitioner that treats the whole child to implement the following terrain-focused recommendations.

Regulate the Nervous System

The effects of Lyme and Lyme co-infections most often come to surface after an intense period of stress or trauma. A child may have been exposed to these pathogens long ago, even in utero, but Lyme-related symptoms may not appear until after intense stress has been experienced. “Stress” doesn’t necessarily refer to psychological or emotional stress, but instead can refer to any root cause that increases the total load of factors that contribute to chronic health conditions. An individual’s response to stress can vary from person to person.

The body cannot heal or deal well with stress if it is in a constant state of stress, danger and/or fight-or-flight (nervous-system dysregulation). Providing your child with ways to regulate the nervous system with mind-body-spirit therapies, neurodevelopmental therapies (if appropriate), and other healing basics can help your child deal with stress in a helpful way.

Strengthen the Immune System

Reducing prolonged stress and balancing the nervous system, as noted above, enhances immune response by lowering stress hormones such as cortisol, which suppress immune function. Stimulating the vagus nerve shifts the body into a parasympathetic “rest and heal” state, which supports better immunity and inflammation control. Proper nervous-system function ensures balanced release of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and acetylcholine that modulate immune cell activity in organs like the spleen and lymph nodes.

Lyme disease cannot not be treated successfully without strengthening the immune system. This comes from nervous-system regulation, as discussed above, as well as items discussed below, such as healing the gut. In addition, working with a naturopath or functional-medicine practitioner can help to address nutritional deficiencies such as vitamin D that may be affecting the ability of your child’s immune system to work well.

Heal the Gut

The gastrointestinal tract is home to about 70-80% of the body’s immune system. Thus, it’s worth devoting your time and energy to this area to learn more about how you can support your child’s immune system. If your child has constipation, diarrhea or other forms of gastrointestinal distress such as acid reflux, click on those clicks for more information. These symptoms are indications that your child’s immune system is not working as well as it could be.

We recommend that you first check for food sensitivities and intolerances by doing an elimination diet. Taking the time to do this is worth it, as you’ll likely find that removing certain foods such as gluten, casein, eggs, corn or soy – depending on your child’s symptoms after reintroduction – can have profound effects on improving other seemingly unrelated symptoms.

If gastrointestinal symptoms or other immune system symptoms are still present after an elimination diet, we recommend looking into doing a gut-healing diet such as the GAPS, SCD, Body Ecology Diet or Paleo/primal diet. These diets help to rebalance the gut microbiome. An imbalance of “good” versus “bad” pathogens in the gut microbiome (known as gut dysbiosis) can contribute to immune dysregulation, The goal is not to kill pathogens but instead to crowd them out so that they don’t create symptoms or negative effects.

(Most symptoms improve with these diets unless there are additional sensitivities to common food constitutents such as phenols, salicylates, glutamate, histamine, or oxalates. We recommend reading Julie Matthew’s book The Personalized Autism Nutrition Plan: Nourishing Hope for Kids with ASD, ADHD, Anxiety, and Neurodevelopmental Delays for more information on how to suss out how to address these additional concerns.)

Work with a Knowledgeable Herbalist

Herbs, in contrast to antibiotics, offer a gentler, broader, and more sustainable way to “suppress the microbes” while simultaneously supporting and protecting host cells. Unlike antibiotics, herbs do not disrupt normal gut flora or create antibiotic-resistant pathogens. We have interviewed several experts about using herbs for Lyme disease; click on the links below to watch the replays.

• How to Recover When You’ve Hit Your Boiling Point with Bill Rawls MD
• Lyme on a Budget with Teresa Holler MS PA-C
• Non-Pharmaceutical Treatment of Lyme Disease and Co-Infections with Lee Cowden MD MD(H)

In addition, we have written reviews of two books about using herbs for Lyme disease:

• The Cellular Wellness Solution: Tap Into Your Full Health Potential with the Science-Backed Power of Herbs by Bill Rawls MD
• The Lyme Solution: A 5-Part Plan by Darin Ingels ND FAAEM

Reduce Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of any chonic disease, including chronic Lyme disease. One of the best ways to reduce inflammation is to optimize blood-sugar levels so that fasting levels remain between 70-85 mg/dl. High blood-sugar levels cause inflammation and can cause the body to release excess cortisol to fight the inflammation. By having your child eat low-glycemic foods (think fat, fiber and protein with no or little sugar and processed carbohydrates) and following our recommendations in this article, this goal can likely be achieved.

Another way to lower inflammation, especially for Lyme disease and autoimmune disorders, is with the use of Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN). Naltrexone is an old pharmaceutical prescribed to manage alcohol and opiate addiction, and lower doses of it (0.5-6.0 mg) are typically prescribed off-label to manage neurological symptoms associated with inflammation. It has very little side effects and no known toxicity. You can learn more about it from Lyme expert Darin Ingels ND here.

Detoxify the Body and Home from Mold and Other Environmental Toxins

Toxicity can be a significant contributing factor to the persistence and severity of Lyme disease symptoms. Peer-reviewed medical research (see Sources & References, below) suggests that lingering symptoms can be driven by toxin burden as well as other factors mentioned above such as inflammation and immune dysregulation.

Toxicity can come in many forms, but environmental toxins such as mold and heavy metals are the most studied so far. In our conversations with experts, clinicians and patients, a hidden mold problem is often the cause of continuing symptoms. If healing has plateaued for your child, we urge you to look into mold exposure at home or at their school. If symptoms improve when on vacation, that can be an indication that there is a hidden mold problem.

It’s worth watching our expert interviews of P.J. Harlow, Corey Levy and Alex Stadtner before diving into remediating mold. If you discover hidden mold, we encourage you to work with a healthcare practitioner who is experienced in treating children with mold, mycotoxin and biotoxin illnesses; you can find some listed in our practitioner directory here. We also recommend reading our success stories in which mold played a part here.

According to a 2005 report by the Environmental Working Group entitled Body Burden: The Pollution in Newborns, our babies are born “pre-polluted”. Unless a mother takes conscious steps to detoxify, toxins are passed on from mother to child throughout generations, and these toxins bioaccumulate. We invite you to explore our resources about gentle ways to detoxify your child’s body with detoxification strategies and homotoxicology.

Lessen EMF Exposure

Another type of environmental toxin that is not often considered is exposure from EMFs (ElectroMagnetic Fields), as well as electrical fields. Exposure to these types of fields has been documented in the medical literature to disrupt sleep quality, cause stress, disrupt the immune system, elevate blood sugar and cortisol, suppress melatonin, and cause cognitive impairment. All of these factors can and often do affect children with Lyme disease and other chronic health conditions.

Mitigation of EMFs significantly helped a child with Alopecia universalis in our first FLIGHT study.

You can find more of our resources about EMFs here.

Consider a Platelet Therapy

Platelet therapies such as plasmapheresis, IVIG, PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) and TruDose™ can and have been used to increase platelet numbers in children and adults with Lyme disease, PANS/PANDAS and other autoimmune disorders, including autism. You can learn about the different kinds of platelet therapies mentioned above here. Because all of these conditions are essentially immune-system disorders, increasing platelets gives the body more “soldiers” in the immune system’s “army” to contain and suppress immune-system invaders. Remember that the goal is not to kill pathogens but to have a strong-enough immune system that keeps pathogens in check.

Platelet therapies are, by nature, invasive and need to be performed in a controlled medical environment such as a hospital, medical office, or at home by a trained nurse. They can also be expensive and are not always covered by insurance. Some of these therapies use a person’s own platelets that are then reinjected, while others, such as IVIG, use platelets collected from other people.

In our conversations with experts in the field, such as this interview of Tapley Holland, the developer of TruDose™ and Adam Breiner ND, the more work that is done on the foundational levels, such as the recommendations listed above, the more “bang for the buck” you’ll get. In other words, platelet therapies are not a silver bullet for healing from these conditions. Instead, the total load of stressors must be lessened first.

Other Items to Consider

Please review the lists in the blue box below to see if there are other diet, lifestyle and therapies to consider. Click on the small white circles at the bottom of the box to advance to the next subject.

Steps to Prevent Tick Bites

Wooded outdoor areas for camping and hiking are prime areas where these deer ticks can be found. Domestic animals let out to roam the woods may also carry ticks. The following action items can help to prevent tick bites:

• Wear light color clothing with long sleeves in high-risk outside areas
• Tuck your pants into your socks to keep ticks from crawling up your legs
• When walking in wooded or grassy areas where ticks live, use a natural tick repellant on your clothing and exposed skin
• Stay on the trail when hiking by walking in the center of trails to avoid high grass
• Change your clothes after walking or hiking as soon as you get home
• Wash yourself and always do complete self-checking when checking for ticks by thoroughly examining the skin and scalp
• Don’t forget to check your pets for ticks
• Always wear protective clothing
• Maintain your lawn by keeping the grass short and make sure you dry your wood pile
• Replace deer-friendly plants on your property

Essential Oils That Can Repel Ticks

• Rose-geranium oil can be effective at deterring ticks. Combine equal parts rose-geranium oil and coconut oil and apply regularly to your arms, neck, waist and ankles.
• Lemon-eucalyptus oil can be as effective as DEET in preventing both mosquito and tick bites. Mix 30 drops of lemon eucalyptus oil with four ounces of witch hazel or apple cider vinegar or vodka.
• Citronella and eucalyptus oils along with oils of lavender, juniper, oregano and clove also can be effective at repelling ticks but need to be applied more frequently than a chemical repellant. Combine the oils with equal parts of water or alcohol, shake and apply.

For more information about essential oils, view our category page here.

About Maria Rickert Hong CHHC

Prior to working on Wall Street, she was a marketing specialist for Halliburton in New Orleans, where she also received her MBA in Finance & Strategy from Tulane University.

She is the author of the bestselling book Almost Autism: Recovering Children from Sensory Processing Disorder and the co-author of Brain Under Attack: A Resource for Parents and Caregivers of Children with PANS, PANDAS, and Autoimmune Encephalitis. She is a co-author of Reversal of Autism Symptoms among Dizygotic Twins through a Personalized Lifestyle and Environmental Modification Approach: A Case Report and Review of the Literature, J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(6), 641.

Maria is also a Certified Holistic Health Counselor. Her work can be found on DocumentingHope.com, Healing.DocumentingHope.com, Conference.DocumentingHope.com and MariaRickertHong.com

About Teresa Badillo

She won a court case in 1995 against the Rockland County School District in New York to enable ARC Prime Time for Kids to be the first school using Applied Behavioral Analysis teaching method for autism that was paid for by the Rockland County School District. The following year she was instrumental in getting the New York Minister of Education to approve an extension of the ARC license from 5 to 21 years.

She has worked over the years in a number of alternative medical practices with doctors and practitioners organizing various biomedical intervention options for children with autism. Since the mid 1990s, Teresa has served on several boards:

• Foundation for Children with Developmental Disabilities
• The Autoimmunity Project
• Developmental Delayed Resources
• Epidemic Answers

She continues to consult and advise parents on all different areas of autism especially nutritional protocols. Since 2006 she has worked with NutraOrgana, LLC and BioCellular Analysis Testing. She currently researches, writes the newsletter and blogs Teresa’s Corner for The Autism Exchange (AEX). She also writes blog posts and pages for Documenting Hope.

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