Lyme Disease: Five of the Leading Educational Books Reviewed
Each year, May is 'International Lyme Disease Awareness Month' and there's no better way to learn about the disease than from the experts themselves. We take a look at some of the most popular educational books about Lyme Disease. The below reviews are excerpts from LymeDisease.org, a website dedicated to educating the public about the disease.
Why Can’t I get Better? Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease
Richard Horowitz
"Dr. Richard Horowitz’s new book looks at pain, fatigue, memory and concentration problems, sleep disorders and much much more. Lyme disease and its related conditions are incredibly complicated. Different patients can have completely different sets of symptoms. And treatments that work for some patients might not help others at all.
Through his years of working with more than 12,000 Lyme disease patients—many of whom had been sick for years and had failed many treatments before they even came to see him—Dr. Richard Horowitz has developed a new way of looking at the complex factors that embody this disease."
Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Epidemic
Pamela Weintraub
"In the chaotic early days of my daughter’s illness, when we trying to make sense of her bizarre symptoms and the equally bizarre reactions we were getting from the medical establishment, I didn’t want to read about the history and controversy surrounding Lyme disease. I just wanted somebody to figure out what was wrong with her and fix it.
You’ll often find the same response from “newbies” in the online support groups. “Don’t give me a history lesson. Just tell me how to get well.”
When people develop cancer or diabetes or any number of other conditions, they don’t have to read a book about the history of the disease in order to find appropriate treatment. Unfortunately, Lyme disease is a whole ’nother ballgame. With Lyme disease, you will never understand what you are up against if you don’t educate yourself about the convoluted history of this complex illness."
The Beginner's Guide to Lyme Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment Made Simple
Nicola McFadzean
"One of the most important things a person with Lyme disease needs is information. Because of the peculiar politics connected with Lyme and the crazy stuff that comes with it, people must do their own research to make sure they get the care they need. Websites and social media can help point you in the right direction, but the flood of often-conflicting information on the internet can be utterly overwhelming.
I daresay that if you were writing a book about diabetes, lung cancer, or just about any other health condition, you would not need to start out with a section about the politics of that disease. But such background is crucial for anyone seeking treatment for Lyme disease."
The Lyme Disease Solution
Kenneth B. Singleton
"When my family and I needed to quickly come up to speed about Lyme disease several years ago, I looked for a book that would take me by the hand and explain all the complex stuff I needed to know. I never found one at the time. I wish I’d had a copy of The Lyme Disease Solution, by Kenneth Singleton, MD, MPH. (Brown Books, 2008). Dr. Singleton himself suffered from undiagnosed Lyme disease for eight years. Now, having recovered his own health, he works as a Lyme disease specialist in Maryland.
This book is a well-organized compendium of information about Lyme disease and co-infections. It starts with the basics: signs, symptoms, diagnostic tests, finding a Lyme-knowledgeable doctor. It moves on to different aspects of treatment: antibiotics, nutritional supplements and various alternative therapies."
Nutritional strategies for healing from Lyme disease
Dr Nicola McFadzean
Changing the way you eat can be difficult enough for people who are generally healthy. Trying to transform dietary habits when you’re chronically ill might seem insurmountable. Yet, according to Lyme-literate naturopath Dr. Nicola McFadzean, improving diet may be one of the most important steps a Lyme patient can take on the road back to health.
In her new book, The Lyme Diet: Nutritional Strategies for Healing from Lyme Disease (Legacy Line Publishing, 2010), McFadzean examines what she calls three pillars of Lyme treatment. These are: killing bugs; strengthening the body (supporting the immune system, improving digestion); and reducing other stressors (heavy metal toxicity, hormone and other imbalances in the body, inadequate nutrition.)
With thanks to Dorothy Kupcha Leland at LymeDisease.org who authored these book reviews.