Beating Lyme: Understanding and Treating This Complex and Often Misdiagnosed Disease [Paperback]

Constance A. Bean (Author), Lesley Ann Fein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 25, 2008 | ISBN-10: 081440944X | ISBN-13: 978-0814409442 | Edition: 1

More than 30 years after it was first diagnosed, Lyme disease remains one of our most misunderstood illnesses. This frequently misdiagnosed infection is spreading at an alarming rate and, if not treated early, can cause debilitating symp­toms. More than 1.7 million people in the United States, and many others in Europe and Asia, currently have Lyme and are unaware or can't find the right treatment. Finally, Beating Lyme offers those who struggle with it the guidance to get the help they need. A respected health author and educator, Constance Bean is an authority on this elusive illness. In 1993 she was diagnosed with Lyme and has spent the past 14 years researching its treatments and diagnoses. In Beating Lyme readers will find comforting, hard-won advice on such topics as: • what Lyme is and how to recognize the symptoms • what to do after a tick bite • how to protect family and friends • how to get the best treatment and what to do if insurance won't cover it • living with long-term Lyme disease Compassionate and thoroughly researched, this is a book that will help both doctors and patients understand and conquer this complex illness.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Author and health educator Bean (Methods of Childbirth), along with Lyme disease awareness activist Fein, present the complete story of Lyme disease, a resilient and difficult-to-treat disease transmitted by deer ticks: its identification in 1975, the two-decade increase in reported cases (it's now "the fastest-growing infectious disease in America"), symptoms (which can be "arthritic, neurological, behavioral, cardiac, dermatological, muscular, or otherwise"), diagnosis and, most disturbingly, the disconnect between two powerful groups of physicians regarding its treatment. "Just as likely to be found in suburban yards as they are in woods and fields, or among coastal bushes and grass," the deer tick's ubiquity accounts for cases in 46 states in 2006 alone; alarmingly, "at least 10 percent" of contractors become chronically ill due to lack of treatment, which "remains remarkably unavailable" unless the bite is caught promptly. Occurring as both acute and chronic disease, Lyme has a cost to society of "about $2 billion a year" total; the authors' recommendations for avoiding exposure to deer ticks, as well as detailed information on diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical treatments, will prove useful to readers and medical personnel in Lyme-endemic regions.
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Review

"With summer approaching, this is a useful book for anyone planning to spend time outdoors. Recommended for public and consumer health libraries." --Library Journal

“A new book, called Beating Lyme: Understanding and Treating This Complex and Often Misdiagnosed Disease, provides insight into the arguments that supporters of the chronic Lyme viewpoint make in favor of aggressively treating the condition. The book recounts the experiences of those who say they have long-lasting and at times debilitating symptoms of the condition years after being bitten by a tick.” —U.S. News & World Report

“The authors’ recommendations for avoiding exposure to deer ticks, as well as detailed information on diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical treatments, will prove useful to readers and medical personnel in Lyme-endemic regions.” —Publishers Weekly

“Public health workers, teachers, parents, and those who suspect that they may be afflicted with Lyme disease must read this valuable book and share it with their medical practitioner. If the doctor proves resistant to the information, reader may avail themselves of other resources provided by the authors to obtain the care that will bring them relief.” —ForeWord Magazine

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 17 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM; 1 edition (June 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081440944X
• ISBN-13: 978-0814409442
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #444,297 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't really tell you how to beat Lyme, March 23, 2009

By 

Kimberly Kooyers "Kim" (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beating Lyme: Understanding and Treating This Complex and Often Misdiagnosed Disease (Paperback)

I've read both this book and Pamela Weintraub's "Cure Unknown." This book touches on why Lyme is complex to diagnos and treat and gets into the history and politics a bit, but the title is misleading. It really doesn't say how to beat Lyme, not that there are any definitive answers on that anyway. It's an important book in that it's out there, but not nearly as well written or in depth or as good as a read as Weintraub.

Kim
[...]

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mostly Political Information, November 7, 2008

By 

Barb (Plymouth, WI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beating Lyme: Understanding and Treating This Complex and Often Misdiagnosed Disease (Paperback)

This book has a wealth of information on the politics in treatment options for lyme disease patients and their families. This helps the reader to understand the obstacles and attitudes encountered when seeking medical diagnosis and treatment for lyme disease. I was disapointed that there was very little information on actually treating the disease besides the authors own experience. While trying to explain the whole lyme picture, I felt that too much emphasis was put on information that was dated, and not enough newer ideas or research were presented. I had to put the book down numerous times because it felt like the author was rambling on and on about the same thing over and over. Especially difficult for a late stage lyme disease patient with neurological issues to absorb.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great, July 9, 2008

By 

Kathleen Davis - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beating Lyme: Understanding and Treating This Complex and Often Misdiagnosed Disease (Paperback)

Alot of info on the politics of Lyme. Yes Lyme is worse than you think