Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is caused by ticks carrying the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium and other co-infections such as babesia, Bartonella, etc., and can lead to various symptoms, including visual disturbances. As the infection affects your nervous system, you may experience blurred vision, sensitivity to light, or eye pain. The expert teams at DeyeNAMICS in California, Connecticut, Iowa, and Texas, can provide an early diagnosis and treatment to help manage these visual issues and prevent long-term complications related to Lyme disease. Call the friendly staff to schedule an appointment or click to book online now.

What is Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is called “the Great Mimicker” because its symptoms and characteristics mimic those of other diseases. The symptoms can often resemble concussions, multiple sclerosis, and other diseases.

Lyme disease is an infectious illness caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted to humans through bites from infected black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks. 

Tick-borne infections are passed from animals to humans. Lyme disease and co-infections are vector-borne diseases transmitted by not only ticks, but also mosquitos and fleas transmit the diseases from animals like mice, rats, and squirrels to humans when they bite. The most common co-infections were Babesia (32%), Bartonella (28%), Ehrlichia (15%), Mycoplasma (15%), Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (6%), Anaplasma (5%), and Tularemia (1%). 

The disease is named after Lyme, Connecticut, where it was first identified in 1975. Lyme disease can affect various body systems, including the skin, joints, heart, and nervous system.

What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?

Symptoms of Lyme disease can vary and typically develop in stages. Early symptoms often include a distinctive rash called erythema migrans, which resembles a “bull’s-eye” pattern, and flu-like symptoms like fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, and joint pain. The “bulls-eye” rash is not always present.

If left untreated, Lyme disease can progress to more severe symptoms, such as arthritis, particularly in the knees and other large joints; neurological issues like facial palsy, meningitis, or neuropathy; and heart problems, including heart palpitations and inflammation of the heart.

How does Lyme disease affect vision?

Lyme disease can affect vision in several ways, primarily through its impact on the nervous system. Neurological complications from Lyme disease, often referred to as Lyme neuroborreliosis, can lead to visual disturbances. You might experience symptoms such as:

• Blurred vision
• Sensitivity to light
• Eye pain or discomfort
• Double vision
• Difficulty with balance and spatial orientation
• Headaches
• Eye-strain

These visual issues arise because Lyme disease can cause inflammation to visual processing areas in the brain, affecting eye teaming, convergence focusing, eye tracking, and other eye-related functions. In some cases, Lyme disease can lead to conditions like uveitis (inflammation of the middle layer of the eye) or conjunctivitis.

Recently published research (Padula, Sayyed 2023) found a ‘whitish ring’ called peri-papillary ischemia, surrounding the optic nerve in the retina of the eye is a biomarker of Lyme related disease. This can be caused by biofilms blocking blood flow to small vessels in the retina of the eye.

How are vision and eye issues caused by Lyme disease addressed?

The tick-borne infection will affect the brain, causing dysfunction in visual processing that, in turn, interferes with eye-muscle coordination, focusing, movement, and balance. The visual processing dysfunction reduces the visual processing ‘plasticity’ affecting the ability to adapt to changes.

Treating the disease through the use of antibiotics will not balance the dysfunction in visual processing caused by the tick-borne infection. The DeyeNAMICS experts address the visual iin several ways.

Ophthalmic evaluation

Your provider performs a thorough eye exam to assess the extent of visual disturbances and identify any specific eye conditions caused by Lyme disease.

Neuro-visual rehabilitation

For persistent visual disturbances, the doctor may recommend specialized therapies to address visual processing issues and improve visual function.

Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to prevent long-term complications and manage symptoms effectively. If you suspect Lyme disease, seeking medical care promptly can help minimize the impact on your vision and overall health.

Call for an appointment or book online today to address your vision concerns caused by Lyme disease.