"Superbly written and researched." --Booklist "Builds a strong case." --Kirkus Lyme disease is spreading rapidly around the globe as ticks move into places they could not survive before. Mary Beth Pfeiffer argues it is the first epidemic to emerge in the era of climate change, infecting millions around the globe. She tells the heart-rending stories of its victims, families whose lives have been destroyed by a single, often unseen, tick bite. Pfeiffer also warns of the emergence of other tick-borne illnesses that make Lyme more difficult to treat and pose their own grave risks. Lyme is an impeccably researched account of an enigmatic disease, making a powerful case for action to fight ticks, heal patients, and recognize humanity's role in a modern scourge.

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the United States, with more than 300,000 cases diagnosed each year. However, doctors are deeply divided on how to diagnose and treat it, giving rise to the controversy known as the “Lyme Wars.” Firmly entrenched camps have emerged, causing physicians, patient communities, and insurance providers to be pitted against one another in a struggle to define Lyme disease and its clinical challenges. Health care providers may not be aware of its diverse manifestations or the limitations of diagnostic tests. Meanwhile, patients have felt dismissed by their doctors and confused by the conflicting opinions and dubious self-help information found online. In this authoritative book, the Columbia University Medical Center physicians Brian A. Fallon and Jennifer Sotsky explain that, despite the vexing “Lyme Wars,” there is cause for both doctors and patients to be optimistic. The past decade’s advances in precision medicine and biotechnology are reshaping our understanding of Lyme disease and accelerating the discovery of new tools to diagnose and treat it, such that the great divide previously separating medical communities is now being bridged. Drawing on both extensive clinical experience and cutting-edge research, Fallon, Sotsky, and their colleagues present these paradigm-shifting breakthroughs in language accessible to both sides. They clearly explain the immunologic, infectious, and neurologic basis of chronic symptoms, the cognitive and psychological impact of the disease, as well as current and emerging diagnostic tests, treatments, and prevention strategies. Written for the educated patient and health care provider seeking to learn more, Conquering Lyme Disease gives an up-to-the-minute overview of the science that is transforming the way we address this complex illness. It argues forcefully that the expanding plague of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases can be confronted successfully and may soon even be reversed.

"When Dr. Richard Horowitz moved to the Hudson Valley over a decade ago to start his own medical practice, he didn't know that he would be jumping into the center of one of the fiercest, most heated medical disputes being waged today. The ongoing debate over Lyme disease as a chronic illness has made it difficult for sufferers to find care, as doctors are in many cases unable or unwilling to diagnose it. This is how once-treatable infections can become chronic, causing disabling conditions that may never be cured. In a field where the number of cases is growing each year and answers remain elusive, Horowitz has made extraordinary progress. His plan represents a paradigm shift, without which, he argues, the suffering will continue. In this book, Horowitz breaks new ground with a 16 Point Differential Diagnostic Map, the basis for his Lyme treatment plan, and an overarching approach to treating all chronic illness. He introduces MSIDS, or Multi-Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome, a new lens on chronic illness that may prove to be an important missing link. And he covers in detail Lyme's leading symptoms and co-infections, including immune dysfunction, sleep disorders, chronic pain and neurodegenerative disorders. This book is an all-in-one source for patients of Lyme and other chronic illnesses to identify their own symptoms and work with their doctors for the best possible treatment outcome"--

Lyme disease has become the fastest-growing infectious disease transmitted by ticks (or other vectors) in the United States, but still remains a condition that is frequently misunderstood, overlooked, and misdiagnosed. Written by a leading practitioner of Lyme-aware medicine, this comprehensive guide will reveal to you the facts about this very serious disease - symptoms of which can mimic cardiac, neurological, and rheumatoid conditions - and will tell you what you need to know about the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of Lyme disease.

Provides information on the history of Lyme disease focusing on the scientific processes involved in its discovery.

A review of research on the ecology of Lyme disease in North America describes how humans get sick, why some years and places are so risky and others not, and offers a new understanding that embraces the complexity of species and their interactions.

AN INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER! “Horowitz is one of the most prominent ‘Lyme literate’ physicians...patients wait for months to see him, and several told me that he had essentially cured them of a disease that nobody else seemed able to treat.” —The New Yorker “If you have suffered from unexplained, chronic or hard-to-treat illness, this book is your pathway to health.” —Mark Hyman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Blood Sugar Solution on Why Can’t I Get Better? From Dr. Richard I. Horowitz, one of the country's foremost doctors, comes a ground-breaking book about diagnosing, treating and healing Lyme, and peeling away the layers that lead to chronic disease. Are you sick, but can’t find any answers why? Do you have a seemingly unconnected collection of symptoms that leave doctors guessing? Or have you been diagnosed, but found that none of the treatments seems to make a difference? You may have Lyme disease and not even know it. Known as “the great imitator,” Lyme disease and its associated co-infections can mimic the symptoms of and often be misdiagnosed as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and even depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and psychosis. In his landmark book, Why Can’t I Get Better?: Solving the Mystery of Lyme & Chronic Disease, renowned internist and leading world expert Dr. Horowitz introduced his revolutionary plan for treating Lyme disease, and chronic diseases in general. Now, in this new handbook How Can I Get Better?, Dr. Horowitz updates his research and offers a direct, actionable step-by-step plan for implementing his 16 MSIDS Diagnostic Map. You will find: *The latest pertinent information on the most important scientific discoveries *Emerging research on bacterial “persisters”—bacteria that can survive antibiotics—and new therapies to get rid of them *A seven-step action plan that patients and doctors can follow to ensure better health.