Cure unknown inside the Lyme epidemic
This book is an investigation into the science, history, and politics of Lyme disease as observed by a journalist whose entire family contracted the illness traces its significant rise and the atypical presentations that have made its diagnosis and treatment difficult. It is a narrative investigatio...
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| Format: | Books Print Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York :
St. Martin's Press,
2008.
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| Edition: | 1st ed. |
| Subjects: | |
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| Summary: | This book is an investigation into the science, history, and politics of Lyme disease as observed by a journalist whose entire family contracted the illness traces its significant rise and the atypical presentations that have made its diagnosis and treatment difficult. It is a narrative investigation into the science, history, medical politics, and patient experience of Lyme disease told by a science journalist whose entire family contracted the disease. It paints a picture of the intense controversy and crippling uncertainty surrounding Lyme disease and sheds light on one of the angriest medical disputes raging today. The author also reveals her personal odyssey through the land of Lyme after she, her husband and their two sons became seriously ill with the disease beginning in the 1990s. From the microbe causing the infection and the definition of the disease, to the length and type of treatment and the kind of practitioner needed, Lyme is a hotbed of contention. With a CDC estimated 200,000 plus new cases of Lyme disease a year, it has surpassed both AIDS and TB as the fastest-spreading infectious disease in the U.S. Yet alarmingly, in many cases, because the disease often eludes blood tests and not all patients exhibit the classic "bulls-eye" rash and swollen joints, doctors are unable or unwilling to diagnose Lyme. When that happens, once treatable infections become chronic, inexorably disseminating to cause disabling conditions that may never be cured. The book reveals why the Lyme epidemic has been allowed to explode, why patients are dismissed, and what can be done to raise awareness in the medical community and find a cure. A comprehensive book written about the past, present and future of Lyme disease, it exposes the ticking clock of a raging epidemic. |
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| Physical Description: | xxiv, 408 pages ; 25 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 355-397) and index. |
| ISBN: | 9780312378127 0312378122 9780312378134 0312378130 |
| Author Notes: | Pamela Weintraub is an author and journalist who specializes in health, biomedicine, and psychology. She is currently a consulting editor at Psychology Today and executive editor at MAMM magazine, and has served as editor in chief of OMNI and staff writer at Discover . Weintraub has written hundreds of articles for many national publications, including Redbook , Ms. , McCall's , Audubon, and Health, to name just a few. She lives in Connecticut. |
