Lyme disease is the most common American tick-borne infectious disease. It is caused by borreliosis, or the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which may spread everywhere in your body. An infected blacklegged deer tick infects humans with the virus by a bite through the skin.

It often goes undiagnosed, or is misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia, or flu. According to Dr. Mark Hyman, treating Lyme disease involves diagnosis, followed by treatment with a Functional Medicine practitioner. Dr. Hyman notes, “Left unchecked, Lyme symptoms worsen, creating a long-running inflammatory response and autoimmune illness. Early treatment can be successful but many go undiagnosed for years.”

Navigating the highs and lows of determining effective treatment will take patience and effort. As you work with your practitioner to eliminate Lyme disease, consider implementing the following seven strategies:

Eat real food. Junk foods, processed foods, and sugar must be limited; nourishing whole foods must be increased. Try to incorporate more protein, healthy fats, and wild fish.
Supplement smartly. Look into immune helpers like vitamin D, anti-inflammatory curcumin, and magnesium which can help with Lyme. Dr. Hyman strongly advises work with a Functional Medicine practitioner for development of an effective, safe supplementation program.
Repopulate. To treat Lyme disease is important; however, both good and bad bacteria are destroyed by the necessary antibiotics. Repopulate good bacteria with probiotic-rich, fermented vegetables or supplementation with a high-dose, multi-strain probiotic.
Address food sensitivities. Gluten, dairy, and other foods may increase inflammation, create immune system issues, and worsen disease symptoms if you’re sensitive.
Get good sleep. Lyme disease negatively impacts sleep. Sleep deprivation depletes serotonin and diminishes immunity.
Control stress. Chronic stress breaks down the immune system and exacerbates Lyme disease symptoms. Try yoga, deep breathing, or meditation to lower stress levels.
Reduce your toxic load. Coordinate with your Functional Medicine doctor to detoxify your body of heavy metals and pesticides, which damage the nervous and immune systems.