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If Lyme disease is allowed to progress, it can spread through the bloodstream and affect not only the joints but the brain and heart as well.
Fortunately, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease can usually be removed fairly easily with antibiotics. Unfortunately, the symptoms of the disease can persist even after the bacteria have been eradicated.
Some studies show that persistent symptoms of Lyme disease take hold anywhere from 0. 5% to 13% of patients and treatment of these ongoing symptoms of Lyme is controversial. This is because many doctors are ill equipped to manage the symptoms of the absence of a definite cause, as the bacteria that causes the disease.
This means that in many cases, patients should educate themselves (and sometimes their health care providers, if possible) about what is happening, and should take control of their symptoms managed to get so they can a full recovery and return to good health.