Overview

More than 30 years after it was first diagnosed, Lyme disease remains one of our most misunderstood illnesses. This frequently misdiagnosed infection is spreading at an alarming rate and, if not treated early, can cause debilitating symp­toms. More than 1.7 million people in the United States, and many others in Europe and Asia, currently have Lyme and are unaware or can’t find the right treatment. Finally, Beating Lyme offers those who struggle with it the guidance to get the help they need. A respected health author and educator, Constance Bean is an authority on this elusive illness. In 1993 she was diagnosed with Lyme and has spent the past 14 years researching its treatments and diagnoses. In Beating Lyme readers will find comforting, hard-won advice on such topics as:

• what Lyme is and how to recognize the symptoms

• what to do after a tick bite

• how to protect family and friends

• how to get the best treatment and what to do if insurance won't cover it

• living with long-term Lyme disease

Compassionate and thoroughly researched, this is a book that will help both doctors and patients understand and conquer this complex illness.

About the Authors

Constance A. Bean (Boston, MA) is the former coordinator of health education at MIT and is the author of six other books on health issues, including the classic Methods of Childbirth. Lesley Ann Fein, M.D., M.P.H. (Caldwell, NJ) is active in the Lyme disease community. She has served on a New Jersey Legislative Task Force and is Medical Director for the Pennsylvania Lyme Disease Society and the Greater Hartford (Connecticut) Lyme Disease Support and Action Group.