Newport Hospital has opened a new center for Lyme disease. Most doctors can treat Lyme with antibiotics, but the new clinic aims to help patients with lingering symptoms.
Deer ticks carry Lyme disease, an infection that can give you a bulls-eye rash and nasty flu-like symptoms. Antibiotics usually clear it up. But for a small percentage of people, painful symptoms can persist. Scientists don’t yet understand why. But doctors at Newport Hospital aren’t waiting for an answer. They’ve opened a new clinic focused on Lyme, and especially those with so-called Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, sometimes called chronic Lyme disease.
The staff includes infectious disease specialists and neurologists. The clinic also offers nutrition counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy and physical therapy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say long-term antibiotic use may not work for chronic Lyme. But other treatments can help alleviate symptoms.
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