What is it about?
In this paper, we report on three studies that demonstrate the value of a symptom questionnaire (the HMQ) that can alert physicians and patients to the likelihood of a Lyme disease diagnosis.
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Why is it important?
Lyme disease, is a bacterial infection transmitted via bites of infected nymphal and adult female blacklegged ticks. Several Borrelia species can cause Lyme and Lyme-like illnesses, and Lyme is the most common vector-borne illness in the US, is spreading world-wide, and already is a significant health threat. Lyme disease is best conceived as a clinical diagnosis based on history and signs and symptoms, not diagnosed by, but rather supported by laboratory findings.
Perspectives
Our results support the use of the HMQ as a valid, efficient, and low-cost screening tool for medical practitioners and as an aid to individuals that may need to seek treatment. Our hope is that physicians from multiple specialties will use the HMQ in their practice and that it also will empower individuals with troubling long term symptoms to find the care they need to get well.
Phyllis Freeman
Hudson Valley Healing Arts Center
Tick-borne diseases are rapidly spreading worldwide, and individuals suffering with a chronic fatiguing, musculoskeletal illness with neurocognitive symptoms may not be aware that their symptoms may be due to Lyme and associated diseases. This scenario is especially relevant for those diagnosed with Lyme mimics, such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/M.E.,S.E.I.D), Fibromyalgia, certain autoimmune diseases (RA, MS, SLE), pain syndromes, and those with unexplained, or poorly controlled neuropsychiatric illness. An inexpensive, validated screening tool is therefore important to alert both patients and health care providers to the possibility that Lyme and associated co-infections may be at the root cause of their symptoms. We identified key clinical markers in this study, especially migratory pain, as a hallmark of Lyme disease, which should help differentiate Lyme from other illnesses.
Richard Horowitz
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Empirical validation of the Horowitz Multiple Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome Questionnaire for suspected Lyme disease, International Journal of General Medicine, September 2017, Dove Medical Press,
DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s140224.
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