Tick-Borne Illness Asheville

Tick-borne illnesses are a growing health concern, especially in North Carolina, where wooded areas and mild climates create the perfect environment for ticks to thrive. These infections can have serious, long-term effects on the body, often leading to chronic symptoms that disrupt daily life. While early treatment with antibiotics can be effective, many people experience persistent, lingering symptoms even after initial treatment. This is where a functional medicine approach can provide deeper healing and long-term recovery.

Common Tick-Borne Infections in North Carolina

Ticks in North Carolina carry a variety of bacteria and parasites that can cause both acute and chronic illnesses. Some of the most common tick-borne infections in the Asheville area include:

Lyme Disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) – The most well-known tick-borne infection, Lyme disease can cause fatigue, joint pain, neurological issues, and chronic inflammation.
Bartonella (“Cat Scratch Disease”) – Often co-infects with Lyme, leading to migratory pain, nervous system dysfunction, anxiety, and vascular inflammation.
Babesia (Tick-Borne Parasite) – A malaria-like infection that can cause persistent fatigue, air hunger (shortness of breath), night sweats, and low oxygen delivery to tissues.
Ehrlichia & Anaplasma – These bacterial infections can lead to high fevers, muscle aches, headaches, and immune dysfunction.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) – A more aggressive bacterial infection that can cause high fever, rash, and organ complications if untreated.

The Need for Specialized Tick-Borne Illness Care in Asheville

One of the biggest challenges with tick-borne illnesses is misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis. Many patients suffer for years with unexplained symptoms because conventional testing frequently misses chronic infections. In addition, standard treatments often fail to fully eradicate the infection, leaving individuals with persistent symptoms like:

✅ Brain fog and memory issues
✅ Chronic fatigue and muscle weakness
✅ Migratory joint and nerve pain
✅ Anxiety, depression, and mood instability
✅ Sleep disturbances and hormone imbalances

This is why a functional medicine approach is essential. At Caring for the Body, PLLC, Dr. Cynthia Libert specializes in comprehensive, patient-centered care that goes beyond just suppressing symptoms. By addressing the root causes of chronic infection, inflammation, and immune dysfunction, her approach helps patients achieve true recovery and long-term healing.

Symptoms & Challenges of Tick-Borne Illnesses

Tick-borne illnesses can be difficult to diagnose and treat, often leading to chronic, lingering symptoms that impact daily life. While some people experience immediate symptoms after a tick bite, others may develop long-term complications that go undiagnosed for months or even years. Understanding the early warning signs and the challenges associated with conventional tick-borne illness treatment is essential for getting the right care.

Early Symptoms of Tick-Borne Infections

In the acute stage, tick-borne infections often present with flu-like symptoms, which can easily be mistaken for other common illnesses. Early signs may include:
✅ Fever & Chills – A sudden spike in body temperature is common in infections like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
✅ Rash – A bullseye rash (erythema migrans) is a telltale sign of Lyme disease, but many people with Lyme never develop a rash.
✅ Fatigue & Muscle Weakness – Feeling unusually tired, even after rest, can indicate a tick-borne infection.
✅ Headaches & Stiff Neck – Tick-borne infections can cause inflammation in the nervous system, leading to headaches and neck stiffness.
✅ Joint Pain & Swelling – Infections like Lyme disease, Bartonella, and Babesia can trigger inflammatory joint pain, often misdiagnosed as arthritis.

If tick-borne illnesses are not diagnosed and treated early, they can become chronic, leading to long-term complications.

Chronic Symptoms of Tick-Borne Illnesses

Once a tick-borne infection becomes persistent, symptoms often worsen and affect multiple systems in the body. Chronic symptoms include:
🧠 Brain Fog & Memory Issues – Many patients experience difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, and slowed mental processing.
💤 Persistent Fatigue – Extreme exhaustion that doesn’t improve with sleep is a hallmark of chronic infections like Lyme disease and Babesia.
🦠 Immune Dysfunction – Frequent infections, food sensitivities, and autoimmune-like symptoms can develop as the immune system becomes overwhelmed.
⚡ Neurological Symptoms – Nerve pain, tingling, burning sensations, dizziness, and balance problems are common in Bartonella and Lyme disease.
😖 Chronic Pain Syndromes – Migratory joint pain, muscle aches, and fibromyalgia-like symptoms are often seen in untreated or improperly treated cases.

Many patients with chronic tick-borne illnesses feel frustrated because their symptoms are dismissed or misdiagnosed, leading to years of unnecessary suffering.

Why Conventional Medicine Often Fails to Diagnose or Treat Tick-Borne Illnesses

Despite the severity of tick-borne infections, many doctors rely on outdated testing methods that miss chronic cases. Common challenges with conventional treatment include:

🚫 Inaccurate Testing – Standard Lyme disease tests (such as the ELISA test) miss up to 50% of cases, leading to false negatives.
🚫 Short-Term Antibiotic Treatments – While early-stage infections respond well to antibiotics, chronic cases require a more comprehensive approach.
🚫 Misdiagnosis – Many patients are wrongly diagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune diseases, or anxiety disorders, delaying the right treatment.
🚫 Lack of Whole-Body Approach – Conventional treatments focus only on killing the bacteria but fail to address immune dysfunction, inflammation, and detoxification.

At Caring for the Body, PLLC, Dr. Cynthia Libert uses advanced diagnostic testing and a functional medicine approach to uncover hidden infections, strengthen the immune system, and help patients recover from chronic tick-borne illnesses.

Functional Medicine Approach to Tick-Borne Illness Treatment

Tick-borne illnesses are complex and often require more than just a short course of antibiotics. Chronic Lyme disease, Bartonella, Babesia, and other co-infections can persist in the body, disrupting the immune system and causing long-term health issues. At Caring for the Body, PLLC, Dr. Cynthia Libert takes a functional medicine approach to tick-borne illness treatment, addressing the root causes of chronic infection while strengthening the body’s natural healing systems.

Comprehensive Diagnostic Testing

One of the biggest challenges with tick-borne illness is misdiagnosis due to inaccurate testing. Standard Lyme disease tests often miss infections, especially if they have become chronic. Dr. Libert uses advanced, highly sensitive testing methods to detect tick-borne infections, inflammation, and immune dysfunction, including:

🔬 Specialized Lyme & Co-Infection Testing – Uses cutting-edge labs that screen for Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia, Ehrlichia, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

🩺 Inflammatory & Immune Markers – Identifies chronic inflammation, cytokine imbalances, and autoimmune activity triggered by persistent infection.

🦠 Gut Health & Microbiome Analysis – Since gut health plays a key role in immune function, this test assesses dysbiosis, leaky gut, and nutrient absorption.

🧬 Toxin & Heavy Metal Screening – Tick-borne pathogens release toxins that can overload the body, contributing to brain fog, fatigue, and neurological symptoms.

By using functional and precision diagnostics, Dr. Libert creates a personalized treatment plan based on your unique health needs.

Personalized Treatment Plans for Chronic Tick-Borne Illness

Since no two patients experience tick-borne illness the same way, Dr. Libert customizes every treatment plan to focus on:

✅ 1. Antimicrobial Therapies (Herbal & Pharmaceutical Options)

Targeted herbal antimicrobials (such as cat’s claw, Japanese knotweed, and oregano oil) for Lyme and co-infections.
Pharmaceutical antibiotics when necessary, based on lab results and symptom severity.
Biofilm disruptors to break down protective barriers that allow infections to persist.

✅ 2. Immune System Support to Enhance Recovery

Regulating immune function to prevent overactivation (autoimmune-like responses) and underactivity (chronic infections).
Low-dose immunotherapy and immune-balancing supplements to strengthen resilience.
Addressing underlying viral infections that may be reactivating due to immune dysfunction.

✅ 3. Detoxification Strategies to Eliminate Toxins from Tick-Borne Infections

Liver and lymphatic support to help process and remove toxins.
Binders like activated charcoal, chlorella, and zeolite to trap and eliminate bacterial and environmental toxins.
Infrared sauna therapy and gentle exercise to stimulate detox pathways.

✅ 4. Nutritional & Lifestyle Interventions to Rebuild Health

Anti-inflammatory diet to reduce pain, support gut health, and lower immune burden.
Mitochondrial support (CoQ10, B vitamins, and magnesium) to combat fatigue and muscle weakness.
Stress management, sleep optimization, and nervous system regulation to aid full-body healing.

How to Get Started with Tick-Borne Illness Treatment in Asheville

If you’re struggling with chronic fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, or persistent infections and suspect a tick-borne illness, early intervention is key to recovery. At Caring for the Body, PLLC, Dr. Cynthia Libert offers a comprehensive, functional medicine approach to diagnosing and treating Lyme disease and co-infections.

Here’s how you can take the first step toward healing:

Step 1: Schedule a Free Strategy Session

Your healing journey begins with a complimentary strategy session, where you will:
✅ Discuss your symptoms and health concerns with a knowledgeable team.
✅ Learn about Dr. Libert’s functional medicine approach to tick-borne illness recovery.
✅ Determine the next steps for comprehensive testing and treatment.

Step 2: Comprehensive Initial Consultation & Advanced Diagnostic Testing

Once you decide to move forward, your initial consultation with Dr. Libert includes:
🦠 In-depth health history review to identify past exposures and symptoms.
🔬 Advanced tick-borne illness testing, including Lyme disease, Bartonella, Babesia, and Ehrlichia.
🩺 Comprehensive immune system and inflammation analysis to assess the severity of infection.
🧬 Gut health, hormone balance, and detoxification assessments to uncover hidden imbalances affecting recovery.

These diagnostic tests help uncover the root causes of your symptoms so that Dr. Libert can create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your unique needs.

Step 3: Begin Your Personalized Healing Plan

Once your results are in, Dr. Libert will design a customized plan to:
✅ Target infections with antimicrobial therapies.
✅ Support immune function to prevent relapses.
✅ Reduce inflammation & detoxify the body.
✅ Rebuild overall health through nutrition and lifestyle changes.

Find Relief from Chronic Tick-Borne Illness—Schedule Your Consultation Today!

Living with an untreated or misdiagnosed tick-borne illness can be frustrating, but you don’t have to suffer any longer. With the right diagnostic testing, treatment, and functional medicine support, you can regain your health and energy.

📅 Book your free strategy session with Dr. Cynthia Libert today and take the first step toward lasting recovery!

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