Lyme Disease – Do you need to worry?

A recent post by Dr. Beth Hartog on Fertility Authority talks about something we don't think of often here on the Gulf Coast: Lyme disease. In the post, Dr. Hartog describes a fertility patient who finds a tick after a hike in the woods and is worried about lyme disease.

Lyme disease is an inflammatory disease that impacts multiple systems in the body. Its cause is infection by a bacterium spread via deer ticks. Humans and other animals are susceptible to lyme disease if bitten by a deer tick. The disease can result in long-term symptoms which can become severe if untreated. Fortunately, treatment with antibiotics upon early detection almost results in a cure. You can find out more about Lyme disease at the American Lyme Disease Foundation website.

What does Lyme disease have to to with infertility or getting pregnant?

As Dr. Hartog explains, treatment of the disease during pregnancy or when trying to get pregnant can be tricky. Some of the medications typically used for Lyme disease are contraindicated – unsafe – during pregnancy.

Lyme disease has spread predominantly from the northeast U.S. and into the Midwest. So do we Texans need to worry about Lyme disease? Not really, according to this prevalence map from the American Lyme Disease Foundation. But there are other tick-borne diseases that are less well-known, some of which are discussed on the Foundation's website. And of course, if you travel to areas of high prevalence and spend time outdoors, you could be at increased risk for Lyme disease. Like some of our staff at Houston Fertility Center, you may find yourself wandering in the beautiful woods just north of the city, and ticks are definitely a possibility.

To prevent contact with or to deal with removing ticks, the Foundation site offers very helpful and specific tips. 

Fertility Treatment & Wellness Go Hand in Hand

A recent article on Fertility Authority reminds fertility patients to get their flu shots (and be sure you get the shot, not the nasal spray!) The article reminded me about all the preventive health measures that might get back-burnered by patients.

Many new patients at Houston Fertility Center enter fertility treatment territory in great physical shape and feeling emotionally hopeful. Some arrive at their first consultation already dragged out, physically and mentally, by their months or even years of trying to conceive. Naturally, their first question is, "Dr. Kristiansen, what can we do to finally get pregnant?" My first recommendation for all of them is to optimize their fertility at baseline by getting or staying healthy, whatever that means for them.

Once you enter fertility treatment, you could find your calendar newly crowded by the required exams and office consults, by scheduled at-home injections and tests, even by scheduled intimate time with your partner. It's easy to lose track of all the good things you've learned to make a regular part of your day-to-day experience to keep yourself feeling fit and well.

Fertility treatment and preventive health measures are different yet interactive. Many facets of your fertility in general can change, for better or worse, as your overall health changes. So you could say your efforts at maintaining wellness -- balanced, healthy diet, moderate and regular exercise, relaxation activities, managing exposure to toxins -- are even more important during this point in your life.

So do remember your flu shot and all the other good things you do to stay healthy. And if you haven't yet instituted preventive health activities into your life, now's the time. It's an investment not only in your wellness, but your fertility, too.

~ Dr. Sonja Kristiansen M.D.