If you have experienced a tick bite and were anachronistic you might ask yourself if you should be tested for Lyme disease. You’re not alone. There are thousands of people throughout the country who are experiencing the confusion, frustration and seeking help when it involves Lyme testing.

If you’re going to get a Lyme disease antibody test it’s not necessarily easy or rapid. Testing may be confusing, outcomes are not always clear-cut, and many people say they don’t really feel they have direction when they take a test. Which is why we’re simplifying it for you – in an easy-to-understand way – letting you leave your next doctor’s visit in a position of both knowledge and empowerment.

In this guide, we will discuss everything you need to know about lyme disease testing, what tests are actually called, interpreting your own results and what lyme wellness support can do for you at any point in your journey.

What Is a Lyme Disease Test?

A Lyme disease test is a method that doctors use to determine if the bacteria which cause Lyme have entered your body. The bacterium is called Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted by a tick, typically a deer tick.

The key to keep in mind is that except for a few rare instances, there’s no test for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Rather, it searches for antibodies who are proteins that your immune system produces as an attempt to repulse an infection. Imagine antibodies are your body’s guards of the palace. The test is seeing if your body has mobilized the forces to combat Lyme.

That is the reason that it is important to know the time. A negative result may be due to the fact that your body hasn’t produced those antibodies yet but you do have Lyme disease, if you have, and you were bitten recently enough that your antibodies have not yet formed.

How Is Lyme Disease Tested?

So, what exactly are the tests performed for Lyme disease? In most cases doctors use a two-stage blood testing process which has been recommended by health authorities for several years. As simply as possible, this:

Step 1 – The Screening Test (ELISA)
 

The first test is a general test. It tests blood for the presence of antibodies to Lyme. In most cases, testing ends there if this test is negative, and you’re not having lots of symptoms. If it comes back positive or ambiguous, however, then you take Step 2.

Step 2 – The Confirmation Test (Western Blot)
 

This is a second test with more detail. Check more closely on your antibodies to see if the initial test was correct. Combined, both tests provide physicians with a better indication of exposure to the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.

This two-part approach is the recommended standard following the guidelines for testing for Lyme disease, and is the reason it is not sufficient to have a single blood test alone.

Types of Lyme Disease Tests

There are various kinds of tests used to diagnose Lyme disease. Here are some simple examples:

1. ELISA Test (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay)
   

This is the most usual starting point. A blood test which checks for antibodies. It is ubiquitous, rapid and easy to obtain but has a possibility of false-positive results, hence another test is performed to confirm.

2. Western Blot Test
   

This is the second confirmation test. It analyzes certain proteins found in your blood to establish whether the antibodies detected in the ELISA test actually have to do with Lyme disease.

3. PCR Test (Polymerase Chain Reaction)
   

This test is a little different – it focuses on actual searches for the genes of the Lyme Disease bacteria, rather than your body’s reaction to the disease. Not often ordered to test blood but sometimes ordered if someone has Lyme arthritis and wants to have their joint fluid tested.

4. CD57 Test
   

Some alternative and functional medicine practitioners rely on this test that examines a type of immune cell. But not all conventional medicine would consider this test to be a reliable definitive Lyme marker.

5. Specialty Lab Tests
   

There are laboratories which provide a wide range of Lyme disease testing. They might be suggested by a Lyme disease health coach or integrative practitioner when traditional testing is negative, but symptoms still exist.

Lyme Disease Test Name – Quick Reference

If you are being checked by your doctor, and will be interested in knowing what test you are undergoing, you can use this quick reference:

• ELISA – Initial screening blood test
• Western Blot – Second-step confirmation test
• PCR – Detection of genetic material test
• CD57 – Immune cell count (specialty/alternative use)
• Western Blot IgM – To detect initial Lyme antibodies
• IgG Western Blot – Seeks subsequent or persistent antibodies

It’s important to understand the names of your Lyme disease tests, so you can have better conversations with your doctor and understand your test documents when you get results.

Why Does Lyme Disease Test Take So Long?

Many of the common complaints people have is why does it take so long to receive the Lyme Disease Test?

This is for a couple of reasons:

Your immune system requires some time. Your body does not start to make the antibodies that a test would identify immediately after a tick bite. There are not enough antibodies present to be detected by blood tests until 2 to 6 weeks – sometimes longer – after exposure. One of the most common reasons people have a false negative test is when the test was performed too early.

The process of two steps is time consuming. In most cases, more than a single ELISA test is done before a Western Blot, meaning that multiple rounds of testing are involved. Testing times vary depending on the lab, and samples may have to be referred to specialty labs, which can extend the time.

Delay from follow-up appointments. Once you get your blood drawn, finding out the results can take several days. If this is the case, you’ll need another appointment so that the doctor can discuss the results with you. This process can seem like it’s endlessly long, from beginning to end, especially when you are not feeling well.

The two keys to obtaining accurate results are being patient (as difficult as that can be) and testing at the proper time.

Lyme Disease Test Results – What Do They Mean?

The meanings of your Lyme test results can be confusing, as they do not always have a definite answer. The following simple instructions help you:

Positive Result: Both the ELISA test and Western Blot were positive. This is usually a sign that one has been exposed to Lyme disease and treatment will probably be recommended.

Negative Result: The test results were both negative. This indicates that no antibodies were found. However, if you tested very early or have a weakened immune system, this doesn’t always rule out Lyme disease completely.

Equivocal/Unclear Result: The results sometimes lie in a zone of uncertainty that is not obvious. This could require retesting in a few weeks later, or your doctor may take a closer look at your symptoms to determine what to do next.

Seronegative Lyme: Some individuals who have persistent symptoms will not test seropositive with the standard tests. In a very interesting and circumstantial area, it is important to have the help of a Lyme disease health coach or integrative practitioner who can guide and provide wellness support.

Lyme Disease Testing Guidelines – What the Experts Recommend

The two most widely used guidelines for testing for Lyme disease are from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). These guidelines recommend:

• Using the two-step blood test approach (ELISA + Western Blot)
• Not treating patients who do not have symptoms
• Retesting when initial test results are questionable, and or symptoms remain
• The onset of symptoms and time of bite should be taken into account

Some wellness experts or health care providers are more thorough than these guidelines, particularly in dealing with patients with longer-lasting, more complicated symptoms.

Lyme Disease Wellness Support: You Don’t Have to Figure This Out Alone

Getting tested is just one step. Even once a diagnosis or negative test result has been obtained, many people find that they feel unwell or do not feel well. This is where Lyme disease wellness support is extremely helpful.

A Lyme disease health coach can support your medical treatment and you can:

• Get into healthy routines that will help strengthen your immune system
• The test results should be easy to comprehend
• Develop a daily schedule for minimizing “brain fog” and fatigue
• Move through nutrition, sleep and stress – all of which impacts greatly the nature of your healing
• Even on tough days, stick with your health routine

In HealthfullyU, the focus of wellness support is the center of everything. We know that a road of Lyme disease is personal and there’s a big difference between having your life guide recovery and quality of life.

Conclusion

Testing for Lyme disease doesn’t need to be daunting. Once you know what these tests detect, how long it takes, and how it affects your health, you’ve got much more power to promote your health.

If you have just discovered you might have a Lyme disease problem, have conflicting test history, or you just want to feel better and find a place that understands Lyme disease well, you deserve answers and a place to feel better.

It may be time to take the next step on the journey toward health – contact a Lyme-literate wellness professional who can support you along the way. Here at HealthfullyU, we’re here for that.