Lyme Disease Testing

When the first sign of Lyme disease symptoms occurs, you’ll most likely have to undergo tests. Typically, these tests involve taking blood or cerebrospinal fluid from the patient’s body. The health care provider will draw blood from a vein on the arm, then collect a small amount into a test tube or vial. This process typically takes less than five minutes. And you will also  Cena badania na boreliozę. You’ll need to lie flat on an exam table or sit on the side.

Help Your Health Care Provider Decide

The results of the EIA may be negative or positive. If the results are positive, they’ll require further confirmation through western blot testing. Western blot testing reports the presence or absence of antibodies for IgM and IgG. Specific bands will be reported, as well as comments to help interpret the results. A positive test indicates the presence of a tick-borne illness, but a negative test could signal a broader disease or an unrelated ailment.

MRI scans can also identify white matter hyperintensities, sometimes called UBOs. These areas may be similar to demyelinated areas in multiple sclerosis. MRI scanners use a strong magnet, so patients with pacemakers or metallic implants should not undergo this procedure. However, the results of SPECT imaging are helpful in making the diagnosis. This imaging technique can help your health care provider decide if Lyme disease is the cause of your symptoms.

A positive ELISA test will be accompanied by a Western blot, which looks for antibodies to Lyme bacteria. A positive blot will contain 5 positive bands, and a negative one will show no antibodies. This test is the gold standard for diagnosing Lyme disease, but its accuracy depends on how accurate the lab is. If it produces a positive blot, you’ve probably contracted Lyme disease.