Horrible head pressure and weird head sensations are two of the symptoms from Babesiosis, a co-infection of Lyme Disease. The Babesia protozoa is what causes this co-infection.
What other symptoms might you have with a Babesia infection?
Your family asks you if you have a headache, but it isn’t. It is not pain in the typical sense as others have experienced, such as a migraine or cluster headache. The weird head sensations are almost impossible to describe to others and it affects your ability to sleep and function.
Common symptoms also include fevers, night and day sweats, head pressure, weird head sensations, tooth, sinus, jaw infections, stiff crackly neck, neck stiffness, sore throat, emotional instability, photophobia, dark urine, sleep disturbances, air hunger, temperature regulation problems, altered mental status, motor deficits, ataxia, and failure to respond to antibiotics.
Babesia gives you a lot of head and neck symptoms.
Babesia headaches feel different from Bartonella headaches.
Bartonella headaches are more described as ice-pick headaches with severe pain. Babesia headaches are more in the front of your head.
Researchers who research Lyme Disease and its co-infections have found these bacteria and parasites in the brain after autopsy. This means that these two co-infections among others can cause dementia and land you in a nursing home. They destroy brain tissue.
All Alzheimer’s and dementia patients should be tested for Lyme disease and its co-infections. Recently, in many autopsies, they have found Borrelia and other parasites in the brain.
Babesiosis is one of the common co-infections of Lyme disease. More often than not, it is not usually tested for by a regular doctor or even an infectious disease doctor. It is caused by the Babesia protozoa.
“In fact, it may be present in up to 40% of Lyme patients, according to a report in Trends in Parasitology.” Understanding Babesia: Symptoms, Testing, and Treatment | RawlsMD
“But the results of a 2014 patient survey of more than 3,000 participants indicated that 32% of the respondents had been diagnosed with Babesia, which places it second only to Borrelia. “ Understanding Babesia: Symptoms, Testing, and Treatment | RawlsMD
A Babesia infection termed babesiosis cannot be diagnosed without special tick testing that is not paid for by most insurance companies. If you test positive for Borrelia they don’t go further. They may give you rounds of Doxi or a combination of drugs for weeks or months. You may feel better but not completely.
If you talk to the real specialists called Lyme literate doctors whose specialty is Lyme Disease and its co-infections, Babesiosis is pretty common.
Most patients have more than one tick infection. Often patients may have one to four co-infections at the same time.
These co-infections respond to different protocols to get rid of them.
Each co-infection takes different tests to diagnose. This is why so many patients don’t get completely well. They are not getting the proper diagnosis or treatment for all the co-infections that are causing them to be ill.
You get babesiosis, most often by being bitten by a deer tick (the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis), which often carries the Babesia parasites.
They are NOT a bacteria or spirochete, but a one-celled organism called a protozoa.
Most antibiotics such as doxi do not work on protozoa infections. That is why so many people do not get completely well on doxycycline.
“Several types of Babesia parasites cause babesiosis. Babesia are protozoa, one-celled organisms that are too small to see without a microscope. They get into your blood through a tick bite. There, they infect and destroy your red blood cells. In mild cases, this can make you tired. In severe cases, like if you have a compromised immune system, the infection can cause life-threatening complications.
B. microti is the most common cause of symptomatic babesiosis in the U.S. Other Babesia species that sometimes make you sick include B. duncani, B. divergens, B. venatorum and B. crassa.” Babesiosis: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment (clevelandclinic.org)
The problem with testing for Babesia
Most doctors call for Borrelia testing which is a more common and familiar co-infection problem seen by most standard medicine doctors. That is why it is generally missed.
Testing for Babesia has to be performed with special tick testing only available at some labs. Igenix is the best lab for this and it isn’t cheap.
You need a doctor to order the test which often they won’t. You must go to a Lyme literate doctor or Lyme Disease specialist to get properly diagnosed. The Babesia test in the US looks for the most common Babesia species which is B. duncani.
Babesia has many cousins, some of which are mainly found in Europe and not in the U.S. If you go to Europe or countries outside the US, it is possible to be infected with Babesia strains other than the common ones found in the US. The Babesia test may test negative because of that. If you live in a state where Babesia is not common, your doctor may refuse to order the test, even if you have symptoms.
Babesia tests available at Igenix
Babesia Diagnostic Tests |neXIGe
The testing information is taken directly from the IgeneX site. You need a doctor to order the tests and most insurance carriers will not pay for that testing which may cost up to a couple of thousand.
You should get a panel that tests for all the different co-infections because often patients have more than one tick co-infection present and positive. If you don’t know what co-infection or co-infections you have, you may not get the proper treatment and will still feel sick.
These tick co-infections demand different treatment protocols.
I list this lab because it is one of the most effective labs in the fight against tick co-infections. Vibrant Labs is another one that is used frequently as well. When I visited their site, I did not find a test for Babesia. You should call them to see if they do have a test for Babesia that is not listed under their tick disease panel.
There may be others not listed in this article but Lab Core, one of the common ones used by drs offices is not the best lab for tick diseases other than when first bitten in the early stages.
Chronic Lyme disease needs different testing which is only available with labs such as IgeneX. Borrelia is the test most often ordered when you first go to the doctor after being bitten with symptoms.
I hope this article helps readers understand that they need to be tested for Babesia by a Lyme Specialist and with the proper tests. I can’t stress the importance of correct testing by a specialized lab such as IGeneX.
I do not receive any compensation from this company or any other lab. I add this testing information to help you find it on their site. It is rather difficult to navigate lab testing sites.
References: Please read these articles and references below
Understanding Babesia: Symptoms, Testing, and Treatment | RawlsMD
If You Think Lyme is Bad, Meet Babesia! – Suzy Cohen, RPh offers natural remedies to help you feel better now! (recommended reading by all Lyme patients or if you think you have a tick co-infection.
babesia and head pressure – Search (bing.com)
Babesiosis: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment (clevelandclinic.org)Th
